I keep blowing the dash light/tail light fuse

[Bowhunter]

I tried my luck with this one in the toyota section and got very little response...thought I'd try in here

The fuse for my dash and tail lights keeps blowing :(

Any ideas where to start looking for the fault?

It's an '86 2L Diesel Hilux.

I had done no wiring work between when it was working and the next time when they weren't working

I went to work in the morning and they were fine then come time to go home I noticed they weren't working :(

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

cheers,

Luke

[Top Cat]

Could be anywhere brother.

May take some time but your just gunna have to slowly work your way through it all.

I suggest starting at the outside areas as they are more likely to have sufferred than the inside.

[Brad]

Have you got a trainler plug on it ? I would check that first as I have seen the inside vibrate out and make contact with the cover.

[Pep]

Hi bowhunter

Have you removed the steering wheel before the problem happened?
Because the fingers that move inside the column fron the light switch
could be damaged or earthing out. I know it's a long shot but you never know.
If you haven't touched the wheel, then it sound like somethings being earthed out, start by taking out the parker bulbs front and rear, turn lights on and see what happens, then put them back in one at a time. that may tell you where the prob is.

Hope this helps

Just a thought, some people wire the live stero wire to the light feed, maybe worth a look

Pep

[Bowhunter]

Thanks fellas!

I'll go with the parkers and then to the steering column - I removed it a few weeks ago now... might be the cause.

I can't say the wiring that has been done on it is top notch (it is 20 yrs old) and had a few accessories and extranious stuff added/removed over the years (previous owners). I've only had it since October.

I've only just wired the stereo in a few weeks ago, so I can rule out that.

No trailer plug.

I'll get back to it this arvo after work - gotta head away on Friday night, so I hope I can find it

cheers!!

[-Scott-]

Check a wiring diagram! Short story:

I had intermittent trouble with a fuse blowing and taking out my brake lights. After much heartache, it was traced to a faulty horn: one of my TWO horns (on the same circuit as the brake lights) had fallen apart, and the positive supply was dangling near a rusty/dirty chassis rail - under the battery tray!

The other horn still worked, so I didn't know I had a problem there. But every now and then, the dangling wire would hit the chassis AND short, and blow the fuse. Not every hit would create a short through the crust, hence the VERY random nature.

A fresh set of eyes on the wiring diagram picked the problem quickly - "Where's your OTHER horn?"

Check a wiring diagram!

Good luck,

Scott

[Bowhunter]

Cheers Scott!

Now, where can I get a wiring dia?

[Bowhunter]

Removed parker bulbs - still blows fuse :(

Looked in steering column and can't see any obvious shorts or bare wires

Where might be another potential/likely cause? Do I have to pull the dash apart?

cheers,

Luke

[Top Cat]

Im not sure how a wiring diagram is gunna help you........it doesnt show where all the wiring goes physically.

Mate you said you put a new radio in recently...........I would check out those connectioons to start with or alternately if you may have done something to some loose cable when you put it in..........maybe at some previous time someone tapped into that line somehwre to pick up some power and put a wee bit of elec tape on it and its now come off or partly off.

Think water getting in somewhere to cause corrosion or think what have I done recently and check those areas out.

I find 90% of the time that problems like these are related to the above 2 possibilities.

[patrolman]

i had this problem when i wired up the new cd player. it was earthing out twice and kept blowing the fuse for the tail/dash lights.

hope this helps in some way

[Bowhunter]

Thanks TC.

I wired the stereo independent of the main circuitry. IE I use a seperate switch to turn it on and off independent of the accessory key switch.
So it should have not compromised any of that circuit.

I did just find that the lockers were tapped into the parkers circuit just behind fuse box. I removed that and retaped it - put in another fuse and hey presto it worked....for about 4 secs

I'm down to my last 25amp fuse now :(

I've removed the turbo timer as well to rule out anything there.

If I could pick this damned ute up and chuck it I tell ya I would...starting to shit me real bad!!!!

cheers for the input mate.

Luke

[Top Cat]

So are u saying you ran its own positive from the battery?

Most CDs require two positive inputs.

Its also possible that the simple movement of the radio in and out or the wiring in behind was enough to dislodge a previously covered join or maybe even move a cable that was previously used to supply power for the radio..............who knows, sometimes people will just cut the cables and not even cover them............all is sweet until they get moved and end up next to a negative.

I reckon my wiring in behind my radio must be pretty typical as every vehicle I have ever owned has had masses of cables running all over the place in the space behind the radio............these are the ones to check............haha hey its even possible your radio has jammed something when you slid it into its hole.

[Bowhunter]

I have one pos coming in from battery (constant power - inline fuse) and one coming from an auxillary fuse box through a switch (instead of keyed switch).

I guess I'll have to pull it out and have a look As much as I don't want to... I hope this saves me having to pay an auto leccy a small fortune!

I can't say the wiring job by the previous owners has been top shelf so it could be anywhere

Thanks again TC, and Patrolman

Back to it...

Luke

[Bowhunter]

We'll I've pulled the damned thing apart in every place I can think to look for the problem.

I've got it working now and not blowing the fuse but the wire gets very hot. It was even smoking at one point! I thought she was gonna go up in smoke...in my garage!

I think it's one for a leccy...unless anyone can lend some "bright spark" of advice

Cheers.

[Top Cat]

If its getting that hot then the fuse your using is way to big.

The wire thats getting hot is the one that needs tracing............its very likely tio be very close to the problem unless the cable is way to small to handle the current thats being drawn through it.

Sounds like ur getting close.

[its aford not a nissan]

check for a bad connection somewhere like a bad earth or join in the wire
if all the power is going through only a small point of contact that can heat up wires and blow fuses its called a dry joint it sounds wierd but it does happen
could be also a break in the wire somewhere with only 1 or 2 strands of wire passing power
try pulling out the globes 1 at a time and see if it stops then do both rears and check again then 1 front parker then both then take out all parker and tail light and parkers till you find which one it is also clean all your fuse connections so they get good contact even adjust them to grip the fuse better
try this and see how you go

[Bowhunter]

Problem solvered!

A short in the number plate light assembly light cradle was the cause of the fuse blowing.

The bulb wattage in the tail lights were causing the wire to heat up excessively as well being far higher than they should have been.

Thanks for all your suggestions and help!

...now, where can I find some mud around here....

8)

[Top Cat]

Good stuff mate..........I bet thats a relief.

[Bowhunter]

Too right it is mate! I can get on with real important stuff now like redoing the bar work on my tray



cheers again,

Luke