# Installed a CD player, now blowing fuses.



## modenaf1 (Nov 12, 2005)

Hey everyone, I installed a cheapo JVC CD player, and all was going great in the installation, until I had to wire the dash lighting/power/standbypower/ground wires to the JVC harness thingy. When I cliped these wires at the plug from the car's standard connector, I saw a little spark and heard a fuse blow. 

The JVC doesn't need the dash lighting wire, so I just left it hanging there, I didn't strip it though, and it isn't touching anything.

So anyway, that fuse that blew was the uppermost far left 10amp fuse in the fusebox to the left of the steering wheel. I believe it is "rear lamp" or something.

With this fuse out I have no rear lights at all, only brake lights, reverse, and turn signals. Parking lights don't work, and my dash lighting doesn't work.


I put a new fuse in, the same type, turned the switch to put my headlights on, and the new fuse instantly popped too. I didn't even see the dash lighting come on for a breif instant.


Does anyone know how just having this wire not connected to anything is causing this fuse to keep blowing out?

Thanks.


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## terry lingle (Jan 7, 2006)

modenaf1 said:


> Hey everyone, I installed a cheapo JVC CD player, and all was going great in the installation, until I had to wire the dash lighting/power/standbypower/ground wires to the JVC harness thingy. When I cliped these wires at the plug from the car's standard connector, I saw a little spark and heard a fuse blow.
> 
> The JVC doesn't need the dash lighting wire, so I just left it hanging there, I didn't strip it though, and it isn't touching anything.
> 
> ...


That isolated wire is probably not the cause. You have either pinched a wire during the mounting process or connected the power feed from that circuit to the ground wire when you made your connections. Look in the manual and determine the color code for the power feed from that fuse then find that wire at the installation site for the cd and isolate it. Once you get the car electricaly fine again continue with the install good luck.Terry


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## modenaf1 (Nov 12, 2005)

terry lingle said:


> That isolated wire is probably not the cause. You have either pinched a wire during the mounting process or connected the power feed from that circuit to the ground wire when you made your connections. Look in the manual and determine the color code for the power feed from that fuse then find that wire at the installation site for the cd and isolate it. Once you get the car electricaly fine again continue with the install good luck.Terry



Great, thanks! Where I might I find some info on what color wires are what?


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## dreamteam (Jul 29, 2005)

OK, well you may have cut the wrong wires.

Let's start from the beginning.

The connector you need will have a code of colored wires similar
to what I will describe below.

Red=power on=12volts constant. Always hot.
Black=negative or ground
Yellow=12 volt backup. For memory of stations.
Green/black=fader control for stereo face lighting.
Brown=12 volts keyed. key on.

Speakers.
Now it gets interesting.
The wires will almost always have a solid
and a solid with a stripe.

For example: Solid gray will be perhaps left front speaker positive.
Located next to it, or very near, will be that SAME solid color
with a stripe (probably black) running through it. This will be left front negative.

See the pattern?

A quick and sure way to find what speaker you want, is to use a AA battery.

Touch the solid wire to the positive side of the AA battery
and the solid/stripe wire to the negative side of the battery.

You will hear a slight scratching noise in the speaker you are looking for.
If you don't have the right two wires you won't hear any noise.
AND that means you didn't pay attention to the pattern.

Best Bet Yet, get a multimeter, read the instructions that come with it,
and test those pesky wires for yourself.

Alright now, somebody STICKY this so I don't have to write it again.

Hang in there guys, it's really not that tough.


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## Popkorn (Nov 16, 2003)

Kinda sounds like you may have blown the flasher too. Cuz it is related to your dash lights and your tails. Try hitting you emergency flashers. No worky? Replace the flasher.


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

where did you ground the cd player to? there is NO ground in the factory radio harness, if you grounded the cd player to any wire in the factory harness it will cause problems,

You MUST ground the aftermarket radio to a metal ground,

when I bought my 90 sentra the previous owner had the radio grounded to the harness and the radio only worked with the headlights on, LOL


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

ahardb0dy said:


> where did you ground the cd player to? there is NO ground in the factory radio harness, if you grounded the cd player to any wire in the factory harness it will cause problems,
> 
> You MUST ground the aftermarket radio to a metal ground,
> 
> when I bought my 90 sentra the previous owner had the radio grounded to the harness and the radio only worked with the headlights on, LOL



Exactly correct, also, the power wire on my 90 B12 were yellow and BROWN!! Kinda like a GM. Do yourself a favor before you fry some wiring, go out and buy a cheap $3 test light and test for the power wires, both constant and accessory


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

I was having problems with my sony headunit hooked to the factory wires so I ran the constant and switched power wires directly to the fuse panel, works fine now. Best thing to do if your ever not sure of the wire colors is to get a radio harness from a company like Metra, just wire the aftermarket radio to the adapter harness and plug it into the factory plug. It seems like all the metra harness wire colors match up to the aftermarket radio colors, and even if you didn't buy a harness adapter from Metra you can call them and they will send you the color codes for free. 

metra harness adapter from radio to car side harness part # for refrence
NISSAN 1987-94 - INTO CAR 70-1763


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

If i'm not mistaken, the Metra Smart-Harness is available for the B12's. It'll run a total of about $30, but you'll only have to splice the ground, everything else is plug and play.


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

the part # I listed was for the B-12 sentra as well as other models, the adapter harnesses are always a good idea for less experienced installers to use. or if you don't want to cut the factory plug off.


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## dreamteam (Jul 29, 2005)

If there is no ground , how does the factory installed radio work?


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## ahardb0dy (Nov 9, 2003)

dreamteam said:


> If there is no ground , how does the factory installed radio work?



not sure in my car since wiring was pretty cut up when I bought it, but I've seen some that have a seperate ground wire that clips to the radio, or probably not as good but they could have used the ground you get when the antenna is connected to make the ground.

Just looked in the FSM for my 90, I don't see any ground in either harness going to the radio, the only grounds they show is the one from the rod antenna or the antenna in the windshield.


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## SuperSentra4203 (Dec 17, 2002)

Chassis ground. Chrystlers and DSMs are like that also.


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