the great #23 fuse problem

[2002jm]

Well, everything was going great until yesterday:) All of my lights worked included the dash lights....I did not do anything to the car, but I did send it to the shop to have some exhaust work done???
So the strange thing is when I replace the fuse and put the battery neg. cable on the fuse blows. It is a major blow, not just a melt the fuse, there are sparks at the fuse box:).
I pulled the headlight low beam wires off, the bulbs out of the parking lights...no change.
I may have a pinched wire somewhere, but have not found it yet.....
Any ideas? I did check the volts at the #23 and it is 12.3
The car is a 1985 323i euro e30:)
I have taken the shifter covers off and emerg. brake covers off and checked to be sure the lighter wires are not touching and any other wires that might be grounding...no wires touching anything:(....hope this is not in the harness:).
thanks for any help,
jm

[ST1G]

You're going to need a multi-meter and test light to get this sorted out. Do you have both?

[2002jm]

yes, have both

Yes, I have them and have tested the fuse box but I am not that good with electrical problems....:). I am pulling the cluster to see if something is wrong there too...that is the only part I have put on in the past month.
The strange thing is there are sparks at the neg. side of the battery and the fuse box, so it is not just a small short....something is maybe plugged in backwards, or there is a hot wire touching???
thanks for the help,
jm

[jlevie]

You are going to have to do some diagnostic work to find the problem and to do that you need the wiring diagrams for the car (see http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm). Although your car isn't specifically listed you should be able to get pretty close with the 85 318-325 diagrams.

[2002jm]

thanks

You are going to have to do some diagnostic work to find the problem and to do that you need the wiring diagrams for the car (see http://wedophones.com/BMWManualsLead.htm). Although your car isn't specifically listed you should be able to get pretty close with the 85 318-325 diagrams.

Thank you, very helpful, checking it over this morning!!!
jm

[raudonis]

be aware that USA and EURO fuse layout is slightly different!!! but #23 seems to be the same

[2002jm]

yes

be aware that USA and EURO fuse layout is slightly different!!!

Finding that out, and the wiring colors are not the same as usa:(
thanks,
jm

[ST1G]

Finding that out, and the wiring colors are not the same as usa:(
thanks,
jm

As I stated in your thread, I should be able to help out. Your car is a 1985 325 euro right? I want to find some diagrams and get familiar. I just went through my brothers car because he had no power to the obc and cluster and fuse 21 kept blowing. 23 is just a light fuse (as I recall) and there isn't anything else really on it. So I'm guessing it will not be too hard to nail down.

[2002jm]

As I stated in your thread, I should be able to help out. Your car is a 1985 325 euro right? I want to find some diagrams and get familiar. I just went through my brothers car because he had no power to the obc and cluster and fuse 21 kept blowing. 23 is just a light fuse (as I recall) and there isn't anything else really on it. So I'm guessing it will not be too hard to nail down.

Yes, my car is a built in 84 sold in 85 323i euro. # 23 has mainly lights, inside and parking, licence plate, check panel, but that is about all. Runs things like the cluster and inside gauge lights.
Any help would be great, I am just checking for breaks in the wires at this point.....should be something really obvious, with the fact that it worked fine and then does not now.
jm

[2002jm]

fixed

Pretty sure I got the wiring fixed, well Austin gave me the lead that I needed to fix the car:)
thanks to everyone that helped out,,,,greatly appreciated!!
jm