Hello Everyone! I just acquired a 1982 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz from my nephew who has given up on the problems it was having. A while back he dropped a coin into the cigarette lighter socket. He didn't know this happened. All he knew was that when he was driving, every so often he would hit a bump and then things would get screwy. He would bump the bottom of the dash and it would go away.

He finally called me and I came over. I found the coin in the cigarette lighter. I removed it for him but problems persisted. Here's what I found so far:

1. Ignition key chime sounds any time either door is open, whether the key is in the ignition or not.
2. Opening either door with the radio on immediately cuts power to the radio.
3. Operating the cigarette lighter turns on courtesy lamps and a bunch of other stuff turns off or on when it's not supposed to.

I'm guessing the coin in the cigarette lighter for an extended period of time (without blowing the fuse) caused something to melt and now I have a short. I've checked all of the fuses and they're all ok. I don't see any wires with melted insulation. I've purchased a Haynes repair manual but the wiring diagrams are a joke. I've just ordered the 1982 Cadillac repair manuals and wiring diagrams and will be eagerly awaiting their arrival. In the meantime, can anyone tell me what else I can check and/or what else may have happened with a coin in the cigarette lighter socket for an extended period of time?

Thank you in advance for any assistance.

 

All the things that you mentioned are on that same circuit.Key warning,theft det., courtesy lites. Also has the taillight/license been acting up also. I would check the fuse block for any fused wires. tail/lic=25amp and ltr=20amp. The grounds are all orange so check them all too.