Resolved Tail lamp fuse keeps blowing!!!

[SNAKE_15]

Ever since I connecting the light that illuminates the cig lighter yesterday, my fuse kept blowing. Because of this, my instrumental lights, taillights, and radio lights don't turn on anymore. Before that everything was fine. Why is it doing this?? This is my second time replacing that fuse. When I do everything works, but only for short amount of time.

 

[1990dsmkid]

Sounds like you have a ground happening on the cig lighter wire. I would take apart center console and follow the wire and make sure theres no exposed bare wire grounding out on any metal. You never had a problem until you connected the cig lighter correct?

 

[SNAKE_15]

Sounds like you have a ground happening on the cig lighter wire. I would take apart center console and follow the wire and make sure theres no exposed bare wire grounding out on any metal. You never had a problem until you connected the cig lighter correct?

Cigarete lighter was always connected. All I did was connected the small light on the cig lighter so it illuminates the light around it. That light was always there but hanging on the inside. So, I put it in the cig lighter so it can light up.

 

[bryanwheat]

Cigarete lighter was always connected. All I did was connected the small light on the cig lighter so it illuminates the light around it. That light was always there but hanging on the inside. So, I put it in the cig lighter so it can light up.

What he is saying is that what you hooked up has a short to ground. Check the wiring for it and see where the short is, if it isn't visibly shorted somewhere than use a multimeter to check for continuity to ground in that circuit. Likely the wire is pinched between something an the insulation is worn off and touching metal somewhere.

 

[1990dsmkid]

Its been awhile since Ive had mine apart and dont remember how its connected. Theres a little black socket with a bulb that pops into the ring of the lighter correct? Somehow I still feel like its grounding out somewhere if the light always worked just wasnt in correct spot. For as simple as it is, Id still take it apart and look it over

 

[SNAKE_15]

Its been awhile since Ive had mine apart and dont remember how its connected. Theres a little black socket with a bulb that pops into the ring of the lighter correct? Somehow I still feel like its grounding out somewhere if the light always worked just wasnt in correct spot. For as simple as it is, Id still take it apart and look it over

Correct, that bulb the pops into the ring of lighter is what I'm talking about. I'm confused now then. Why would it begin to pop the fuse even thought that bulb was always powered. I just want to be sure with you guys that I didn't connect any wires or messed with any. I only popped in that light on the cig lighter.

 

[1990dsmkid]

Check the socket and make sure its not cracked and letting the ring ground out on connector/wiring. Also like Bryan said, maybe the wire got pinched when we were putting it all back together and now its grounded out there. Only way to find out is remove everything and look it over. If you dont see anything break out the mutlimeter.

 

[SNAKE_15]

Check the socket and make sure its not cracked and letting the ring ground out on connector/wiring. Also like Bryan said, maybe the wire got pinched when we were putting it all back together and now its grounded out there. Only way to find out is remove everything and look it over. If you dont see anything break out the mutlimeter.

Thanks guys. Gonna check right now and let you all know.[DOUBLEPOST=1411780651][/DOUBLEPOST]Update: I can't seem to find anything wrong. I also noticed I didn't lock the bulb all the way in place. Would that be a possible reason for my problem??

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[DOUBLEPOST=1411781890][/DOUBLEPOST]Nope that didn't work either. It blew my new fuse in an instant when I turn on headlights.

 

[1990dsmkid]

So now its blowing when headlights on? You need to get a multimeter and check everything that connects to that fuse. Something is grounding out sonewhere.

 

[v8srslo]

you have a short to ground before the load(ie whatever the circuits purpose is for..) get a wiring diagram for that circuit and unplugged everything in the circuit or what ground that circuit shares. you can start at the beginning of the circuit and start plugging in components in sequence to see when the fuse blows to isolate issue. you want to break down the circuit to the smallest area to pin point the issue. it could be the component itself, or anything in between it and the fuse, or a bad ground. but bad grounds tend to component on when they should be off.

 

[SNAKE_15]

So now its blowing when headlights on? You need to get a multimeter and check everything that connects to that fuse. Something is grounding out sonewhere.

That's how that little bulb is supposed to turn on, when you switch the parking light/headlights on. I ended up disconnecting that little bulb from cig light and everything working normal now. Could it be that the actual cig lighter is causing a bad short when it connects to the bulb?

 

[1990dsmkid]

Wow I feel dumb. Thats weird that a bulb is causing that problem. I dont understand enough about electricity to really say if thats the issue or not. How about using the multimeter on both connections in the bulb socket and check the continuity there and on the bulb itself. This is all I can think of to check as this is what I would be doing and all I know what to do.

 

[SNAKE_15]

Wow I feel dumb. Thats weird that a bulb is causing that problem. I dont understand enough about electricity to really say if thats the issue or not. How about using the multimeter on both connections in the bulb socket and check the continuity there and on the bulb itself. This is all I can think of to check as this is what I would be doing and all I know what to do.

