[purplecrx]

First off, how's everyone?! Haven't popped in for a long time, but of course now that i'm in my time of need I'm here. I've been stuck up at school with a MINIVAN, and it's time to get my CRX back up there over thanksgiving break. Here's the rundown:

88 DX running MPFI OBD1 on a P28. Was running a mini me until i spun a bearing, and I put a d15b VTEC in. It ran great, but when i went to take it out again the night I completed the swap i smelled melting plastic and my gauge cluster was smoking, and the speedometer needle actually turned to liquid and fell off. Fast forward 2 months to today. I had some time to diagnose a few things. I was hoping maybe the gauge cluster just took a crap, but that doesn't seem likely. When I started the car I can smell the burning again (i immediately shut it off). The car fired right up, but the headlights and dash lights, basically all the lights were VERY dim. Oddly, my radio sounded fine in the second it was on, and wasn't dim at all.

I don't know what could have caused this as nothing wiring wise has changed. I Pulled out the old motor and put the new one in. Any ideas are welcome, I'll be tearing into the dash tomorrow to get the cluster out, and maybe that will lead me somewhere.

-Ryan

Updated information at bottom of the page.

 

[SETI20]

With all electrical problems you first check the fuses (not too high value?) and the alternator.

That won't explain the melted speedo tho. That shouldn't move unless the car is rolling.

 

[purplecrx]

It melted as I started to back it out of the drive way. First thing I'll check is all the fuses, then I'm going to pull the cluster.

 

[Dodo]

Sounds to me you have a short somewhere. With burning wires it shouldnt be to hard to find. The bad thing is, why didnt the fuse pop?

Pull the cluster and tell us what you find.

 

[bobski]

I'm gonna guess that one side of the VSS is connected to ground while the other is connected to power. It shorts and overheats whenever it hits one of the pulse spots.

 

[toxiclows]

or from sitting your car could have made friends with some mice or rats look for a nest and chewed up wires. ..

 

[purplecrx]

I have a cable speedo, not a VSS. That's why I'm mystified. Well off I go to tear her down, let ya'll know what i find.

 

[downest]

You have a VSS in the cluster, it uses the cable and sends signal to the ECU.

 

[purplecrx]

That makes sense Tom.

UPDATED INFORMATION:

Okay, I pulled the gauge cluster out. There are clearly 'fried' circuits and what not. Where the speedo cable connects, there was also a liquidy/squishy substance? I don't know if it's just lube that should be there, or the remnants of something that melted. I checked every fuse in the car (under dash and engine bay) and the only blown fuse was the Clock/Interior Light fuse, which blows on me once every few months. Never could figure that out. There's obviously something weird going on, for instance I had my radio on and when I accidentally clicked the rear defroster button as I was trying to detach the harness from it, the radio shut off, lol. I turned the electrical off at that point out of fear of being electrocuted.

I can't find any visibly burnt wires, and in the engine bay I looked over all the wires and all seem to not be grounding out or shorting anywhere.

Where do I look now? I'm trying to take this slow as I"m terrible with electrical stuff and I don't want to fry anything else in the car. I do have a new gauge cluster ready to go, but I really don't want to fry it as well.

 

[Dodo]

Pics would help on this one.