[punkin]

I just don't know what "it" it is.

I installed auxuillary back up lights this morning. Two 55 watt halogen lights. Tapped into the DRL fuse under the dash as source of power and used an automotive relay to carry the power to the aux back up lights. Tapped back up bulb (green wire with black stripe) and ran wire to relay and everything worked as planned

Got industrious and also wired the relay to an illuminated switch on the dash.

Now switch worked fine but can not get the tap from the back up bulb to trip the relay. Using the switch by itself is fine with me so I took out the tap from the back up bulb.

HUGE PROBLEM NOW because I can't shift out of park unless I use a screwdriver in the shift lock hole. Ran through all the steps in the manual for resetting the shift lock but it my E isn't shifting Even after unhooking all my wires I can't move the E without the screwdriver.

I haven't told my wife yet but when she hears I messed up her one week old E she's going to hit the ceiling (or worse - me).

What did I mess up and can I fix it without taking it to the dealer??[/b]

 

[SuperJETT]

Have you checked all the fuses? It has an electronic lock to keep it in park unless you have the brake down, so you may have blown the fuse that powers the lock? I have a stick, so can't really help troubleshoot.

PS: good luck with the wife. :twisted:

 

[MikeQBF]

First check that the brake lights are coming on, or try to blow the horn. If neither works, replace fuse #7 in the fuse block under the hood next to the battery.

Check #8, #10 and #17 fuses in the under-dash fuse panels. Blowing any of those will disable the shifter interlock.

Question - you had pushed fuses into the "unoccupied" sockets and got a couple of strange results - did everything check-out OK after that?

Edit: Check #10 (under-dash) first. It is common between the backup lights and the shift interlock.

 

[punkin]

It was the old #10.

Mike QBF for president. Thanks guys.

 

[brendan]

[quote:ee4989e6f3=" "]Edit: Check #10 (under-dash) first. It is common between the backup lights and the shift interlock.[/quote:ee4989e6f3]

Mike is DA MAN!

Cool thread.

-brendan

 

[CRCError]

Mike - That is some darn fine troubleshooting!

-CRC

 

[MikeQBF]

Wow. Thanks, guys.

Don't forget, CRC, that I'm frequently the one with the zipper in the back. :wink:

What amazes/puzzles me is the way Honda puts completely unrelated items on the same fuse. For any of us who dink around with electrics, it might be worthwhile to toss one of those cheap fuse testers in the change pocket.

 

[Bill in Houston]

Nice work, Mike.

[quote:1952444d32=" "]
What amazes/puzzles me is the way Honda puts completely unrelated items on the same fuse. For any of us who dink around with electrics, it might be worthwhile to toss one of those cheap fuse testers in the change pocket.[/quote:1952444d32]

Don't most fuses have little metal contacts on the top where you can touch a continuity tester to each side to see if the fuse is intact? Maybe that's what you are talking about, since I don't know what a fuse tester is.

Bill

 

[MikeQBF]

Don't most fuses have little metal contacts on the top where you can touch a continuity tester to each side to see if the fuse is intact? Maybe that's what you are talking about, since I don't know what a fuse tester is.

Yes, you've got it. Both Buss and Littelfuse have fuse kits which include a cheap tester with adjustable points (for both ATO and ATO-MINI sizes) intended for those little metal contacts. That way you can test fuses without taking them out, plus it minimizes the "OOPS!" factor when trying to do this with a regular continuity checker.

I learned to use a dedicated tester early in my car and electronics repair life. I can't tell you how many times I blew fuses and/or sparked the probe points by poking around the fuse box with a regular multi-meter with standard probes. zzzzzzzzzZAP!

:shock:

The kit with the tester and an assortment of roughly 30 fuses usually runs about 10 bucks at places like AdvanceAuto, Pep Boys and AutoZone.

 

[hownowcb]

Mike and I both went to the automotive school of "Fooling Around U". I remember disconnecting the speedometer cable in my dad's '67 Fiat 850 Sport Coupe, so he wouldn't know how many miles I'd put on it in a weekend. One rainy evening, while attempting to reconnect the cable, I inadvertently shorted one or two [exposed] fuses, blowing one headlight, some other lights, and the wipers. It was that night that I discovered what seems like perverse logic in fusing schemes is actually brilliant. When any given fuse blows, anything in pairs, like headlights usually leaves one still functioning. I was able to pull a fuse from some other circuit, so that I had wipers to get home on a rainy night, but had maybe only one taillight and one headlight. Picked up some replacement fuses the next morning, and the old man was never the wiser. And damn, I miss that little red pocket rocket every time I think about that night!

 

[Bill in Houston]

[quote:36ff429695=" "]The kit with the tester and an assortment of roughly 30 fuses usually runs about 10 bucks at places like AdvanceAuto, Pep Boys and AutoZone.[/quote:36ff429695]

Cool. Thanks. That would be way easier than the two probes on a multimeter. I may get one of those if I ever blow a fuse. Or think I have...

Bill

 

[BlackdogStudios]

easily done, buy any italian or british automobile or motorcycle. youll find that whatever can go wrong, will and at the worst possible moment.


best
d.

 

[MikeQBF]

>buy any italian or british automobile or motorcycle

Or Volkswagens, of pretty much any vintage... but especially early Rabbits/Golfs. They were notorious for self-immolation stemming from fusebox fires.

I received most of my "education" from a couple of mid-'60's Beetles, and '70's Fiats. Not to mention my sister's TR-6. Those STUPID cone-end Euro-spec fuses and their flimsy fuseboxes caused no end of trouble. The U.S. makers (of the day) with their 3AG-spec fusing were just wonderful.

 

[Cameraman]

First new car I owned was a 75 Fiat 128. We were living in VT where new cars have to be inspected. The Fiat didn't pass. No fond memories here.

 

[kavetter]

Today, suddenly, I couldn't get out of park. I was stuck. I looked through the manual and found that I needed to pop off this little plug near the shifter. Once I took off the plug, a hole was exposed. I had to stick a long skinny screwdriver in to press a button which disengaged the lock on the shifter. Then I was able to get into reverse and drive home.

On the way home, the transmission stayed in a low gear. This forced me to drive real slow. I am taking it to the dealer tomorrow.

Just curious if anybody else has experienced this.

I have a 2004 with about ~6,000 miles.

 

[kavetter]

They said that they think it is the "throttle body". They are overnighting the part, then will see if that fixes it.

 

[MikeQBF]

"Throttle body" and "transmission interlock". "Both useful articles but hardly interchangable."*

* - anybody remember where this expression came from?

Keep us posted. I really, really want to hear how a problem with the throttle body relates to your being unable to get it out of Park.

"You have lot's o' 'splainin' to do, Lucy!"

 

[Oak Lawn Element]

Did you notice if the horn quit working and the cruise control would not engage? If the tranny interlock blows the fuse, it also takes out the horn and cc. I know that one from experience.

 

[MikeQBF]

>If the tranny interlock blows the fuse, it also takes out the horn and cc.

Brake lights, too. It's the brake light circuit that controls the interlock.

 

[Gemma]

Blown fuse/can't shift out of park!

ANYone out there? I can't shift out of park/have no horn and no brake lights. Did a search and problem is supposed to be fuse # 10. but replacing the fuse didn't fix it! yikes!
2005, 3 months old, blowing fuses for no reason???