SAchris

iTrader: (2)

Obviously I have a short somewhere, but I'm not positive where to look. I started at the tail lights and have worked my way up to the fuse block ripping off wire loom and inspecting wires and harnesses all the way up. All the wires and grounds seem to be ok. As soon as I make contact with a fuse to the block it blows the fuse.

What else is on that fuses circuit? Where should i start looking? I'm sitting here staring at the electrical diagram trying to track everything, but i'm not getting anywhere.

I have a really good multimeter, but I honestly have no clue how to use it for diagnosing problems such as this.

Thanks for any help!

Chris

SAchris

iTrader: (2)

I tore apart everything from the fuse block to the tail lights. I thought i found where the short was occurring at a fuseable link (I think? maybe just a connector) that takes power to the license plate light, but the fuse blew again yesterday.

Now it is back to immediately shorting the fuse when it contacts the posts on the fuse block. That is what it was doing previous to me cleaning up and re-wire looming all the wires above the bumper.

I guess i'm going to move to the fog lamps now, but I really don't feel like that is the problem...

I've been doing a lot of searching here and reading whitebirds posts about the Tail LPS fuse and circuitry. From my understanding of what he has said, power comes into the fuse block, then goes to the switch, then to the appropriate lights and dimmer switch, then to the dash lights. Can anything in there cause this fuse to blow constantly? In other words, are all of those things suspects? Can a bad dimmer switch cause this for instance?

Chris

SAchris

iTrader: (2)

I found some weak wiring around the fog lamps and a fog lamp that wasn't properly seated in the housing about a week ago. I thought that was it, until the fuse blew last night yet again.

I'm about to stick a paperclip in the fuse block and just set whatever is shorting on fire. I'm getting so sick of this. This has been going on for almost 3 weeks now and I am no closer to finding the problem then I was when I started.

Not that anyone is going to answer me, but: Does the DRL module have anything to do with this fuse? Could there be a worn circuit in the module causing this? From the wiring diagram it looks like power goes from the LPS fuse to the DRL module, but I'm not great at reading wiring diagrams.

Chris

SAchris

iTrader: (2)

The orange wire goes from the tail LPS fuse to the DRL Module. It looks as though it and the yellow wire next to it both were cut with a knife or razor at some point. Hopefully this was the extent of the short. I'm ready for this problem to be over!



Chris

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Judging by the scorch marks in the wire insulation, I would say that is a likely candidate for the source of your problem. Good detective work! Hopefully that will solve the problem.

SAchris

iTrader: (2)

I hope that will solve the problem as well.

What do you mean good detective work? It was terrible detective work. That was literally the very last thing I looked at. I wasn't even aware the Tail LPS fuse went to the DRL module until I realized I was reading the wiring diagram wrong. And to get the short to stay a constant short, I had to jump the fuse with a big wire instead of a fuse to burn it up long enough to keep a constant short.

And before anyone tells me that I'm an idiot for doing that last part, just know that I'm well aware of the dangers of what I did. I was pissed off and I got **** done

Chris

Sean Goodwin

I know this is an old thread but I just got a 02 z28 and I am having the same issue as the OP. I am NOT Electronically sound, and I wanted to know how you got to the wire in the post which is burnt? I have no tail lights or illumination in my car and its driving me insane because the same fuse just keeps blowing whenever I turn the car on after putting a new one in. Is this something I can fix myself? Would someone mind running me through this? Or can you atleast provide an explanation to me in terms of how to check this clutster of wires/orange wire out so my mechanic guy can go RIGHT to it instead of costing me 400 dollars and hours of work...

EnergyCC

The likelyhood of you having the same issue as the OP is pretty minor. However, the chance that one of your bulb sockets is damaged and shorting itself out is much higher. Have you taken out each bulb and socket to look them over ? They tend to melt themselves from the high heat of the bulbs, get brittle and fall apart.

But, to answer your question.. the bundle of wires the OP was describing is behind the radio area, IN the dash, where the DRL module gets mounted.

chrysler kid

iTrader: (14)

Mine would blow out because of a cracked fog light housing contacting a blown bulb