licence plate lights

i have an 07 tacoma that just recently had one of my 2 plate lights burn out.ya think that would be simple.8pm,dark and 3 towns away from my safe zone.i work for the water dept and know all the cops in my town .anyway i get a phillips from the autozone dude and pull the bad bulb out.thats when my other plate light went out AND my running lights. I have brake lights, turn signals but no running lighs,i hate my life.are the plate lights and the running lights connected somehow.i checked the fuses as best i could.there is nothing that i saw that refers to running lights or licence plate light.any help would be greatly appreciated.i have a really good recall story to tell when i am done with this.thanx

 

You blew a fuse. Check the one for the running lights. It may not appear to be blown until you pull it and check.

 

i couldnt find the fuse that said "running lights" on the lid of the fuse box.

 

thanx for you reply by the way

 

Are the sockets clean and in good shape?

 

It sounds like you might have a short. When you pulled out the license plate light socket and the others died, there might have been a one-time short because of the way it was handled, or there is something loose that might cause it to short out again. Other than finding and replacing the fuse, I would check for a short at or close to the socket also.

 

i did get a little spark,if it had been daylight idont think i would have noticed it,when i pulled the dead bulb out.I has hoping it wasnt an issue.Apparently it must have been

 

Have you gone offroading in rough areas? have you been rear-ended?

 

Old thread, but this happened to me too; left the lights on to check the new bulb worked ok, pulled ou the socket fm the bumper and pop out they went; turns out the harness is real short and when getting the socket in position to pull the bulb, the harness extends from the loom and scrapes the bumper metal just enough to penetrate insulation.
Fuse 3 behind the dash board for a '12 prerunner; use spare from the underhood fuse panel cover. 10 amps.