How do I disconnect the heating/cooling control lights? (I have a short)

[ErickH]

Civic Hybrid 2005. All small lights (tail lights, interior lights, heating/cooling control lights, and (I think) parking lights) are protected by fuse #3, 10A, in the under-hood fuse box. The fuse blows whenever I turn on the parking lights. This is bad because the local constabulary takes a dim view of people driving around without tail lights.

In an attempt to diagnose the problem, I have disconnected every light in the rear of the car, the parking lights on both sides, and all headlights except the primary one on the driver's side (which is a b***h to reach). The fuse still blows when I turn on the parking lights (which, as I mentioned, have been disconnected.) That just leaves the interior lights and heating/cooling controls to disconnect. The interior lights are probably not the issue since they aren't governed at all by the parking light/headlight switch. That leaves the heating/cooling control lights. My suspicion at this point is that something about those lights is shorting and I would like to disconnect them to see if that resolves the problem, but I don't know how to do that. Any hints?

I would also appreciate suggestions about other things to try to figure out what the problem is.

Thanks for your help.

 

[00siboy]

You will have to remove the dash covers for the controls to access the connectors. Also visually inspect and wiring harness where you can. I am no electrical genius but it does sounds like a short.