Fuse? or maybe more?

[bradleybishop10]

So i was driving the other day and i have never had a problem at all, but i lost my tail lights i still had break lights how ever. At the same time i lost the tail lights i lost the interior lights as well, i do still have my radio though. I checked the fuses for the interior lights and radio and they are still good the fuse for the tail lights was bad but i replaced it and it worked for a couple hours then blew again. I then went through 3 different fuses in the parking lot of autozone. So any ideas what the next step would be?

 

[dented_coffee]

Here is a easy way to find a short in a wire thats hidden.

Take the battery cables off for this and leave them off till your finished.

Pull the fuse out and the bulbs out for the tail lights. Use the conductivity setting on a digital multi meter. Touch one of the multi meters probes to a good metal ground on the cars body and the other probe to the + connection for the bulbs contact points. If it beeps or shows that there is a connection on the + wire then there is a positive wire bumping a ground somewhere between the tail lights and the fuse box.

The same thing goes for the interior lights. If there is no beeps then test the other side of the fuse box by probing the connections for the fuse and the ground of the car. There should be no connection between the wires and a ground.

When the short if found just cut solder and heat shrink tube it for a trouble fee connection and arrange something to stop the wire from getting shafed again or cut to cause the short. Keep us updated on your results. If I confused you please don't hesitate to ask me to help.

 

[bradleybishop10]

Thanks for the reply man. Unfortunatly im at college so i will not be able to begin working on this for a couple weeks yet. I do how ever have another question. If there is a short is there an easy way to find where the exposed wire is? Or is it just a matter of following the wire until i find it?

 

[sniver]

You kinda just have to tear into it and find it. There is no easy way out. its going to be rather easy to see once your there, it had to rub through tape and plastic and somewhere will be similar. Look for suspect areas, sharp turns, passing through sheetmetal (ie. exiting interior to exterior), turning under dash.

 

[bradleybishop10]

Also do you guys think that its gonna be more the tail lights or under the dash?

 

[sniver]

First thought is where the harness exits the car in the rear, and second is under the dash. I don't know of any trouble spots in particular where the harness chaffes.

Sent from my Droid

 

[bradleybishop10]

Ok, Thanks for all your help.. i still have about a week before i will be able to work on it.. damn college.. but i will let you all know what it looks like when i actually do start working on it.

Thanks

 

[bradleybishop10]

well since im home i have began to tear into the car.. I have discovered there is no short in the tail lights! So next is the dash lights.. Whats after that if this does not work?

Another update i checked the fuse box by putting the volt meter to that and it showed a voltage so does that mean the the problem is near that area? or does that confirm that its under the dash?

 

[sniver]

Explain how you determined theres no short in the tail lights.

 

[bradleybishop10]

I went to the tail lights.. with the battery cables off and the fuse out and i used the volt meter with oneend on a metal sorce in the car and the other on the ends once i took the light bulb out.

 

[onefast2gdsm]

Get a wire diagram for your car. Same thing happened to me and my parking lights were grounding out. It shouldn't be difficult finding the short, just look at the wire diagram and check each wire that is associated with the taillight harness.
I think it includes dash lights, parking lights and some interior lights if I remember correctly. Good luck.

 

[bradleybishop10]

Well i think the issue is fixed for the time being.. im not really sure what i did but the are working now?

 

[onefast2gdsm]

That's a horrible way to "fix" the problem. You need to find out why it happened. Doing nothing will make the problem pop up again and make it worse. Get a diagram and start tracing wires.

 

[bradleybishop10]

Yea i did.. i found some wires that were open like someone had split them?, but i found them near where my feet would be.. so i think maybe they got wet and shorted out? but i taped them up real good so hopefully that solves the problem

 

[onefast2gdsm]

sorry I was under the impression you just let it "cure" itself. Good luck hope you got it fixed. Keep us posted

 

[bradleybishop10]

Lol its ok i can understand why you thought that.. And i will! Are there anyway ways that i could test it? or do i just kinda have to wait till it happens again?