Marker light trouble!?!?!

Hello all,

I'm hoping someone out there has probably encountered a situation similar to this and can help me out. Let's just say I'm getting a bit pissed yet determined by it. So here we go this is what happened. My 99 Tacoma has an after market rear bumper and it is state law to have the license plate illuminated. So I bought a light for it and cut the 2 wire to the left side licence plate bulb that's when I see the spark of a short. From this point on I have ZERO marker lights. However turn signals, headlamps, and brake lights still work.
I have checked all the fuses both under the hood and the interior fuse panel. I replaced the relay and light bulbs and still nothing. I also ran a jump wire to both rear sockets and they lit up then. So I'm guessing now that the short broke a wire?? One more possibility is that the previous owners had install a rear towing converter kit for a 4 way flat that ties in to the same wiring the taillights do maybe it fried that sucker! So I'm wondering if this has something do with it. I did clean the ground to that and reattached. I'm going to go buy another relay and try that. Any help is appreciated.

 

where'd you run the "jump wire" from?

 

Do the parking and taillights work? Tag lights are on that circuit.

 

In stock (ie - un-molested) wiring, fuses are designed to protect wiring and components.

Double-check the tail-light fuse, sometimes a blown fuse can 'look good' .
Do all the dash lights work? If not, then replace the tail-light relay.

Do you have DRL? If so, then it gets a lot more complicated.

 

Thanks Frizz for the reply from the battery to the tail light socket clipped on with a gator clip. Thanks Billy on the rear I believe the tail lights and park lights are one and the same. And no they are the trouble I'm having. Rick thank you I will double check the fuse not sure what DRL's are so I'm sure I don't.....

 

DRL is Dayime Running Lights. I believe its a factory option in USA, and stock in Canada.

My truck does not have it, but my old Corolla does. Basically it seems to automatically turn on the headlights (at a lower brightness during daylight) while the car is running. It has its own computer, and a lot more wiring, fuses, etc.

 

you could try removing the trailer wiring harness and see if they work, if it's the pig-tail plug in. If they are spliced in then you could always just cut the wires at a certain length

 

Don't forget guys and if you don't know this listen up. The tail lights also run through the dimmer switch. I had the same issue messing with a led light bar. You can lose ground to it the somehow if you short it out. It can do 2 things 1. make your dash lights and a\c hvac light to go out also at the same time but the tail lights and brakes all work fine. It can even blow the tail light fuse which lucky me i happened to do also. Take the lower dash cover off. Pop off the dimmer knob and use a pair of needle nose pliers or a socket and ratchet if you care that much to remove the little washer nut holding it to the dash cover. and pull the dimmer out so you can attach the long wire to the white wire with the green strip on and touch it to a ground and see if it solves the issue. If it does you lost the ground to the dimmer\Rheostat headlight\taillight circuit. You'll then have the fun job of using the factory wiring diagram to trace that circuit and find the short....NOT FUN!

 

Or you can leave it jumped and it will deactivate the dimmer ability of the rheostat and run full light power to all acc lights. The Rheostat adjusts the continuity of the ground wire in that circuit????? I know it sounds weird but my brother is a Toyota tech and told me this. It took me 5 minutes to fix my issue once i knew this. The lighting in the Tacoma sucks There all on odd connected circuits. Like interior lamps are on a loop but each light adds up to a certain amount of electric load once enough load is on the circuit then it lights up and functions correctly? Example Swap 2 Map lights to a LED lights and its fine fine. Swap 2 map light to LED and Dome LED system will not function due to low electric load.

 

Russ thank you and Rick thanks again. With great displeasure and my man card taking hit..... take notes now everyone DON'T trust a test light over your own common sense and don't check the fuses in the dark. I know I hit the fuses with my test light the one that didnt light up had nothing to do with this problem. So taking Ricks advice I pulled each and ever fuse and I had 2 blown under the hood ( stop and tail ) go figure. Look who has egg on his face. Oh well I love my truck and I should have some glow wire and white gauges for the the old girl here in the next couple of days. Looks like a bit of a challenge I will post some pics after I them in. Thanks again everyone!

 

Put your test light away in the tool box and get a Multi Meter .

I would bet I have not used a test light in 20 years if not longer.

 

You used a 'test light' (designed to detect voltage) to check fuses ?
Where did you get that idea from?