GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Ok, here's how it goes. We'll start with what I've done:1) Used the wire relay bypass method for keeping the center console cig. plug on at all times.2) cut the wire inside the steering column to make the fogs available anytime3) professionally installed viper alarm4) professionally installed a/m head unit1st off, noticed the center console cig plug was not working at all anymore.1st time a fuse blew I was in the car, had my radio on, and had my cell phone charger in the dash cig plug. The light was on on the charger, it but for some reason it wasn't charging. I twisted it a little and the stereo and charger light shut off. I found the cig fuse under the dash(25A) had blown. I replaced it with a 30A spare I had amd went on my way.The 2nd time I blew a fuse (today), I was sitting in the car with the stereo on. Same story with the charger, twisted it and again everything shut off. Assuming it was the same fuse I crawled under there in my freaking uniform and found the 30A fuse was fine! I began looking for other possibilities and saw there was a Guage fuse. Turned the key to start the car, the car started, and sure enough the guage cluster was dead, pins and all. At this point I decided I would just drive down and get a new fuse from the parts store on base. Started the car, went to pull the shifter in to drive and it wouldn't budge! Went in to talk to my boss who works on motorcycles and was one of the only people left there. We looked at it and decided to check for other dead fuses. Under the hood was easiest and didn't see anything awry there. Crawled back under the dash (in my freaking US Navy cleaned and pressed utility uniform!) and found by pulling one fuse at a time that the AM1 fuse(5-10A, not sure) was bad. (removed) is a AM1 fuse? So, someone please help me figure this ish out. Common sense tells me to replace the relay and go from there, see if it fell out or there was a short or something, but I can't freakin' remember where it was! I thought it was on the passenger side behind or above the glove box but I couldn't find it. Anybody have any ideas? HELP before another fuse blows or my Vibe goes up in flames!

the power outlet in the console between the seats is powered by the ppoint fuse. That appears to be unaffected, or at least you didn't mention it. If it's not working anymore, maybe your jumper fell out.the CIG fuse powers the cigarette lighter outlet and the radio. The 15A CIG fuse and the coil (low current) of the ignition relay get their power trhought he ignition switch, but from the 25A AM1 fuse.Sounds to me like twisting the plug in the cigarette lighter shorted out something which blew the CIG fuse. By putting a 30A fuse in there, when you twisted the plug and shorted it out again, this time the lower rated 25A AM1 fuse blew, taking out everything that gets power only when the ignition is turned on, like the instrument clusterI say put in a 25A fuse int he AM1 and a 15A fuse in the CIG and stop twisting the plug in the hole, use a straight in and out motion

Quote, originally posted by joatmon »I say put in a 25A fuse int he AM1 and a 15A fuse in the CIG and stop twisting the plug in the hole, use a straight in and out motionOk, but why does the charger plug light show it is getting power, yet when I plug it into the phone the phone does not charge? Could the phone charger be bad? I know the phone is fine as it charges at the house wihtout a problem. Maybe whatever is wrong with it (if it's bad) is causing the short when I twist it? Just seems weird. The center console power outlet has been out for a while, but like I said, I don't remember where those relays were that I bypassed with the wire.

I don't know about the phone charger, but the relay was above the glove compartment http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=6403

Quote, originally posted by joatmon » but the relay was above the glove compartment http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=6403Oooooh, that's right! I forgot about the other compartment it's in! Thanks a million Joat! Gonna have to go check to see if that wire fell out somehow! Might solve 1 problem anyways!

Could be the charger's bad and causing the whole thing to short out.. Is the charger itself fused? Have you tried it in a different plug to see if it has the same behavior?

Quote, originally posted by Jahntassa »Could be the charger's bad and causing the whole thing to short out.. Is the charger itself fused? Have you tried it in a different plug to see if it has the same behavior?Actually, the plug I used to hook it up to was the center console power outlet that now longer works. I noticed the light wasn't coming on when it was hooked to that and found it was dead. That is why I started using the dash outlet instead. I don't think the charger has a fuse unless it is built in.