Rear Lamp Wiring problem

[TBrack]

I have been having a strange problem lately that maybe someone can help me with...

My rear lamps do not work lately and the only thing that has been changed is I was trying to disable the sensor so it doesnt throw up a warning when I have the LED tail lights in. I have replaced the fuse 10 times trying different things that could be wrong and I am stuck. ]

If my sensor in the trunk is fried would that cause my fuse to blow? I unplugged it and it still blows though...

Another intesting thing is, when the rear lamp fuse blows, the interior lights dont work and the car turns on high beams when the headlights are on.

[Q45tech]

So everything was fine until you redesigned the electrical system.

You will need to follow the wiring diagrams and find the short you most likely created,

Leave the bulb check module disconnected until you find the inside short.

Exactly which fuse and which interior lights? Do side lights for and aft work?

[TBrack]

So everything was fine until you redesigned the electrical system.

You will need to follow the wiring diagrams and find the short you most likely created,

Leave the bulb check module disconnected until you find the inside short.

Exactly which fuse and which interior lights? Do side lights for and aft work?

The fuse is the rear lamp fuse under the hood in the engine bay and the lights I am talking about are the gauge cluster, clock, and anything that is normally on when the headlights are turned on. I am 100% positive the rear lamp short will fix that problem though.

I have only taken basic electrical classes and I'm not sure WHERE I would find this said short in the system. I checked all my fuses that I know of along with relays that I could find and the bulb connectors themselves. ATM I am using the stock tail lights with stock bulbs as soon as the problem occurred.

[TBrack]

It happened again... it seems to be working intermittently (every other week)

I have unplugged every exterior light on the car and searched the diagrams for a short and have found nothing. I am really confused as to what is going on or how to fix it. Any help?

[Q45tech]

Sometimes a divide and conquer strategy works,

Using in line plastic fuse holders with pigtails divide the 2,3,4 circuits up, besure to calculate the draw on each of 2,3,4 circuits to downsize each fuse.

[goody90q45]

.....and searched the diagrams for a short and have found nothing. I am really confused as to what is going on or how to fix it. Any help?

Have you replaced any of the small illumination bulbs in the remote window switches, back of clock, heater, speedo, etc. recently? I ask because I burned a fuse replacing one of these bulbs with a screwdriver with the lights on and when this hapenned the headlamps were stuck on high beam, there were no tail or running lights (I had brake lights), and all the small interior bulbs went out. Good luck finding your gremlin.

[TBrack]

Sometimes a divide and conquer strategy works,

Using in line plastic fuse holders with pigtails divide the 2,3,4 circuits up, besure to calculate the draw on each of 2,3,4 circuits to downsize each fuse.

so basically I'm better off having someone else do it?

Have you replaced any of the small illumination bulbs in the remote window switches, back of clock, heater, speedo, etc. recently? I ask because I burned a fuse replacing one of these bulbs with a screwdriver with the lights on and when this hapenned the headlamps were stuck on high beam, there were no tail or running lights (I had brake lights), and all the small interior bulbs went out. Good luck finding your gremlin.

Yes that is exactly what happened how did you fix it?

[goody90q45]

Yes that is exactly what happened how did you fix it?

In my case it was just a matter of replacing the 10 amp tail lamp fuse. As you know the correct contact point is hard to find so it helps to have the lights on when reinstalling the microbulb assemblies. I now use a plastic screwdriver made out of a cheese and cracker paddle (shown in pic).

In your case I'd go back and look at the bulbs you changed out. I suspect that one of the bulbs long leads that you wrap around the plastic base is shorting out somehow. Good luck.

[TBrack]

Yea except I shorted something from the rear of the car. All of the bulbs are out so it isn't a bulb doing it. Every time I put it a new fuse it pops immediately.

It started working again for 10mins yesterday btw...

[TBrack]

Worked all day driving around from 3-5pm then when I went out at 9 it blew fuses again... I'm really confused someone help me!

[TBrack]

Worked again today from 1-9pm then I hit a bump in the road and it did the same thing as before...

I have searched the wiring diagram in the FSM and I can not find anything like a relay or connector that could be loose. I have yet to get a pigtail fuse holder, but when I do how to I narrow down where the short is?

[TBrack]

Started working this morning and drove with it all day and it works fine for now...

[Q45tech]

To find shorts you must physically look at EVERY inch of every wire in the circuit.

Years ago there were similiar shorts caused by extreme weight challenged sitting in rear behind driver.

We had a case where a fuel pump fuse kept blowing, 2 of us worked 5 hours to find the problem.................someone had redesigned the electrical system and tapped into the rear of the inside fuse panels and added a wire which ran across dash but was disconnected and taped it eventaully shorted on something in the middle.

You may have to take everything apart, you'll find the problem you caused eventually.

No good deed goes unpunished.

[TBrack]

Well I know I haven't modified the oe wiring at all, just what connects to it...

Do you think I could have pulled a wire too hard and it is coming loose somewhere?

[qsiguy]

I'm sure it's on something you were working on. A light socket could have a bent terminal in it so even with the bulb out it would short. I seriously doubt you are looking for a relay or a connector. I'd be checking the sockets and the wires behind them to make sure they aren't touching. Look very closely at every item you worked on, modified, or each bulb/socket you changed.

[qsiguy]

..... searched the diagrams for a short and have found nothing....

The diagrams won't show you the short....

(sorry I couldn't resist that one!)

[qsiguy]

How did you try and "bypass" the sensor? Are there some jumper wires or something you installed there touching themselves or ground?

Are you loosing brake lights, runing lights, reverse lights, third brake light, or what specifically. "Rear Lamps" is pretty vague.

What amperage is the fuse you are replacing?

[TBrack]

How did you try and "bypass" the sensor? Are there some jumper wires or something you installed there touching themselves or ground?

Are you loosing brake lights, runing lights, reverse lights, third brake light, or what specifically. "Rear Lamps" is pretty vague.

What amperage is the fuse you are replacing?

I had the wire that sent data to the gauge cluster snipped so it wouldn't read the lights were out, but I put it back.

You know I have not even thought about a wire touching the body shorting it out

I lose running lights, tail lights, tag lights, low beams, gauge lights, hvac lights, shifter lights, and side marker lights. But I know for a fact fixing the rear lamp circuit itself will cause the others to work normally.

The fuse for the tail lamps is 10amps. I tried using a 15 just for kicks and it still blew so I just gotta find the short.

[TBrack]

Fixed it!

When I put in my new CD head unit I had forgot to do something with the light dimmer wire! I cut the bare wire off and wrapped it in electrical tape just to be safe and problem was fixed.

The way I found the short would probably be frowned upon but I dropped in a 30 amp fuse thinking it would either blow again or start a fire. Needless to say as soon as I saw where the smoke was I found the wire 2mins later

[qsiguy]

Well, that's one way to do it!

At least you found it, that's got to be a relief. Those things can be so frustrating.