My civic is possessed!

[LincolnW]

It could have been caused by a number of things.

At least it was obvious what happened once you got the cluster out of there.

As far as finding the cause... I'm not sure how to do that. I would just replace the cluster if I were you. Of course, finding the source is probably a better solution.

[Silveredwings]

Your cluster wasn't conducting itself properly, how shocking. Don't get too wired about it, just go with the flow.

The burned traces on the cluster are symptoms of something else pulling way too much current through them (like someones fog light 'installation'). If you just fix the symptom with a new cluster, it'll just be a matter of time before the gremlin strikes again. That ghetto-wired radio thing sounds pretty revolting. For example, if something is trying to source +12v from the wrong place like an otherwise innocent wire from your cluster, it could do this. Alternatively, if a ground came loose and the current is finding is way home through the cluster, then it can fry something. Good luck.

[Silveredwings]

OK, that's weird. First I got an error that my reply was lost, now it says it made it. ????

[SVOboy]

You replied,

[Silveredwings]

I see.

[Gary Palmer]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

Do you think I should get a new dash harness just to be safe?

Matt: Before you get a new cluster you need to find out what the traces which got cooked go to, in the wiring harness and then you need to work backward from their. Something is pulling way to much power from something that isn't supposed to be supplying power. My best guess would be that whoever put your Radio in, found a power lead for the dash cluster and tapped into it. However, it should have blown a fuse, under the dash, instead of the trace.

I wouldn't put a new cluster back in, until you find what caused the problem in the first place. I also wouldn't rewire the harness or anything that drastic.

I also suspect their may be a way you can fix the cluster you have, instead of replacing it, but I wouldn't travel that path, until you find the wiring issue.

I can take a look in my shop manual and see if I can find a picture of the console, if you'd like.

[Gary Palmer]

From looking at your picture's, I'd bet that the trace which got cooked is actually a ground return from the gauges, going back to the chassis. If that is the case, then something is either wired to a higher voltage than it should be, or something which normally draws a certain amount of limited power got shorted and it's now drawing a whole lot of power.

[MetroMPG]

Quite a mystery. Good detective work, Matt!

Watching with interest...

[Matt Timion]

Originally Posted by Gary Palmer

From looking at your picture's, I'd bet that the trace which got cooked is actually a ground return from the gauges, going back to the chassis. If that is the case, then something is either wired to a higher voltage than it should be, or something which normally draws a certain amount of limited power got shorted and it's now drawing a whole lot of power.

I'm having a difficult time tracing shorts on this thing. The line that was fried is definately the cluster ground line. Unfortunately it's a common ground for just about everything from the headlights to the gauge cluster.

Perhaps tomorrow I will check to ensure that the radio is wired correctly and then reinstall. I spent a majority of the evening attempting to trace down a short, but I honestly have no idea what I'm looking for. Since it's a ground wire, a number of the ECU pins showed continuity for that ground, making the detective work that much more difficult.

At the very least I need to reinstall the dash so that my car isnt' in pieces.

The items that started acting haywire are as follows:

Entire cluster (lights,gauges, etc.)
clock
radio

I think whoever wired the radio wired it into the clock fuse instead of the original radio fuse, so they might be onthe same fuse. In theory I can assume that either the clock or the radio are at fault and base my attack on that assumption.

On a downside I accidentally reset my odometer today, so I need to fill up again to track my next MPG segment.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Matt Timion

On a downside I accidentally reset my odometer today, so I need to fill up again to track my next MPG segment.

Arg.