Electrical Problems 1990 K5

[Hardcore]

Having a weird electrical problem some of you guys may know how to fix.

If I plug something into my cigarette lighter sometimes it will short out the radio for just a second. THe radio goes off but the interior light come on /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif The radio loses its presets and everything
Then sometimes when I open the door and the lights come on the radio goes off /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

The truck has a Viper alarm the previous owner had installed. I think it plays a part in it because usually a alarm is tripped when the door opens because the interior lights switch on and the alarm uses that as a signal. What I don't get is why it is cutting off my radio? Any ideas what this could be? In idea how the radio gets its power is affected by the interior lights????

 

[wayne]

The radio should have power to it all the time to keep the presets. Is the alarm tied into that for power? It sounds to me that the alarm is causing the problems. On my 90 if I short out anything at the cig lighter it blows the fuse and nothing else. Only time it has happened is plugging the cell phone in to charge. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[Hardcore]

Yeah I started thinking they may have tapped into that wire for a constat power source, what I still don't get is why the radio goes off but it doesn't blow a fuse. I would think the radio would stay on or it would draw so much power the fuse would blow /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif I'm really confused about the interior light thing also /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Anyone else ever have a similar problem?

 

[Hardcore]

Also does anyone know if the lights under the dash and the lights overhead are on the same circuit? My lights under the dash only come on, not the ones on the roof /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[daleearnhardt01]

They are on a different circuit. I know I blew fuses for the overhead lights when my door jamb switch started shorting out...

 

[darkshadow]

you have a bad short in your cigg lighter, if you pull the little door down and smack it you will see it spark, try to fix it or slap an after markit one in there. mine would do it when ever i hit a big bump in the road.

The radio and ciglighter and something elce are all on the same fuse. have fun /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[83ZZ502_Jimmy]

[ QUOTE ]
you have a bad short in your cigg lighter

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed

 

[Hardcore]

Any idea why the radio goes off when the door is opened though?

 

[Derf00]

The cig lighter circuit also has the horn and the upper interior lights on it. I had a bad cig lighter and could be driving down the street and hit a bump and it would blow the fuse, it took a while to figure it out.

I think the radio looses power because of the alarm system or bad joints or ground in the alarm system.

 

[Hardcore]

Thanks guys, I'll play with it this weekend and see what I find /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif