Ive asked quite a few people in multiple forums about this and no one seems to know. I figure there's some sort of electronics guru that lurks these boards, so I'll post it here now.

I used to have a radar detector hardwired to the fuse box located next to the battery. When you open the box, there are two connections at the lowest point (closest to the front of the car) that are held down by screws. I loosened the bottom of the two, and connected the power cord from the detector there, then tightened it. I then placed the grounding cable about 6 inches away on a screw that was just attached to the frame of the car. The connection worked fine and nothing went wrong... until I took it out. When I was unscrewing the power cord from the fuse box connection, I created a spark with the screwdriver and ever since, I have had this problem. I should have posted more detail before, but that is the most info I can give you. I should have disconnected my battery first, but as for fixing it... I just don't know here's my attempt at a diagram:

[FUSE BOX]||||[BATTERY]
|(+)___|=======^to battery
|(+)___|=power source for detector
...^--------v-------------------------to radar detector
..v---------^
(+)
where i grounded it (on frame of car)

**note: the +'s are NOT representing positive, they simply show where the screws are

 

Have you checked your fuses?

 

Yea i guess i forgot to mention that my fuses pop everytime i change them for the dashboard lights. this is where i ran into the problem. im thinking short circuit? but how would i even go about finding it? does the diagram i provided give any clues? those are the only spots i messed with so there can only be so many places to house a short circuit

 

You could have fried a wire somewhere that keeps shorting the circuit when you turn the car on.

 

Check the Relay in the fusebox under the hood of the car, mine blew and caused that to happen. Also check to make sure you dont have any wires with bare ends that could be touching metal causing it to short out.

 

Try disconnecting the negative battery terminal before you replace the fuse. It worked for me.