Electrical short? '95 Caprice lt1

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I recently bought this car. Everything was working fine until this morning when I go to turn the car on. It turns on but the cluster is out, the ac won't turn on, and the power windows don't work. The radio still works. All of that worked prior to this morning. Please help!
 
Check for power at the fuses. That way you know if the problem is before or after them. Since it's affecting multiple systems at once, it's possible that they all share a common power relay that has gone bad.
 
I do not know about your 95, but our 2001 Impala has two fuse boxes. One is on the left side by the left door, and the other is on the right side by the right door.

If your 95 has two fuse boxes you might have a blown fuse in the fuse box you did not check.
 
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Sounds like an.open and not a short


this, check all black ground wires for corrosion. starter, engine to body, so on and so forth.
 
There may be 'fuseable links' in the wire harness too under the hood.

Lots electrical problems start as shorts, blow fuses, damage parts anyway and then are open even after the fuse is replaced.
 
Sounds like the ignition switch.

You have positions for "power with crank and run" so it runs.
"ACC" works.

But "Just ignition" stuff like HVAC is dead.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Sounds like the ignition switch.

You have positions for "power with crank and run" so it runs.
"ACC" works.

But "Just ignition" stuff like HVAC is dead.

The ignition starter switch correct? Even when in the ACC position, the cluster, ac, and windows don't work when it should.

I did however notice last night, when I turned off the car the radio stayed on when it should have shut off with the car. Had to turn the car back on and then turn it off again for the radio to turn off.
 
Last edited:
The stuff you listed is not essential to running and only comes on with "ON". The stuff that works, eg the car runs, also works under "Start".

The switch is on the column about 6 inches down from the key. Key lock pushes a little pushrod to make it all work.
 
^ what is the position called right before the engine turns on? I thought it was ACC. Anyways, in that position these things should be coming on and it's not
 
99.9% bad ignition switch.
those loads are dropped while cranking to give a better chance of starting in adverse conditions.
when the radio stayed on is when it failed.
 
This is from the manual of a 95 roadmaster (same thing as a caprice)
t...amp;oe=58422BF1
 
Originally Posted By: kc8adu
99.9% bad ignition switch.
those loads are dropped while cranking to give a better chance of starting in adverse conditions.
when the radio stayed on is when it failed.

Agree.
 
Originally Posted By: wheelman1991
This is from the manual of a 95 roadmaster (same thing as a caprice)
t...amp;oe=58422BF1


Thanks. You're thinking it's the ignition switch as well?
 
Originally Posted By: wheelman1991
If the radio stays on with the key in the lock or off position, then yes.

It stayed on once which was last night. Today everytime it has worked.
 
Originally Posted By: gallydif
Originally Posted By: wheelman1991
If the radio stays on with the key in the lock or off position, then yes.

It stayed on once which was last night. Today everytime it has worked.


Still sounds like a bad switch to me. I'd check all the fusible links and stuff under the hood; at this age checking grounds won't hurt. But it sure sounds like a flakey switch.
 
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