Electrical Problem

I have a 2010 Tacoma 2.7L 5 sp 4x4, with about 45,000 mi. Today, electrical problems began. When I put on my turn signal, the lights on the radio display and odometer also flashed along with the turn signal. When I step on the brakes with the truck ignition key in the shut off position, the dash odometer light comes on. The truck electrical system and components are original factory, with the exception of a aftermarket towing hitch and trailer light harness which I had installed at a reputable shop (not a dealer) at approx. 7500 miles. To date, the towing hitch light harness has worked fine. Has anyone else seen a similar electrical problem in a 2nd gen Tacoma?

 

dead short, somewhere.

 

Wow, thats all sorts of crazy. Hopefully someone whose versed in electrical matters can give ya some info.

 

Most likely a problem with the trailer harness.

If it only has the basic 4 or 5-pin connector and doesn't have electric brakes, it SHOULD be wired using a "plug and play" harness that you can disconnect by removing the taillights, unplugging, and putting the factory harness back into the lights.

But...

Failure of the trailer harness MAY have caused a failure in the truck's wiring.
Disconnect the trailer harness and test. If the problem goes away, you've found the problem.
If the problem changes, then the problem is most likely the trailer adapter, but has created a secondary problem in the truck itself.


Either way, this is beyond the level of anyone's ability to troubleshoot online.

 

It is an issue some where in the trailer wiring or a bad/improper wired light converter the brake light is feeding back into the parking light circuit.

 

I agree. It's most likely in your trailer hook-up.

However, also check for dampness in your floormats. I just had a very similar problem with my Jeep. I traced it to water from a leaking roof that had collected under my floor mats. Eventually enough of it had collected to short out one of the main body connectors. It affected my rear wiper, brake signals, tail gate glass release, radio, door switches etc. Water mixed with traces of road salt makes an excellent conductor. By the time I found the fault, it had melted away most of the connector.