When your 20A ignition or gauge fuse keeps blowing and you've taken apart the instrument cluster to no avail what should you do?

Answer 1

Naturally, on the advice of the dealer, I replaced the cluster (388.00 retail) and the fuse continued to blow. I checked the dc resistance and determined that the cluster is relay controlled making cold testing without a schematic impossible. If there is reverse biased diode across the master relay, that could be blown. Without a diagram the rest is up to those 85.00 per hour electrical techs and a good week in the shop to get to the problem. Another possibility is to disassemble as much of the dash as possible and in total darkness, install fuse, switch on ignition and watch for tiny spark in wiring harness away from fuse block. Installed a lamp in series with the fuse to limit the current can furhter assist in locating a short to ground, bad diode, or other steering problem with the electrical. This all gives new meaning to the word-cheap or cheapest. TGFSD=thank God for schematic diagrams.