Keep Blowing Tail light fuse

[tonetone]

So, just recently, my tail light fuses keeps blowing.. When it first happened, I think i blew a fuse in my tail lights first, but i still had a half mile to my destination so kept driving, and along that half mile my head lights fuse blew too.. replaced them no problem.. But now if i drive with my lights on, and im still in gear making a turn and holding the brakes, the tail light fuse blows..

I also have a problem with my voltage dropping while using too much power.. Like lights on, heat on and hitting brakes, my voltage will drop cause my belts to slip( well makes the screeching noise) and if i dont turn off the heat and lights my belt will just keep screeching and voltage will stay drop and drop around 12 volts..

So with all that said, i've noticed everytime I make that turn and that fuse blows, i hear the belt screech for a split second.

Anyone have a idea? Alternator possibly?

 

[muddfisher85]

I would start by having the altenator checked first. Go to advanced auto the will check it for free. Then go from there. Could be a loose belt to check that.

 

[tonetone]

Just had it checked 30 minutes ago, said my alternator was fine. Checked the belts already they're fine. Alternator belt has a little more slack(but cant seem to get it as tight as the other belt) then the other belt. But i think theyre both tight enough.

 

[tonyseagle]

Something similar happened to me with my headlights. It pretty much seemed random. It happened when I turned it on, when I hit a bump, and when I would hit the gas.

I checked everything....alternator....battery etc. What it ended up being was the wire harness that leads to the fuse box was pinching against my upper intercooler pipe. It actually wore the tape/tar that was protecting it completely off. So...if I got even the slightest vibration...it grounded out and blew my headlight fuse.

I'd check that as a possible culprit.

 

[Indian]

You most likely have wires that are shorting out.

 

[tonetone]

Hmm I checked all the wiring under the hood looks good. Ill try the radio section next..


So third time the fuse blew turning down my street.. Whole 30 minute drive, just decides to blow as soon as i turn down my street... hmm

 

[GettinPaper]

Hmm I checked all the wiring under the hood looks good. Ill try the radio section next..


So third time the fuse blew turning down my street.. Whole 30 minute drive, just decides to blow as soon as i turn down my street... hmm

Check your radio area..
If you have any wire's that are sitting out at all
it's probably grounding and will cause it to blow the tail fuse..
I was blowing the tail fuse which blew my tail lights
and gauge cluster lights... and i taped up all the wires in my
radio and put in new fuses and it's been fine ever since ;P

 

[bryanwheat]

I agree, it is probably the a wire grounding out in the stereo harness. The illumination wire most likely. This has to be a short to ground causing this.

 

[steve]

The infamous 2G taillight short. Good luck finding it. There should be some threads from others that have had it and maybe a few where people actually found the cause and fixed it.

 

[boostedjay32]

Switch your dimmer switch.... that might work..

 

[tonetone]

The infamous 2G taillight short. Good luck finding it. There should be some threads from others that have had it and maybe a few where people actually found the cause and fixed it.

It's actually on my 1gb.

 

[steve]

It's actually on my 1gb.

. You would think that's a critical piece of information that should have been in the post.

Sitting still running none of the fuses blow?

Grasping at straws here. Perhaps rather than a short your alternator is dumping a high voltage and blowing the fuse?

 

[greyspyder117]

Pretty simple i would think. Talking from what i have done anyway. Fuse is blowing means that the short is before the load (taillight bulb). Get the wiring diagram and trace wires back you should find something i know it sounds dumb and common sense but don not put a higher amp fuse in there you going to ruin something else rather quickly if it's something important it's shorting out on...

 

[redyute1]

its just a bad bulb,just go ahead and change all the tail light bulbs, wether you think they're good or not.

 

[greyspyder117]

its just a bad bulb,just go ahead and change all the tail light bulbs, wether you think they're good or not.

Ummm yeah stick to the back yard bro. Listen don't ever listen to anybody who says "just change parts" that is never ever the right answer sure you get lucky sometimes but that's all it is... luck... Just make pretend he never posted

 

[redyute1]

Ummm yeah stick to the back yard bro. Listen don't ever listen to anybody who says "just change parts" that is never ever the right answer sure you get lucky sometimes but that's all it is... luck... Just make pretend he never posted

Unlike you my response comes from experience,my car ,one galant a camry and a corolla,before you blast me,let the op try it and come back and post the results.

 

[tonetone]

. You would think that's a critical piece of information that should have been in the post.

Sitting still running none of the fuses blow?

Grasping at straws here. Perhaps rather than a short your alternator is dumping a high voltage and blowing the fuse?

Yea forgot to add that oops.

But Sitting there running doesn't blow any fuses, only making a full turn blows the fuse. I can't remember if I was holding the brake the first time it happened today or not. But I was definitely slowing down while trying to turn. There's some correlation there, cause I can accelerate through a full turn no problem, but slowing down whether braking or (possible downshifting, cannot recall if braking was applied though) causes the fuse to blow.

Pretty simple i would think. Talking from what i have done anyway. Fuse is blowing means that the short is before the load (taillight bulb). Get the wiring diagram and trace wires back you should find something i know it sounds dumb and common sense but don not put a higher amp fuse in there you going to ruin something else rather quickly if it's something important it's shorting out on...

Yea, I'm gonna try to trace the wire. Wiring by the tail light looks good though, so all that's left is when it reaches the radio area, fun fun.

its just a bad bulb,just go ahead and change all the tail light bulbs, wether you think they're good or not.

Hmm, I don't really understand why they'd cause a fuse only when turning..? But I mean I'll still try that if i see no wiring issues.

 

[steve]

Which fuses are blowing?

 

[greyspyder117]

Unlike you my response comes from experience,my car ,one galant a camry and a corolla,before you blast me,let the op try it and come back and post the results.

from what he posted..... listen ask anybody it's very rare that they all go out. You might of fixed your bulbs but the problem is still there. A good tech never just changes parts without finding the cause. Like i said stick to the back yard i have a little patch you might of heard of it ASE in 5 different subjects thanks

 

[redyute1]

Its ONE bad bulb not all,but since most likely he won't be able to tell which one he might as well change them all,please please let the op prove me wrong here,until them stop bickering.

 

[tonetone]

Which fuses are blowing?

The only fuse that blows that I'm aware of is the Tail light fuse.. But the very first time this happened, I blew the tail light fuse first, and then a minute or two later of driving some more, I blew the head light fuse also, (If i remember correctly I was pulling into my friends side street when the headlight went out..)

But ever since then I've almost immediately stopped and pulled over somewhere after blowing the tail light fuse and replace it, so I really can't be for sure if the headlight fuse will blow again or not.



EDIT::
Quick update.. Got inside the radio area, wires looked fine.. Moved some wires around, so if there was anything touching somehow, its not anymore.

Unplugged the main tail light wires out, the one that power two lights on each side I think also the brake light. And drove around with just the side back tail lights plugged in, so I think I was driving around with no brake lights. Drove around, did the regular turns that blew fuses, but no fuse was blown.. So then I tried switching which lights were on, now the side lights were off, and the main tail light and brake lights were plugged in.. Drove around same, no fuse blown.. Then plugged them all in, and same no fuse blown..

Car was fully warm too.

So either just tampering with the wires in the radio section a little fixed the problem, or it's not dark enough outside, and my car knows this and it won't pull its asshole move on me..

I'll let you guys know tonight, after driving back from school.

 

[steve]

The only fuse that blows that I'm aware of is the Tail light fuse.. But the very first time this happened, I blew the tail light fuse first, and then a minute or two later of driving some more, I blew the head light fuse also, (If i remember correctly I was pulling into my friends side street when the headlight went out..)

The manual doesn't call them by the same names as what's on the various covers so I had to go grab my covers to try and translate.

Is the tail light fuse your talking about the 10A one in the engine bay next to the hazzard and fog fuses? The headlight fuse the 10A one in the drivers footwell marked head with a horn symbol?

For example, the first is called Dedicated Fuse 1 and the second Multi-Purpose Fuse 10 in the Factory Manual.

 

[tonetone]

The manual doesn't call them by the same names as what's on the various covers so I had to go grab my covers to try and translate.

Is the tail light fuse your talking about the 10A one in the engine bay next to the hazzard and fog fuses? The headlight fuse the 10A one in the drivers footwell marked head with a horn symbol?

For example, the first is called Dedicated Fuse 1 and the second Multi-Purpose Fuse 10 in the Factory Manual.

Oh hmm, It was the 10A and 15A in the engine bay.. So maybe it was the tail light and the fog light.

Drove home tonight, and no blown fuse, which is good. So I may have gotten lucky and fixed the issue.