Electrical problem HELP!!! Options

[97TalonTSI]

Ok stupid me. I took out the dash and it has cause more problems than it is worth. Number one the climate control and instrument cluster stopped lighting up. I located the bad wire and it was the ground wire that was reading postive. I was able to run a ground from the back of the instrument cluster one going into and one going back into the harness and they will light up. But the dimmer will not work and also my biggest problem the battery keeps on going dead. So I am thinking that it is pulling a low voltage somewhere.

Does anyone have any ideas?

[The Iron Goat]

I'm not sure if I'm understanding your problem. The ground wire had voltage? Which ground and where? If you have a ground wire that's giving you voltage, running a new wire isn't the fix.

There's a short somewhere in the harness. Find the problem spot (prolly a couple of wires with stripped insulation that are touching), fix them and your problem goes away. The short would explain why your battery keeps dying too.

[97TalonTSI]

It is the black and yellow wire that grounds the lights for the climate, instrument panel and the controls for cruise and mirrors. I thought that I checked them all. I even followed them all thru the haarness to harness I followed them back. Now that I think about it. When I cut the wire going to into the instrument panel the voltage stopped. I will check it again.

[The Iron Goat]

Ok, ok. I think I may be on the same page now. You're talking about the common ground for the interior marking illumination (guages, switches, etc.)? In that case, I'm going to say that you should definately have not cut that wire.

Where did you check this ground when you got the positive voltage? Was it at the grounding point on the chasis or was it in a harness somewhere? Could you post a pic of where it was?

It's so hard to give you advice if i'm not there looking at your problem, but I'm guessing that the wire you thought should be ground wasn't. If a ground wire is giving you voltage AT THE CHASIS, then the entire car's grounding system is peckered up. Positive voltage at a harness can have other causes, but again, some more info is needed.

Where do you live? Maybe I can swing by and give you a hand.

[smrtkd69]

i had a similar problem but it was due to my insolence. lol i connected a ground in my stereo harness to a wire from the dimmer when i ripped out the dash to install my stereo, and guages. and i "peckered it up"

[97TalonTSI]

It was showing positive in the harness. I don`t know where it connected to a main ground. I am pretty sure that it is supposed to be ground because the other wire going into the harness/ harnesses are red and show a higher voltage. I need to get the car back into the garage and look at it again. Because I am taking it to the bodyshop to get painted in the next couple of days. That would be great if someone would like to come over and help.