Electrical- No Power to radio, after short, changed cig/aux fuse already..

[Dragonwings]

So here's my sad tale that involves not following my own advice. Can you help me fix it? (2003, 3400 se)

I go to hard wire an additional 12V socket (that has 3 sockets actually) so I can keep my cell phone and mp3 players plugged into the car at the same time.

Pull out the console, and the cig socket has no power. Didn't feel like undoing my STB to check the fuse, so I just decided to tap into the ground and 12V lead from the aftermarket radio. Everything works fine except when I plug in my mp3 I get crazy noise through the stereo system. I decide to try a different ground and/or a different power lead (Maybe the ignition 12V lead).

Then it happens, while I'm undoing the wiring to the additional socket, the 12V line slips out of my hand and hits the chassis to the radio. Line is now dead, didn't smell anything burning, so I figure it's just a fuse. And then storm clouds roll in literally, and I have to quit until today.

Check my Cig socket/aux fuse, and of course it's blown. I figure great, there's my problem. Change the fuse. Still no power. I pull any fuse that I think might have to do with the interior or in which I have no idea what the letters might stand for. (in both fuse boxes) Everything else checks out. (Dash lights work, dome light works, hvac works, etc) (btw, I hate pulling all those little fuses, my fingers hurt, even with that stupid little puller.)

I also notice that now, my chimes don't work. I figure I just fried the chime harness, because I was tapping into the power lead and ground of the radio. But then, I discover those two lines don't even go through the wiring harness. (it also just occurred to me the chimes need the headunit to be heard.)

I thought maybe I killed my headunit, but as noted before, I hardwired into the powerleads of the headunit and there's no power going to the head unit.

Is there a fuse I'm missing? Some other detail? Do you know the exact fuse that feeds the radio, if it's not the cig/aux one? Could it be the wiring harness, I don't think so.

Any diagnostic suggestions? (I know I can check the head unit by running a direct line to it, but that still doesn't tell me why power isn't going to the leads feeding the headunit.)

Please help.

[RocketFast321]

use needle nose when pulling fuses.
Did you look in the fuses in the driver side. I know the radio fuse is in there.

[Dragonwings]

Originally posted by RocketFast321
use needle nose when pulling fuses.
Did you look in the fuses in the driver side. I know the radio fuse is in there.

Thanks for the needle nose suggestion! So I pulled every fuse out this morning under the hood and on the driverside, the only two fuse boxes I knew of. None were blown. So I figure screw it, I'll just use the cig lighter socket power to power the radio. Rewire that in a jiffy and everything is working again.

Still didn't solve my line noise problem, but I've decided to charge the mp3 player while I'm not in the car.

I'm still very uneasy about not knowing why the radio lead won't work, but I have tunes again.

Go for a drive to recharge my battery since it was low from testing over the weekend with my amp on.

Get back home and decide to vaccuum and armor all my car.

I open up the passenger side to armor all, and I'll be god damned, the infamous THIRD FUSE BOX. Of course, I pop it open and there's a fuse labeled RADIO. I pull it, and it's blown. There ya go.

*mumbles about having three damn fuse boxes....*

I suppose I'll pull everything back out again and rewire it correctly sometiime...

[tommyboy22481]

Originally posted by Dragonwings
*mumbles about having three damn fuse boxes....*

Three damn fuse boxes indeed, I was pulling my hair out trying to figure out where the problem was today till I saw your post. Why didn't they at least put the radio fuses all in one place??

Thanks for the tip!