Electrical Problem. . .

[JWBehm]

I shattered my rear tail light at Tellico a few weeks ago and ever since then I have been having electrical problems. For a while it was cracked and just covered by red tape until i could get a new one, so it was open to the elements. The tail light fuse has continually been going out on me thus killing all interior dash lights as well as the tail lights. I figured it was due to the rain but I have since replaced the tail light so it keeps water out and it still is blowing the fuse. It went out yesterday at night and I didnt have any 10 amp fuses left so I put a 20 amp in just to get me home and it still blew that. Any ideas? Its driving me insane. . .

[04 Rocko Taco]

You in town, or out J? I'll be around the next few days if you want to come over and give it a look...

[4runnerchevy]

Sounds like a dead short to ground. Use an ohmeter or test light and see what you get.

[Robinhood4x4]

What he said.

[JWBehm]

Okay tell me if this means anything. . . i pulled the interior part away and unplugged the tail light that was broken and it is still blowing the fuses
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v221/jwbehm/p_00019.jpg

That plug unplugs everything in the tail light besides what looks to be one ground wire. If the harness is unplugged and it still blows does that mean it isnt the harness?

[Tankota]

When the light got broken, it probably pinched some wires somewhere, creating a short to ground. Like Chebby said, use a multimeter to check for short to ground. With the lights off, check each pin to ground, and to each other. That should tell you where it is. If you dont read a short right off the bat, try wiggling the loom around with the leads connected.

[JWBehm]

Thanks for the advice, ill try those that tomorrow tankota. I'm a newb when it comes to electrical stuff

[Tankota]

Cool, let us know how it goes.
I'm kind of the electrical guy at work. That means whenever we get weird, crazy backasswards electrical issues, I get to play with them :headscratch:

[corax]

Cool, let us know how it goes.



. . . and don't put a higher amperage fuse in that what was there originally, that way can lead to melted wires or fire

[JWBehm]

Cool, let us know how it goes.
I'm kind of the electrical guy at work. That means whenever we get weird, crazy backasswards electrical issues, I get to play with them :headscratch:


Sounds like your the guy i need to talk to then haha. I may not have a chance to look at it til Monday, I'm going to try and scalp tickets to the falcons game tomorrow :D

[Cabin2N]

an easy guide to find a short. http://www.ehow.com/how_4461401_short-wiring.html There was another method that I saw on Xtreme 4x4 but could not find it or remember it. they did something like putting in a test light in instead of the fuse but then had another wire to probe along the path. When they got passed the short, the light went out. Good luck.

[JWBehm]

Cool, thanks cabin2 ill look into that now

OKAY im a newb with this stuff so bear with me. I unplugged both tail lights and the trailer light converter. Assuming that the only things on this circuit are the dash lights and tail lights, does this mean that the problem is no doubt coming from the dash lights/ guage lights?

Does ANYONE know where I can find a wiring diagram for my Runner online?

Thanks ahead!

[corax]

just stick a cotter pin in the fuse box and see where the smoke is coming from :shake:



they did something like putting in a test light in instead of the fuse but then had another wire to probe along the path. When they got passed the short, the light went out. Good luck.


take out the fuse and wire in a fog light bulb to the empty fuse pins (use a short length of wire and male spade terminals) - the fog light (or sealed beam headlight) will limit the amount of current going through the circuit to prevent damage to the harness and is easy to see while you're working, the bulb will get hot though so keep that in mind (might melt the carpet if it's on for awhile, you've been warned) - whenever the light is lit, there is a short to ground. Now that you know when the short is present, start from the back of the truck and go through the harness disconnecting one connector at a time until the light goes out. When the light goes out the short will be between the one you just disconnected and the one previous. reconnect the last one and make sure the light turns on again (short present) and start looking for the harness touching any sharp metal or any bare wires, if you don't find anything that way start lightly twisting and bending the harness -- remember, whenever the light goes out the short has gone away (what changed when the light went out, what was the last thing you touched?)