Fuse blown after FM modulator installation -- UPDATE
I figured installing the FM modulator myself wouldn't be too big of a challenge, and it wasn't really, or so I thought. After I started the car up, the CD player didn't work and the cig. outlet didn't work. Sure enough, the 15A fuse for the cig. lighter/radio had blown.
I bought some wire taps from radio shack to power the modulator from the power line of the cig. lighter. It took me a while since the space was cramped, but I eventually got that on OK. Actually, I screwed up the first time I tried to tap in, since as I clamped down on the tap, the modulator power line slipped out. So now I have one tap clamped on to the cig. power line with nothing attached, and another tap hooked correctly to the FM power line.
I was getting kind of impatient by this time, so here's where I may have messed up. I wasn't really sure what to do with the modulator ground line. I figured, since I had this whole box of the wire taps, why not just tap into the ground of the cig. lighter? After the fuse blew, I'm thinking that may have caused a short circuit.
I swapped out the fuse with another, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke thing, but that one popped as soon as turned the key to the 'accessory' position.
Any advice on how I can go about fixing this, preferably without having to take the car somewhere? I would hate to have wasted my time if I just have to pay somebody else anyway.
As a side note, this car will be going on a 2.5 hour drive in about 15 min. I'm assuming that it's safe to drive, since whatever happened is isolated to that circuit. Please let me know if I'm wrong.
I figured installing the FM modulator myself wouldn't be too big of a challenge, and it wasn't really, or so I thought. After I started the car up, the CD player didn't work and the cig. outlet didn't work. Sure enough, the 15A fuse for the cig. lighter/radio had blown.
I bought some wire taps from radio shack to power the modulator from the power line of the cig. lighter. It took me a while since the space was cramped, but I eventually got that on OK. Actually, I screwed up the first time I tried to tap in, since as I clamped down on the tap, the modulator power line slipped out. So now I have one tap clamped on to the cig. power line with nothing attached, and another tap hooked correctly to the FM power line.
I was getting kind of impatient by this time, so here's where I may have messed up. I wasn't really sure what to do with the modulator ground line. I figured, since I had this whole box of the wire taps, why not just tap into the ground of the cig. lighter? After the fuse blew, I'm thinking that may have caused a short circuit.
I swapped out the fuse with another, just to make sure it wasn't a fluke thing, but that one popped as soon as turned the key to the 'accessory' position.
Any advice on how I can go about fixing this, preferably without having to take the car somewhere? I would hate to have wasted my time if I just have to pay somebody else anyway.
As a side note, this car will be going on a 2.5 hour drive in about 15 min. I'm assuming that it's safe to drive, since whatever happened is isolated to that circuit. Please let me know if I'm wrong.
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