Electrical gremlin getting worse :(
 

A few months ago my radio stopped working. Then the OEM keyless entry, interior overhead light, and OBD power (where I plug in my code scanner) all stopped working. Tonight, my windshield wipers and wiper clean fluid thingy also stopped working. Yet the car drives fine, headlights/taillights work, blinkers work, all gauges work, including the WB and my CB radio.

What the hell???

I don't have another car to drive to work, so I'm getting really worried now.

Trouble shoot the problem.

Gee, thanks....

Tomorrow I plan to disconnect the radio and check all the fuses. But all of these things are on different fuses; it's not like they would all spontaneously die. I would consider going to an auto electrical shop - just too concerned they'd go anyplace near the Megasquirt wiring (which works fine, for now...)

Trouble shoot the problem. Are you blowing fuses on the affected circuits? Would any of your aftermarket items happen to be wired into these affected circuits? IE-is the MS and CB wired into the windshield washer circuit and the UEGO wired into the interior light?

Yeah, I know what you meant, just expressing frustration .... sorry man.

CB is wired into the radio power, but it worked fine for a year before all this stuff happened. I forget where the WB gets power. MS - I'll let Paul answer that one.

well if they were tapped into those sources and caused the fuses to blow they wouldn't have power themselves so I'm gonna go ahead and rule that out.

I hate electrical problems. It will make me sell a car.
I feel your pain. I'm trying to get fire to my plugs.

Kind of funny ... the only "electrical gremlin" was my own stupidity. :)

- Radio not working is some undefined, unrelated problem
- Fuse for interior overhead light happened to blow (hopefully by coincidence, not by something * causing * it to blow)
- Mazda manual fails to mention in the owner's manual that the overhead light fuse ALSO controls the keyless entry :-)
- Wiper fuse was also blown. I replaced it, but when I pulled the washer fluid lever, it blew again! So I checked under the hood because I did remove the fluid bottle when I tightened the turbo outlet manifold bolt a couple of weeks ago. Truns out I forget to plug in the bottle's electrical connector .... which now was resting against something sharp and hot .... and probably short-circuited. So I have to fix that, but at least my wipers work as long as I don't pull the washer lever.

Huh. Would have never guessed. I was sure there was multiple issues with the factory wiring that had nothing to do with your intervention...

I have to admit, that was a good one. I absolutely recognize the humor in my initial overreaction to the "problem".

Extensive electrical issues are what finally made me sell my MGB. Fuck going over 4 miles of wire when the endpoints are fine.

When I first read the description I was thinking bad ground since car driving and WB etc working would point to the motor ground being alright but I can't remember now, lights are ground to the body at one common point arn't they?

Either way, good that it's fixed.