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1G No instrumental lights/brake light fuse keeps blowing

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Red_EcliPzE_GsX

20+ Year Contributor
124
42
Nov 25, 2002
Irving, Texas
Hey guys,

Had the engine bay washed/detailed today and wouldn’t you know it the car starts acting up.

As I was driving after the detail, with my running lights on I noticed my instrumental lights started flickering until they full on just wouldn’t come on. The rear tail light running lights also won’t come on. And I also noticed I really have to press the brake pedal down far to get the brake lights to come on.

The instrumental lights only seem to come on briefly as I hit the brake pedal.

Checking threads on here I went to check the ‘room fuse’ 10 in the fuse box inside the cabin, it was fine not blown. I took it out and re inserted, and the interior lights came on for a sec but then died out.

I then checked the tail/brake light 10 fuse at the fuse box under the hood, eureka! Blown. I replace it and sure enough the instrumental/interior lights all come back on fine, but then as I go to start driving it again the instrumental lights just died out on me again.

I go to check the tail/brake light 10 fuse that I had just replaced, and it’s blown again :(

I am NOT an electrical guy whatsoever, but something must have happened during that engine bay wash that might be causing a short? Main 80A alt fuse is fine and isn’t blown.

I have no idea what to do next :(


*forgot to mention what all IS working*

-hazard lights
-headlights
-turn signal lights
-brake lights(somewhat like I mentioned it seems I have to really press down brake pedal for them to come on)
 
I’ll have to go home and look at some diagrams based on the info you’ve given.
There’s is a short to ground.

easiest way I’ve learned to find them is putting a sealed headlight in where the fuse used to be and you can now safely go find your short. I try to post this whenever I can cause I’ve come to find out a lot of people don’t know this.
 
I’ll have to go home and look at some diagrams based on the info you’ve given.
There’s is a short to ground.

easiest way I’ve learned to find them is putting a sealed headlight in where the fuse used to be and you can now safely go find your short. I try to post this whenever I can cause I’ve come to find out a lot of people don’t know this.


Yeah let me know on this, because I’m not really following. I just am the worst when it comes to understanding anything electrical/diagrams.
 
I believe wd40 is a water repellent used specifically for electrical connections among its other uses, I need to fact check this again though. They make sprays that are used for this purpose only (ridding water from a connection or area where it is unwanted) you can find at pretty much any auto or hardware store.

Next time I recommend using degreaser and a spray bottle with water to clean the bay or take more precaution when hosing it down, just spraying water at your engine bay is asking for trouble. It might be efficient but it isnt worth the risk, also never use high pressure.

EDIT: sorry I went back and read your post, didnt read how you washed it I was only assuming you broke out a hose, some soap and a rag and just went to town haha.
 
Start front or rear. What ever is easier. Unplug the front end lights see if fuse still pops.

Yes? Find problem in front end.

No?

Remove all rear bulbs even license plate lights.
 
So quick update on this, after about a week since the engine bay wash, I replaced the tail light fuse yet again under the hood, and it has since not blown and working fine again. I honestly wonder if the fuse box had just gotten a bit wet and needed to dry out, and that is what was causing the short that kept blowing the tail light fuse causing me to keep losing my instrument/interior/running tail lights.

Previous owner also did have shitty led type license plate lights so I also replaced those with factory bulbs just in case. and I have already since replaced all 4 tail light bulbs with new bulbs.

I also sent my ECU to ecmlink to have it checked out as I started experiencing other funky issues with the car randomly dying at idle, they came back saying the previous cap replacement done on the ecu was shitty, so they redid my caps and my ECU is on its way back currently.

Thanks everyone for your input, I will update again if it seems to happen again but so far all seems well again.
 
Alright guys well I'm still having the same issue with the tail lamp fuse blowing no matter how many times I replace the fuse, and knocking out my instrument lights/front corner lights/rear running tail lights.

One thing I have started to notice is that, even with no running lights on in the middle of the day, each time I press the brake pedal my instrument lights/front corner lights/(and Im assuming rear running lights) will flicker on/off?!

I am now wondering if something related to pressing the brake pedal is causing this issue with my tail lamp fuse blowing and knocking out my instrument/corner/rear running lights?

Any recommendations on what to look for near the brake pedal?
 
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Instead of blowing fuses, you can wire a sealed (old square ones) headlight into each side to complete the circuit just like a fuse would.
I fricken tell you guys this all the time but you insist throwing fuses ($$$) away. Lol. Dang!
 
Instead of blowing fuses, you can wire a sealed (old square ones) headlight into each side to complete the circuit just like a fuse would.
I fricken tell you guys this all the time but you insist throwing fuses ($$$) away. Lol. Dang!

I get what you're saying but, do you have any recommendations as far as what to check to fix why the tail lamp keeps getting blown? Especially to someone who doesn't know anything about electrical work.

I am coming across countless threads that seem to give advice but they talk about multimeter this, ohm that check voltage this. I have no clue how to do any of that let alone understand the wiring diagrams.

Any recommendations as far as what's going on with my recent finding with pressing the brake pedal that I can try checking?
 
...sigh, it was one single damn tail light bulb. Causing ALL of this. Yes yes, you all told me to check that first for basic troubleshooting. So did COUNTLESS other threads on here.

I guess with this happening right after an engine bay wash, it had me convinced it was something going on under the hood. I should have listened.

Anyways thanks guys. Popped a new tail light bulb in and everything immediately went right back to normal and I am now embarrassed but relieved it was something that simple.
 
In my experience, are you sure it was the bulb or a malformed / disformed socket?

I mean I switched everything around, the harnesses from driver and passenger tail lamps. switched the bulbs all around, and all good working bulbs would work just fine in the socket of the original bad bulb. Each socket I stuck the bad bulb in it would start acting up immediately.

So I'm pretty sure it was just that defective bulb.
 
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