What a nightmare now. I disconnected functionality for the cig light and the fuse blew while driving now. I definitely have a short now but can't think of where and why this all happened or if it's even a short??

 

[bryanwheat]

Multimeter set to test for continuity is what you need.

 

[SNAKE_15]

Multimeter set to test for continuity is what you need.

Ok I'll try that.

 

[motomattx]

Try unplugging your sun visors electrical connectors, they tend to wear off the insulation where they pass through the sharp metal on the roof and create a short that blows that fuse.

 

[mercaholik]

You need a wiring diagram so you can see and check everything on that same circuit. That circuit is drawing more amps than it was designed for. I have seen certain cell phone chargers blow fuses for no apparent reason. Switch your multi meter to ohms and test the resistance( with no voltage flowing) of the bulb, socket, wiring etc.

 

[SNAKE_15]

You need a wiring diagram so you can see and check everything on that same circuit. That circuit is drawing more amps than it was designed for. I have seen certain cell phone chargers blow fuses for no apparent reason. Switch your multi meter to ohms and test the resistance( with no voltage flowing) of the bulb, socket, wiring etc.

The fuse that keeps blowing is the "tail lamp" so far it hasn't blown. All I did was straightened out the wiring for my taillights. Since I had disconnected functionality for the cig lighter, does that mean it wasn't that?

 

[mercaholik]

If one of the power wires bypassed the load ( in this case the tail lights bulbs) and shorted to ground, pretty much anywhere metal touching the body, would def blow a fuse. I've seen a few cars of all makes have problems with cig lighter blowing the fuse. Usually cause of a cell charger, but it can be a shorted lighter outlet. Do you have a multi meter? You can always test the outlet to know for sure. I use ohms ( omega symbol) setting cause then you can see if it's high resistance or open ( meter reads ofl or ol). Might be that it's touching the cig lighters ground? Oh always have no voltage flowing when testing continuity or resistance (ohms), key off.

 

[luv2rallye]

You may have a partial short in either the cig light socket/wiring or a tail light socket/wiring (tail light socket short is common). After a while either the current builds enough to blow the fuse or when something else turns on on that fuse, it now exceeds the fuse rating (partial short + new).
Short finding: http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/finding-a-short-partial-short-or-battery-drain.179481/#post-1496998.

 

[jimsgsx]

Is having the cigarette light really that important. Buy you a bic and save alot of headaches i'd say.

 

[SNAKE_15]

If one of the power wires bypassed the load ( in this case the tail lights bulbs) and shorted to ground, pretty much anywhere metal touching the body, would def blow a fuse. I've seen a few cars of all makes have problems with cig lighter blowing the fuse. Usually cause of a cell charger, but it can be a shorted lighter outlet. Do you have a multi meter? You can always test the outlet to know for sure. I use ohms ( omega symbol) setting cause then you can see if it's high resistance or open ( meter reads ofl or ol). Might be that it's touching the cig lighters ground? Oh always have no voltage flowing when testing continuity or resistance (ohms), key off.

Yes I have a multimeter. To test for continuity on the taillights you remove the bulb and insert the multimeter inside but how would I test continuity on the cig lighter exactly??[DOUBLEPOST=1412093969][/DOUBLEPOST]

You may have a partial short in either the cig light socket/wiring or a tail light socket/wiring (tail light socket short is common). After a while either the current builds enough to blow the fuse or when something else turns on on that fuse, it now exceeds the fuse rating (partial short + new).
Short finding: http://www.dsmtuners.com/threads/finding-a-short-partial-short-or-battery-drain.179481/#post-1496998.

When this happened, I removed the fuse that gave power to the cig lighter and my tail lamp fuse still blew. So, is it still a possibility that my problem lies on the cig lighter socket/wiring??

 

[mercaholik]

I believe it's between the bottom and sides of the outlet. Been a little bit but you could also unplug it from its connector and probe the terminals on the outlet connector. Like I said though I would use ohms, it can tell you exactly how much resistance and if there is cont , not just whether it's open or not. Your " supposed to" put a fuse tester in blown fuses socket and remove or disconnect all loads on that circuit one by one. You can get one at advanced or a/z for pretty cheap. If you still have trouble I'll dig a little after work.

 

[SNAKE_15]

I believe it's between the bottom and sides of the outlet. Been a little bit but you could also unplug it from its connector and probe the terminals on the outlet connector. Like I said though I would use ohms, it can tell you exactly how much resistance and if there is cont , not just whether it's open or not. Your " supposed to" put a fuse tester in blown fuses socket and remove or disconnect all loads on that circuit one by one. You can get one at advanced or a/z for pretty cheap. If you still have trouble I'll dig a little after work.

Thanks I appreciate it.

 

[mercaholik]

No problem man, I wish I could be more specific I had some drama last night and I'm working on like 2 hours sleep . Sorry just noticed the tail lights still blew a fuse, did the tail light have any water in it? You may wanna pull the bulbs and clean out any corrosion in the sockets. Then put some dielectric grease in there to prevent future corrosion.