no tail lights,dash lights,running lights, tail fuse keeps blowing

Discussion in 'Interior/Electronics' started by glitchinq, Dec 12, 2016.

  1. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    title pretty much says my issues. the "tail" fuse blows the second i turn on the lights. i have no brake lights running lights dash lights. issue pretty much just started happening. any ideas?
     
  2. Tuhd The Troll

    Tuhd The Troll Veteran

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    a wire is grounded out somewhere between the switch and the tail light bulbs. How old of a vehicle and what work has been done to it that you know of?

    Have you installed a screw into anything that didn't have a screw there before?
     
  3. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    It was a 2 owner truck and apparently they mainly used it for wood hauling. It does has a sketchy at best trailer harness spliced into the rear. I had not changed anything at all and this started happening
     
  4. Tuhd The Troll

    Tuhd The Troll Veteran

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    remove the tail light bulbs and inspect them and the housings
     
  5. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    I was going to do that today After work and replace the bulbs. I have a broken taillight housing and it's snowing out so I'm assuming some water got in and shorted something
     
  6. jetas

    jetas Grand Toyotaholic

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    Check the wiring at the trailer harness
     
  7. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    i cant seem to get this stuff figured out. i removed the trailer harness making extra sure to put the wires back to where they should be originally and it still pops the fuse. i checked all my tail light bulbs, sockets and they are all good and clean with no rust or water or anything.
     
  8. jetas

    jetas Grand Toyotaholic

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    What year is your truck?
     
  9. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    83.. 4wd
     
  10. jetas

    jetas Grand Toyotaholic

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    Not sure if this applies to the 3rd gen but on the 2nd gen pretty much all the lights ground through the housings. You may want to remove the entire thing and check the mounting points of the lights. Could be a bad ground
     
  11. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    I would imagine it's the same. It's a first gen 4wd truck.
     
  12. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    unplugged taillights still pops fuse, unplugged dimer switch pops fuse, unplugged entire rear part of the harness going to the back, still pops fuse. i have no idea what can be left
    also unplugged the radio
     
  13. jetas

    jetas Grand Toyotaholic

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    Check the Front parking lights.
     
  14. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    Put my front skid plate on now everything works.
     
  15. Tuhd The Troll

    Tuhd The Troll Veteran

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    How the fu.... That makes no sense
     
  16. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    yeah you're telling me. i had only messed with things in the rear and it was still popping fuses when i put it all back together. dad cries to me and tells me to put the skid plate back on. i do it and now everything is fine
     
  17. jetas

    jetas Grand Toyotaholic

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  18. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    scratch that. driving home tonight fuse popped, put another one of those bad boys in and it instantly blew
     
  19. BlackRN80

    BlackRN80 Newbie

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    Just recovered from this same issue, bottom line I added a ground wire from chassis to bed and all was fine.

    Upon reading this again it seems your bumper is a link in the ground circuit. Since it blew again, I suspect it's loose.
     
    Last edited: Dec 17, 2016
  20. glitchinq

    glitchinq Member

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    I think it may be coincidence that it happened to fix it. I got some bumpy roads last night and then it happened a bit later. I can see if my front skid plate does anything but I'm willing to bet it's not linked
     

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