my electrical issues, tails ect

okay recently my tails, dash lights and corner lights quit working completely, no blown fuses or bad relays.

after reading this thread http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1s...elect-lighting-turn-signals-brake-lights.html

i remembered i have a trailer hitch harness. before i remove my bumper to take it out i was wondering if it could have gone bad and caused these issues.

any imput is greatly appreciated, thanks

btw no blown bulbs just no parking lights dash lights or tail lights

everything else works including headlights and brake lights and turn signals

 

I would check the trailer harness. Sounds like that other thread.

 

any way to check it with a multimeter?

 

well when tail are active and flashers and everything are ON you should have 12V to ground it you don't there is a short to ground somewhere.

 

Whatever the problem is, it's affecting one circuit. The front corner / marker lamps and the interior dash illumination are powered off the taillight circuit.

 

thats what makes it alot easier, atleast its not mixing circuits, im just not looking forward to ripping out the dash

 

btw my tag lights dont work either, they are getting about 20 milivolts however.... waiting for my gf to call so we can go ahead take off the rear bumper tails and trailer harness

 

20mV is pretty negligible you definitely got a short somewhere. Can you unplug the harness from under the dash somewhere?

 

its a cheap hoppy harness ive had since i got the truck 2 years ago, i have to take off my rear bumper and tail lights to unhook it, but thats my next place to check. however the tag lights and tails are on the same circuit but the tags wires dont go up to where the harness is so it has me a lil baffled

 

yep here ya go. If you unplug it and its shorted your lights should go back to normal.
http://www.toyotapart.com/2002-2004...-04861_REV._E_T-AI-0279-D_--PT08921-04861.pdf

edit: never-mind just saw post above.

 

You'd be surprised how electrical gremlins can travel. I've chased a ground on ship from forward to aft then back to midships they can definitely get around. That and i imagine your tag lights are hooked to the tails as they both come on at the same time.

 

true...so a short to ground in one location can affect the whole circuit?

sorry im an eletrical class drop out lol...i wish i was kidding too

 

oh hells yeah.
Electricity will always flow to ground through the path of least resistance.

 

oh goody goody im am hoping to god it is thr trailer harness and not the wiring harness

i hate wiring stuff and plastic trim

i also have a clock spring to replace too though :/

edit the face to a i got a clockspring damn cheap http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=697181

 

not done yet but trailer connections are corroded to shit

 

That would do it. Get that shit harness out of there and clean up your connections. Then coat them in vaseline, it will protect them from moisture and corrosion... for a while anyway.

 

exactly what i did, still have a short to ground somewhere, any other suggestions

edit: now my fire lights switch box keeps blowing fuses

 

start isolating circuits via the fuses. So either pull all the fuses on your accessories lights radio etc just not engine related stuff ecu etc then replace them one by one or just remove them one by one. I would prefer the latter pull a fuse see if there is any difference replace it pull another fuse replace it blah blah blah.

 

My sons 03 had a short that affected interior lights amonst other things. I took it in and it took the mechanic several days to find it. Aftermarket right rear tail light assembly. It looked new, but had a short.

 

my fire lights are not hooked up with the circuit that has a short to ground, its on its individual circuit.

with the short to ground the fuses were not blown but i replaced anyways and i also replaced the appropriate relay with no help to the dilema, today my gf and i took off the aftermarket trailer harness cleaned the connections and coated with dielectric grease and put it together

i have no other aftermarker parts on this circuit at all, i realised that it has gone bad when it was raining its ass off and i noticed my dash lights werent on with my headlights, any corrolation, i have no idea

tomorrow if i have time afterwork im going to go over the exterior wiring harness and see if there are any obvious signs of damage