94 Accord. Dashboard stopped working.

All the sudden none of my dashboard gauges work. I can't shift out of
park either. Fuse 1 is blown. I've replaced the fuse but as soon as I
start the car, the guages and lights turn on for a second and then the
fuse blows again. Even if I don't turn the engine on, just turn the key
part way to use the battery, it blows. My manual says Fuse 1 is for
back up lights and turn signals. The bulbs look fine. What else can I
look at?

Thanks, all suggestions appreciated.
E

 

While I'm thinking about it, is it possible to unplug the gauge cluster
without taking everything apart? Would this tell me if it's a short in
the cluster if i can unplug it and it doesn't blow the fuse next time?
Just curious. Thanks.

 

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First questions I'd ask are: Is the stereo original, and have you had
any accidents with the Accord? How long have you had the car and what's
the mileage?

The dash board is terribly easy to remove / unplug. Were all your
exterior lights working correctly before this started?

'Curly'

 

Hi Curly. Yes, the stereo is original. No accidents since i've had
it... about 7 years now. Mileage is 180k. Brake lights, headlights and
turn signals definitely worked. I'm not sure about the back up lights
since I couldn't see them. Can't check now either since the fuse keeps
blowing. I tried unplugging all the connections to the lights to see if
one of them was causing a short but the fuse still blew. This is about
the extent of my automotive trouble shooting skills. Thanks for
replying.

E