Smoking fuse box, need help

[SR20Essex]

Let me start by saying I hate wiring; especially the interior type.

2 months ago my break light fuse blew so I upped the amp of the fuse from 15 to 20 a couple weeks later that blew so I went to 30. All the time I was checking the wiring and grounds for the exterior lighting (didn't find any problems).

2 weeks ago while driving I started to smell something burning, pulled over and my fuse box was smoking/melting (nearly caught on fire), I managed to pull the smoking 30amp fuse out with a pen (first thing I found).

For the past two weeks, I have rewired the break lights; I even got the upper break light to work which has not worked since I got the car. When I say "rewired", I mean pulled the old ones out of the break switch behind the break pedal and ran them through body paneling back to the lights themselves.

However, since doing that (I have no idea if the problems are related), my clock (in the main gauge cluster) wont keep the time (until the door closes), the radio doesn't work, the main overhead interior light doesn’t work and the automatic seat belts wont retract when I open the door unless the key is in the ignition and turned to at least acc.

Two things that bother me the most:When I close the door, my clock comes on at 1:00, and it keeps time until I open the door, then it goes blank, and the red door open light on the same cluster wont ever fully go out, it just goes dim which causes my alarm to act funny because it thinks the door is still open.

I checked the door switch, all grounds, both of the wires that were bypassed for the lights, and read the every interior wiring diagram in the main service manual; but still cannot find the problem.

Someone please help, I am completely open to any ideas.

the only two wires that I cut to fix the break lights were a red wire with a green stripe, and a red wire with a yellow stripe (the only two wires connected to the break pedal switch).

[SR20Essex]

has anyone had a similar problem with the break lights blowing fuses?

[SR20Essex]

I just found out that my wipers don't work either

[180fan]

what car and year?

[vancouverbc]

This assumes you have 91-94 240sx ka24de. should be the same for 89240sx

shift lock control and cruise control unit are also in that fuse circuit.

The diagram shows the stop light switch. 12volts + comes from the fusevia the red-yellow wire so when your key is in ignition you always have 12v+ sitting in the red-yellow wire at the brake switch. when you depress the brake , you close the brake switch allowing the 12v + to flow through the switch to cruise control unit, stop lights, shift lock control unit, abs control unit pin #25, snf hicas control unit pin #11.(via the red-green wire)

When you dont have the brakes depressed, the 12v+ is only getting to brake switch so if it is shorting without brake depressed you have a short in red yellow between fuse and brake switch. if the short only occurs when you brake, then you have a problem with the brake lights, cruise control, etc. I guess you disconnect each of these circuits and see if it stops the short. if you are really a hack you could cut the wires.

Cutting the red-yellow makes no sense.

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Modified by vancouverbc at 1:45 AM 9/11/2006