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89hatchieaccord
12-26-2016, 01:59 PM
89 DX hatchback manual, carbed

Ok so I caused a short when I accidently bridged something on the combo switch with a screwdriver (saw a spark). Replaced blown 40a headlight fuse but still had electrical problems. Brakes shut off radio, clock/overhead light dims with turn signals, headlights wouldn't flip up together. Was screwing with the knob trying to get both headlights up and had some smoke and burning plastic smell from the dash. It wasn't a lot but enough to make me worry. Borrowed my neighbor's multimeter and found 0.36a parasitic draw tracked down to #4 fuse for the brake lights and horn. Fuse good. Testing combo switch and everything was fine except I was not getting continuity on the turn signals when the hazard switch was in the off position. When I sparked it with a screwdriver, it was on the turn signal side of the combination switch. Not really sure where to go from here. I think I should probably test the brake light circuit failure sensor but I don't understand what the shop manual says to do. I'm learning as I go and on a tight budget so I can't just start replacing parts until it works. Trying to get an accurate diagnosis before buy parts. Thanks!

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Dr_Snooz
12-26-2016, 05:51 PM
This is about the 5th time you've repeated your problem in a variety of threads. You'll probably have better luck if you confine single issues to single threads. You're going to end up with a lot of half-answers and dupes scattered all over the site and no real way to make sense of it all.

It's not uncommon for the turn signals to stop working for a few hours after the hazards have been turned on. It's a problem, but I don't think anyone has yet figured out how to fix it.

Is your core problem a battery drain? If so, it's most likely the seatbelt retractors in the doors. Simply unplug them to fix the issue.

89hatchieaccord
12-26-2016, 09:22 PM
Hey thanks. Yeah I'm realizing that and starting to trim the fat on my posts. Don't want to become the annoying new guy because I'm learning a lot here. The core problem was that I had no good reason to be poking around the combo switch and caused a short which led to the smoke from behind the dash. I was under the impression that the seat belt retractors are simply mechanical with no electronics but I suppose I was wrong. I'll check them tomorrow. Trying to figure out a proper fix so I don't start a fire and can use all of my lights/radio. When I was testing today I did notice that the battery had drained a little. Multimeter read just above 12.4v.

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Dr_Snooz
12-31-2016, 06:03 PM
Doesn't sound like you have a problem to me. You're a lot more likely to blow a fuse than start a fire. If you do start a fire, you'll smell smoke first. If you're wondering what you shorted out, then get under the dash and look for the burned spot where you arced it out. If something isn't working, then post the issue here and we'll help you sort it out.