Hello everyone.

My 99 maxima keeps blowing gauges fuse so I dont know any of basic engines parameters. Please dont tell me that something is short. Its not rocket science to figure it out, I just need some advise where to start my research. Did anyone had such problem? No ABS light, no air bag light on dash during engine start, nothing. Only left and right arrows work on turns signals. BTW, fuse doesnt blow right away. It takes like 30 minutes to blow when replaced.

Thnx
Mike

 

How would grounds blow a fuse??

 

There are 2 fuses that power the instrument cluster - # 13 - 10 amp and # 40 - 7.5 amp. Which one blows? If #40 blows, then the clock won't keep time and the radio loses the station presets. If #13 blows, you won't have cruise control or backup lights.

Since the instrument cluster is a printed circuit board with all different kinds of components on it, it is a difficult thing to troubleshoot especially since Nissan will not release a schematic.

But as I implied above, there are other things on those fuses besides the instrument panel which is the most obvious thing when the fuse blows. Fuse #13 powers 13 things and fuse #40 powers 16 things.

Knowing which fuse blows will cut the list of suspects in half to start with.

 

When the muffler bearing loses its ground coupled with the fact that the muffler bearing is out of grease, allows the friction of the bearing to create static which then spikes and backloads the electrical circuits and blows fuses. Damn computerized cars. We never had this problem with the 1913 Huppmobile.

 

I had this happen just last week, I ended up cleaning the contacts in the signal switch and changing all the rear bulbs,had a rear buld shorted.. fixed my issues... good luck

 

Excuse me, but would you tell me what a "buld" is?

 

haha.lol I didnt catch that..fixed. You know what i mean.

 

Halfway, anyway.

 

Lol.

 

Its #13 - 10 amp fuse. Ive never had any electrical issues and Ive owned this car since 2003.

 

Well find the fuse and use a VOM to measure your resistance to ground..... and start removing items from that circuit...eliminate one by one!

 

In general, this is going to be a pita to diagnose.

Things that are powered by fuse # 13 -

ABS/TCS communication line
Automatic transmission
Backup lights
Charging system
Cruise control (ASCD)
Daytime running light module (Canada)
Instrument cluster
Interior lights
Malfunction Indicator Lamp & Datalink connector (OBD)
Park/Neutral position switch
Supplemental Restraint System
Vehicle Speed Sensor (VSS)
Warning lamps

If you have a Canadian car, thos daytime running light modules tend to be a pita.

If you were to put in a new fuse and then let the car sit there in park and idling, does the fuse blow? If the fuse blows, this could MAYBE rule out the transmission and the TCM. Conversely, if you repeatedly run the transmission self diagnostic, would this make the fuse blow?

You could unplug the cruise control module and see if the fuse still blows.

The only way I can think of to verify the instrument cluster would be to put another one in.

This is going to take time and patience. Good luck.

 

Have you listed everything that works or doesn't work yet? I see a few items but those are not matching up to other posts for which fuse you think it is. does it pop when your doing something, or it just goes while driving? have you idled long enough to see if it's still blowing?

 

Oh, I'm sure he is quite serious. And quite curious, just like me. Exactly what planet is this "somewhere" on?

 

You could look into a voltage regulator. It helps out your electrical system at the very least.

 

It always blows when I drive, never on idle. BTW car has manual tranny and its US version not Canadian.