View Full Version : Where is the fusable link on a 89 Honda DX
crjohn2
Mar 11, 2010, 11:21 AM
MY daughter has A 89 Honda DX 4door when the key is turned on there is no lights on the instrument panel, the started doen not crank, the battary is fully charged, all the fuses are OK under the instrument panel, also all the fuses "looks" OK in the fuse box near the battary, even the ones that are screwed down. There is no red light active in the ECU.
So what am I missing?
TxGreaseMonkey
Mar 11, 2010, 11:28 AM
The ignition switch is likely bad. Check it for wear, pitting, or melting:
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-selected-other-vehicles-46563-2.html#post224652
crjohn2
Mar 11, 2010, 11:58 AM
Thank you for your quick response, I'm still a little confuse. Would a bad ignition switch also prevent everything on the instrument panel from working?
crjohn2
Mar 11, 2010, 12:00 PM
When I touch the two wires connected to the alternator the starter kicks over very strong!
crjohn2
Mar 11, 2010, 12:02 PM
I went to the junk yard and got two ignition switches but still no current to the instrument panel
TxGreaseMonkey
Mar 11, 2010, 01:37 PM
Test all under hood and under dash fuses with a test light or multimeter:
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-selected-other-vehicles-46563-3.html#post252145
Be very thorough, since it will save a lot of time and money. Visual inspection is not nearly good enough. You need to test for power through each fuse.
If the fuses test fine, but the instrument panel does not light up, the ignition switch is usually the culprit. The flow is from the positive battery terminal, to the under hood fuse box, to the ignition switch, to the under dash fuse box, to everything else (e.g. the instrument panel).
I don't understand what you did to the alternator to get the starter to work--it sounds dangerous, however. Do you mean you performed the test, in Section 6, below?
https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-trucks/faq-how-troubleshoot-repair-maintain-hondas-selected-other-vehicles-46563-3.html#post235560
Carefully check the condition of the battery cables.