My truck (2001 Silverado) was broken into and had the stereo ripped out. They also seemed to have cut the red and black wires leading to the power supply (I'm guessing). Now my speedometer, oil gague, gas meter, etc. aren't coming on. I have no idea what it could be. Please help me out here.
Thanks
Hi!
I would suggest you insulate the damaged wiring in some way and then check your fuses. It's likely that one blew when the radio was coming out and maybe it killed the gauges as well.
Or you were unfortunate enough to have some complete dummies who thought they'd better cut every wire in sight...in which case you'll have to look around and see what else might be broken.
Replace the fuse with a properly rated replacement. Don't be tempted to short across the terminals. If there is still something wrong it could get very hot in a hurry and start a fire.
William
First off, thanks for the prompt response!
Yeah, I just tried twisting the cut wires together, without insulating them in anyway. I'll try insulating them ASAP. I checked all the fuses I could think of and they looked clean; brand new, even. Can I tell if a fuse is blown just by looking at it? Also, the fuse diagram is full of acronyms -- half of which I can't even begin to decifer. Is there one main fuse for all of the gauges, or will there be seperate ones for each gauge?
They only cut the black and the red wires that were leading to the radio (I can't comprehend why).
I haven't replaced any fuses yet, but what does it mean to short accross a terminal? Just for future reference if it is my fuse that is the problem.
Again, thank you so much for responding to my post. It's really nice to have the convenience of the internet and helpful people, such as yourself, in these situations.
Hi!
Generally speaking, yes. The section in the middle of the fuse between the two "legs" is where it has been manufactured to fail when shorted or overloaded. However, there are times where a fuse can be intermittent or blow in an area other than where it "should".
If you aren't sure, try using a volt-ohmmeter to check the fuse after you've taken it out of the fuse holder. If you don't have such a meter, you can buy one for less than $20. Hardware stores, Radio Shack or home improvement stores should have something that will work fine.
If you have the manual for your truck, it should tell you what all the fuses do. If not, you might see about borrowing one from someone. Many of the items in the fuse box are simply abbreviations...for example, "RDO" would be radio.
I'm pretty sure there is only one fuse for this stuff.
Was it an aftermarket radio or the factory set?
Some GM vehicles have used the radio to control various other items in the vehicle, or to provide adjustments for certain things. I don't think that
2001 is new enough to be covered by this, but you might ask a dealership.
Shorting across a terminal is pretty much what it sounds like. :-) You would take something that conducts electricity and use it to connect two contact points, such as those in a fuse holder. Doing something like this is very occasionally a valid troubleshooting procedure, but most any wire or conductive object you might use will conduct much more current than the fuse would normally allow to flow. If something is really wrong somewhere in the circuit, something might go bang, start a fire or cause the wires leading to it to become hot and melt.
I hope you can get your truck fixed fairly quickly. I would be interested in hearing how it turns out.
William
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