Tail and dash lights out, headlights work. Bad switch?

[Monte98]

I have a 98 Montero 4wd and recently the taillights cut out as I was pulling a trailer. The brake lights and parking lights went out along with all the dashboard, I realize they are all part of the same circuit.

Im assuming I have a short somewhere, I checked the fuse under the dash and it its ok and I also checked the relay under the hood. Both dont seem like the culprit. In the meantime I tapped the power from the rear AC adaptor line directly to the taillights and ran a switch to it. When I switch on the alternate power to the taillights I get the parking lights and dash lights all to work, which will allow me to drive the car at night for now.

Is this a problem of the switch in the steering column? Would changing this solve my problems? Extra bonus if you could tell me the part number.

Many thanks!

[-Scott-]

I have a 98 Montero 4wd and recently the taillights cut out as I was pulling a trailer. The brake lights and parking lights went out along with all the dashboard, I realize they are all part of the same circuit.

Im assuming I have a short somewhere, I checked the fuse under the dash and it its ok and I also checked the relay under the hood. Both dont seem like the culprit. In the meantime I tapped the power from the rear AC adaptor line directly to the taillights and ran a switch to it. When I switch on the alternate power to the taillights I get the parking lights and dash lights all to work, which will allow me to drive the car at night for now.

Is this a problem of the switch in the steering column? Would changing this solve my problems? Extra bonus if you could tell me the part number.

Many thanks!

Check the wiring for the trailer. I have a car with a dodgy trailer socket, and it will sometimes bugger up the indicators when I plug in a trailer. Sometimes the problem remains after the trailer is unplugged, but it generally clears itself before I can find the cause. I'm guessing it's an intermittent short somewhere, but it's not a big enough problem for me to bother chasing it down.

Trailer wiring is a royal PITA. It's almost always installed "after market", so it's never as good as OEM, and can create all sorts of gremlins. If an electrical problem surfaced while a trailer was plugged in, I would start with overhauling the wiring to the trailer plug (that's the wiring on the car, not the wiring on the trailer).

[Monte98]

Check the wiring for the trailer. I have a car with a dodgy trailer socket, and it will sometimes bugger up the indicators when I plug in a trailer. Sometimes the problem remains after the trailer is unplugged, but it generally clears itself before I can find the cause. I'm guessing it's an intermittent short somewhere, but it's not a big enough problem for me to bother chasing it down.

Trailer wiring is a royal PITA. It's almost always installed "after market", so it's never as good as OEM, and can create all sorts of gremlins. If an electrical problem surfaced while a trailer was plugged in, I would start with overhauling the wiring to the trailer plug (that's the wiring on the car, not the wiring on the trailer).

I cut off the trailer wiring in the meantime, the socket is pretty dodgy as it is an after market harness. How would you advise going about the wiring overhaul?

[arnijr]

I did the same thing to my fathers 91 Pajero towing a trailer. Didn't think it was a fuse either, but in the end it turned out to be one. Made me look really silly Trailers are notorious for blowing fuses.

In gen 1 trucks the dashboard and rear lights share a fuse, I suspect that has not changed. It's too cold out right now to go out and check my 98 Pajero to confirm. If it's not a fuse then I'd look for a dodgy ground connection. Hope you find the culprit.