Spyder Gauge lights and power windows have power with key off

[e85monster]

I just picked up this 96 spyder gst that I had to put back together, basically needed motor to be put in and everything hooked back up. Well after buttoning everything up I hooked up that battery only to see that i have my oil, coolant, battery, and brake light on with the key off, power windows also work with the key off.
So I start checking stuff, ended up swapping alternator and ignition switch out with no luck.
I then started checking fuses, and came to discover that power to windows and cluster gets cut off when I removd the gauge fuse on the inside fuse panel. Checking voltage it had 12.5 volts with key off. I kept searching and found that if I pull the big 20 amp "engine" fuse in the engine bay the gauge lights and power windows lose power until I turn the key and everything operates normally. So I believe that the problem lies somewhere in the wiring after the 20 amp engine fuse. Also this fuse had 12.5v with key off.
Anyone else had anything like this happen?

 

[Blu92]

One thing you can check is the connections at the fuse box. The 2g might be different, but on the 1g there are connectors that go to the fuse box that can get mixed up and plugged into other connectors in the fuse box area. I did that on mistake and my power windows quit working and I fried my hazard flasher unit.

 

[e85monster]

Good thought, but neither fuse panel was unplugged at any time.

 

[e85monster]

Its almost as if the key is turned to acc. I ended up going 1 sensor at a time and unplugging all the ones attached to the 20 amp fuse but none of it changed anything. When examining the ecu wiring it looks like someone may have had an afc installed at one time but as far as I can tell it all looks fine.

Well ive narrowed it down further it has something to do with the back up lamps. Pulled that fuse with 20 amp "engine" fuse in and everything seems to operate normally.

 

[Ej20racer]

I pulled up a wiring diagram of the backup lamps.

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You probably have a short to power between your range/backup switch and pin 20 of the fuse box, or inside the fuse box itself. Power would then backfeed from splice 5 to all the components listed on the diagram.

 

[e85monster]

Alright thanks, so why would all the components except for back up lights work with just the back up light fuse pulled if all those other things run off that fuse?

I'm horrible with wiring schematics, but if i had the 10 amp fuse labeled backup lights out are the backup lights going to be the only thing affected?

Anyone know?

 

[Blu92]

I noticed you said earlier that the fuse box was not unhooked when you got it, but I see that you had to install the motor and hook up a few things to get it running. It could be that the previous owner hooked the cables up wrong, the fuse box may be the issue, or if it is true they had an afc installed that could be causing your problem. I'd get the Mitsubishi shop manual. That helped me chase down all my electrical problems I had in my car. If no one was jerry rigging stuff in the harness, if the there was no fire in the car or engine compartment, if there was no rodents making a home and chewing wires then 9 times out of ten someone hooked a cable up in the wrong place or a component is bad. One easy thing you could try is to get a known working fuse box and replace it to see if it still happens. If it still happens you'll need to check all connections involving those circuits or check the alleged afc hookup.

 

[e85monster]

Thanks for your response. Alright so I remeasured the voltage going to the ecu and I'm only getting 2v to pin 12 and 25 the only pin on that plug that measured 12v from was pin 16-boost meter.

 

[backdraft240]

The transmission plug in and ecu power harness are backwards. helped some guys figure it out on one today. same plugs a foot down or so off the fuse box. hope another dsm stays out off the back yard