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Cadillac Repair/dash off, wont start
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Question
I recently got my 93 cadi and the radio doesnt work so my boyfriend took it out and tried to put in a head unit but the a wire didnt fit so he put the radio back in.. i dont know if he messed up the wiring with the speedometer doing that but the next day i drove about 2 miles and noticed the speedometer wasnt working along with the fuel or anything on the dash it was all off.. then as i was leaving the car wouldnt start at all it just made a clicking noise then i jumped it and it started but shut off shortly after i checked all the fuses and they are fine. sometimes after the car had been shut off before it would make a noise as if it was running and then stop.. is it the transmission or starter? im lost and i dont want to end up spending a lot of money if its something simple.. please help!
Hello,
Sometimes it is impossible to know what someone did to cause a problem like yours, but you need to look at your owners manual and make sure there isn't more that one fuse box. These cars commonly come with more than one. By a guess, I would say your boy friend blew the gauge fuse. If you just looked at the fuses, you might not see where the fuse blew and a test light is much more accurate. If he blew the gauge fuse, it would also explain why the engine did not start because the alternator is not charging the battery while you drive. This fuse also controls the speedo and the fuel gauge. That would also explain why the engine shut off shortly after you started it.
As for the radio,I cannot believe he created such a mess. If the head unit did not fit from a after market stereo,this was probably because he did not use a mounting kit. You can buy mounting kits and wiring kits where no wires are cut from even Walmart in their automotive departments. I hope he doesn't have a bunch of bare wires behind that stereo. Wires are no longer cut to install a stereo and I would like to know what wire he cut to blow the gauge fuse.
I would suggest you go somewhere for a professional installation.
as far as the noise, you need to describe further as to when it does it.
http://www.autotheftexpert.com
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Rob Painter
Expertise
Alarm system questions cannot be answered on this forum. These systems are not what I can answer. Without being physically at the vehicle and not knowing what kind of electrical service has been done on the vehicle, there is no possible way to give an accurate answer over the internet. My expertise is in Ignition/key based anti-theft systems. These issues include GM VATS (resistor chip in key blade) PASSLOCK (MRD)-ignition lock rotation based, no special ignition key and the PKIII Transponder (computer chip in key) systems. These systems are not alarm based and are integral with the starting of the engine. This is why I cannot diagnose alarm problems without physically looking at the vehicle: Alarm systems are a completely different annimal than ignition key/lock based anti-theft system. Many alarm questions come from vehicles 10 years old, and since older, many hands that had been involved over the years.I am an expert in all GM factory (ignition/key based)systems. Alarm system questions pose to many situations beyond my knowledge as to what has been done to the vehicle over the years. Some guy may have actually wired the stereo into the alarm system. Who knows? Over my past 30 years in vehicle wiring repair, I have seen unbelievable wiring disaters done by guys that consider themselves "mechanics." I have seen stereos and alarms intalled using surgical tape. I have seen modules burn up, un-fused circuits, wiring jambed between the doors and even lamp cord used for a starter kill. To answer alarm questions over the internet without examining the vehicle is like asking; What does it take to remove a dent?
Experience
Education/Credentials-ASE certified. 11 years with a GM dealer and 17 years with a repair facility dealing with only the repair of theft recovered vehicles.
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