Door light and Seat belt light

[slowsinglecam]

I just picked up an 88 accord DX. On the way home every time I would hit the breaks the door light and seat belt light would come on. It would also beep. When Im at a dead stop and hit the breaks the door light will come on. It will turn off when I let off the breaks. The doors are shut good and I have my seat belt on. What could be causing this to happen?

[slowsinglecam]

No one has an idea?

[Dr_Snooz]

Start by checking your grounds and fuses and looking for anything obvious. If that doesn't get it, then you go to Plan B: the grunt method. You sit down one sunny Saturday with the wiring diagram and a multimeter. Start where the circuit gets power and test it out until you find the faulty part(s). That's not fun, but that's the way to do it.

[slowsinglecam]

After taking a good look at it I found there was a fuse missing under the hood. Put a new one in and now the horn goes off every time I make a left turn. So I guess thats why it was missing. Must be something shorting out in the steering wheel? Cause with that fuse in the horn buttons dont work.

[Dr_Snooz]

You're in for some fun. Next up: Plan B.

[89accordvtec?]

hate to say it, but that would be a good reason to replace the chassis wiring harness. but it could also be somethin real simple. i blew the fuse for my cig lighter in my lxi n when the lighter was pushed in the trunk light on the dash would come on. n with the lighter out the trunk light would come on when a door was open. i was super releived when i found out it was just a fuse. my buddy had the same problem with the horn coming on when he turned the wheel a few years ago, i'll talk to him n see if he remembers wat the problem was, if i figure it out i'll let u kno

[87.3dr.lxi]

After taking a good look at it I found there was a fuse missing under the hood. Put a new one in and now the horn goes off every time I make a left turn. So I guess thats why it was missing. Must be something shorting out in the steering wheel? Cause with that fuse in the horn buttons dont work.

I'm guessing that was fuse 4. When these cars get this old - they start developing "issues" with the electrical system... which can have some symptoms that make no sense at all - until the problem is found, of course. The easiest way to trouble shoot wiring problems is to get a copy of Accord Electrical Trouble Shooting manual that covers you car. I have the 87/88 issue - since my LXi is (sorta) an 87 1/2. Most 1987s didn't have passive seat belts but some do - you can tell those by the overhead seatbelt light / beeper unit. The instrument panel is different than "stock" Accords as well. By 1988 the passive unit was mostly stock (though not all). Anyway - the Accords with the passive system have parts and wiring that are NOT in the factory manual for 1987 and not covered well in the 1988. For instance - there is a second set door switches in these cars - that are part of the latch mechanism in the door (in addition to the door jam switch). These can drive you nuts if you don't know about them - since the car will incessantly beep going down the road (with the seat belt lights flashing while moving). It won't "reset" until you turn it off and restart - while the lights will come on - the beeping won't start (incessantly) until you start moving. This is "fault" can be caused by one of those extra switches - or the extra module under the passenger seat (again neither are in the main manual for 1987). point being - the electrical book has far more info than the regular manual - not to mention diagrams (and pictures) that show every ground point, write-ups how every system works (horn, seat belt warning, seat belt tensioners, turn signal / hazzard (which is pretty complicated) and so on. If you're going to keep the car for any length of time - get a book. Wish I had one for Sherry's '91 (4th gen)... the other day all the classic symptoms of a bad main relay - except it was fine. Turned out to be a bad ground wire to the main relay connector. Never did find where it was "bad" - just "tapped in" another one and went on. If her's was a 87/88 3G - the ground (G106) is on the top left end of the engine, just behind the valve cover... I have no idea why it's way out there - but that's the point - without the book - you'd go crazy trying to trace that wire!!!!!.

In the mean time- if you can give us some more specific info - (which fuse, and so on) - maybe one of us with that book can help you trace the problem...

best regards..
Randy G.

[Dr_Snooz]

We have an '89 ETM scanned and ready. We're just waiting for it to be hosted and then anyone will be able to download it. Until then, there is an '89 regular manual available here. There are various wiring diagrams sprinkled throughout it and one or two might be able to help. In the printed version of the manual, there are big fold-out wiring diagrams at the back that cover the entire car. They have saved me more than once, but unfortunately, they're too big to scan here.

If I ever get a job with a big scanner again, I'll see about scanning additional manuals for the 86s and 87s.