My gauges don't light up? fuse keeps blowing?

[striperboat]

Whenever i connect the blue ("light") wire to my navigation light switch it blows the fuse. if i disconnect that blue wire the navigation/anchor light work. Currently that blue wire is suppose to illuminate all the gauges at night and is connected to #6 terminal. It has a 5 amp fuse and i tried 20 amp and still blows. Any ideas?

 

[NYBo]

My guess: One of the mounting straps for one of the gauges is causing a short.

 

[striperboat]

No Title

that is the blue wire. its connected in series with all the gauges and connects to navigation light switch terminal #6. is that where is should be connected?

NYBo: the mount that holds the gauges in place?

 

[striperboat]

No Title

 

[striperboat]

pic

 

[NYBo]

Blue is the standard color for gauge lights, and hooking to the nav light switch is one of the ways to connect it. The straps that hold the gauges in place usually connect to the negative stud on the gauge. If any of the wires or connectors from the gauge lights touches the strap, you have a dead short. It could be as simple as rotating one of the ring connectors for one of the lights a little so it doesn't make contact.

 

[glenn property of pam]

unplug the blue wire from all gauges and put a lick of electrical tape over the exposed metal connectors. Then turn the switch on. If the fuse doesn't blow then plug in one at a time then test. There looks like a white wire that's jumping off the first blue gauge connection but that may just be the picture.
If all the blues are disconnected and it still blows then pull the grey red and retest.
The crimp female spades look like exposed connections which is why nybo is probably correct in guessing that its shorting to the strap that holds the gauge. Would be nice to see a connector with the jacket on the outside.

 

[striperboat]

I tried what nybo told me and still same thing. I will remove the blue wire from all gauges and be more thorough this time as you suggested.

 

[sam am I]

I was thinking that perhaps a external device tapped into the blue circuit might be causing the issue, there's two taps it looks like.......

I think its the same wire from points #1 to #2? (I think #2 feeds to #1) So before taking too much apart, perhaps just pop off that connector at point #1 and see if ya blow a fuse when blue is re-connected. If it blows again, pop off that wire at point #3(compass light?) and try again..

If it blows again, at least ya know it's more likely a local mounting(or a blown/shorting out bulb, perhaps take those out and inspect second'ish) hardware and such as being suggested. From the picture, it looks sorta okay thou.......don't see anything obvious that is.

Just my $0.02

 

[striperboat]

The culprit was the that yellow/black wire (#2). I still don't know what that wire in the speedometer was used for. it was crimped to two thin black wires then crimped into thicker black wire and connected back to the speedometer. I want to thank you guys for helping me. Gauges look nice and even my compass lights up now. hopefully this thread helps others that might have same problems. Thank You!

 

[sam am I]

;-)