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Dash lights stopped working

Discussion in '1st Gen. Tacomas (1995-2004)' started by TraviZ28, Mar 29, 2010.

  1. Mar 29, 2010 at 11:15 AM
    #1
    TraviZ28

    TraviZ28 [OP] Member

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    So heres the deal, I am helping my uncle with his 04 Tacoma. Anyways, he calls me and says all his lights stop working, so I go check it out and his taillights/front running lights and dash lights do not work.
    I check his tail fuse, its blown, i put a new ten amp in, it blows as soon as I turned on the light switch.
    I temporarily bypassed it with a wire and everything works except his dashlights still, I was under the impression they are all under the same fuse?
    I recently installed a stereo the night before for him, and it still works fine, and I removed the stereo completely, and no wires are rubbing, they are all still crimped and no chance of them touching metal, even with it all disconnected, it would still pop the fuse instantly.

    Any tips guys?
     
  2. Mar 29, 2010 at 11:26 AM
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    muddigger69

    muddigger69 muddigger

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    just fixed mine an to beleive it or not it was a fuse under the hoodit also fixed my cab light if you look in your fusebox its under panal

    -hope it works man-
     
  3. Mar 29, 2010 at 11:28 AM
    #3
    Pope953

    Pope953 That's a fact Jack!

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    On my panel where you control the heat and air mine went out too, you could peck on mine and it would come back on, well it aggravated me one night and I think I flipped it a little too hard, I don't think mines the fuse but I could be wrong!! Wish I knew what to do.
     
  4. Mar 29, 2010 at 5:12 PM
    #4
    EnolaGaia

    EnolaGaia Well-Known Member

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    What did you bypass with the wire? The switch, or the fuse?
     
  5. Mar 29, 2010 at 10:51 PM
    #5
    TraviZ28

    TraviZ28 [OP] Member

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    Sorry, the fuse, But I put a 15amp fuse in, which Now I think about it, is what it had originally....
    a 15amp doesnt blow, everything works, except the interior lights, dashboard lights, but I also realized the lights for the auto shifter and the one rear dome light does not work.

    all exterior lights work.
     
  6. Mar 30, 2010 at 6:05 AM
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    EnolaGaia

    EnolaGaia Well-Known Member

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    The tail / illumination circuit is powered off the 10A TAIL fuse. That's what ought to have been there originally, and that's what ought to be used.

    The dash illumination is wired on its own sub-circuit, parallel to the circuits for the taillights and front parking lights (corners). Your problem lies somewhere on or around that sub-circuit. The most obvious 'suspect' would be a wiring fault (short, bad ground) resulting from the stereo install.

    The interior dome light is powered off the 15A DOME fuse, and has no connection with the dash illumination circuit. The factory radio illumination is powered off this fuse - another clue pointing to the stereo install as the culprit.
     
  7. Mar 30, 2010 at 6:44 AM
    #7
    TraviZ28

    TraviZ28 [OP] Member

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    Ya what I pulled out originally was a 15amp although it was a 10amp label, I put 10 in, and it popped instantly, but another 15amp worked fine..

    where do I find this 15amp dome fuse? and like I said, I completely removed the stereo and disconnected the adapter harness, and it still popped that 10 amp fuse, but if there is an 15amp DOME fuse, maybe that just needs to be replaced and I will be ok?
    I dont see how my stereo install would have messed up anything, I didnt cut any wires, I only used the adapter from factory harness to stereo, and I just had to butt connect the colors.
     
  8. Mar 30, 2010 at 7:10 AM
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    EnolaGaia

    EnolaGaia Well-Known Member

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    (1) The fact a 15A fuse had already been inserted into the TAIL fuse socket means there was already some sort of problem or issue with the tail circuit. Maybe there's a wiring glitch with the taillights ...

    (2) The 15A DOME fuse is in the engine bay fuse box.

    (3) Since the problem seems to be localized to the dash illumination sub-circuit, it might be something to do with the dimmer rheostat (which is on that circuit alone).

    (4) Without details on the stereo adapter, etc., it's impossible to know what might have gone wrong. One common problem with Tacoma stereo installations is screwing up the connection to the dimmer (ground-side on Tacomas, rather than the more common power-side arrangement). On top of that, there's always the chance you accidentally shorted or disconnected something while doing the install.

    In any case, something was already wrong with the tail circuit (wrong sized fuse).
     
  9. Mar 30, 2010 at 1:28 PM
    #9
    brg88tx

    brg88tx Well-Known Member

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    EXACT same thing happened to me. i took in to the dealership and it was the wiring harness for my aftermarket trailer hitch that had a short in it.
     
  10. Mar 30, 2010 at 1:31 PM
    #10
    brg88tx

    brg88tx Well-Known Member

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  11. Mar 30, 2010 at 9:56 PM
    #11
    TraviZ28

    TraviZ28 [OP] Member

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    Like I said, I just plugged an adapter harness into the factory stereo harness, and butt connected the color coded wires together.
    the DOME fuse, is good. :\
    What do you recommend I try next?

    Should I bother checking out the trailer harness if its only my interior lights that do not work now?

    I read it and very insightful as to why I have to run a 15amp fuse in the 10amp tail fuseholder.
    I may disconnect his trailer harness altogether to see what that does for him.
     
  12. Mar 31, 2010 at 6:35 AM
    #12
    EnolaGaia

    EnolaGaia Well-Known Member

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    Disconnect the towing harness - it's probably shorted somewhere.
     

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