HELP! i want to fix my truck...

I have a small laundry list of problems to take care of this weekend.

The biggest issue is the tail lights. my night time running lights do not come on. I've replaced the fuse and it blew within a couple of minutes, so i suspect a short somewhere.

Also. The dash clock and power-outlets/ cigarette lighter blow the fuse when i plug anything into the power outlets.

Can any of you help? i don't have the wiring diagram handy. Are these problems at all related? I realize that they are on seperate circuits, but i find it odd that the problem occured around the same time.

Thanks for any help you can give.
kato

 

Not to insult you, but are you using the correct size fuses? I always try to start with the basics when troubleshooting. What you're describing sounds like shorting to me too, but as you mentioned, the problems are on different circuits?

This link has the wiring manual if it'll help:

 

I am not insulted at all... i am capable of some bone-headed moves from time to time. This time is not one of them. I replaced the fuses with the recommended ones.

I think i have all but solved the running light issue. Turns out the monkey who owned the truck before me wasn't a competent electrician. He attempted to wire in a towing harness and when not used had it tie wrapped to the spare tire retainer. Through normal road vibrations the shielding had worn through and shorted the wiring to ground.

Thanks for the link. much appreciated!
kato

 

You have a trailer hitch hooked up? If so, it could be improperly grounded.

 

Hey guys,
I'd like to thank you two for the help that you've offered.

Maybe it is because i am a little frazzled after work today but i am having a hard time with this.

Now when i turn the lighting switch to either tail, or head the left hand turn signal stays on no blinker.

When the lighting switch is in the regular position the left hand turn signal is no longer illuminated. But when i signal turning left the gauges and turn signal pulse together.

I'm having a hard time with the hayes manual but i suspect the black and yellow labeled wire from the power.

Does this make any sense to you guys?

Thanks
Kato

 

Check ALL of your bulbs! Ive seen this happen when the solder on the bulb melts and shorts the bulb out. We had a heck of time troubleshooting a corolla with a similar problem and turns out a cheap bulb shorted out and caused it, and by check them I mean take them out and examine the bottom of the bulb. Hope thats all it is!

 

Man... I hope the bulb theory finds the culprit. I'm sorry, but I have no clue on that one. If the bad bulb thing isn't it let us know.

 

Damn damn damn... The bulb didn't solve it. Thought i had it licked after removing the remainder of the soldered tip (old bulb) and installing the new one. Seemed to work just fine... couple of klicks down the road the issue re-appeared.

With the lights off, when i signal left all of the dash lights illuminate and flash in time with the left blinker.

With the lights turned on, the left blinker remains on all of the time.

I am going back to my original hunch, that there is a bad ground. My guess is that i jarred it back into contact when i had the rear lense off to change the bulb... a few klicks down the road it probably rattled loose.

Time to get the multimeter out. Thanks a bunch for the suggestions. I'll be sure to keep u guys posted as i go in case you end up running into this issue (Knock on wood!)

Kato

 

The interaction between turn signals and taillights means there's a cross-wiring, bad ground, or short circuit - probably in the rear, and probably associated with the slapdash towing wiring. There's an outside chance it could be a symptom of a screwed-up combination switch (light switch / stalk on the column), but I don't think this is likely.

The reason your dash lights get involved is because the dash illumination is powered off the tail circuit. The fact they flash with the turn signals is further indication the problem has something to do with cross-wiring or a short between signals and tails (probably somewhere in the rear).

There's no direct interaction between the cigarette lighter / power outlet circuit and the tail circuit. However - the cigarette lighter illumination is powered off the same tail circuit as the dash lights. I suppose a short in the cig lighter unit itself (between lighter power and illumination) might explain at least some of the issues.

This sort of weirdness has been known to occur from a bad bulb (which may not look burned or shot). Perhaps the cheapest one-shot diagnostic test you can do is replace all taillight / turn signal bulbs in the rear and see what happens.

This sort of weirdness is practically bound to happen sooner or later with tow harnesses , so something amiss with that wiring may well be the cause.

 

Bad ground was the culprit.... hidden by a wad of electrical tape the wiring was holding on by a hair to the ring connector. I'm not proud of the way i fixed it... but it was getting freaking cold, and dark this evening, so i will rectify just as soon as i get a chance.

Thanks so much for the tips and support. If any of you are ever in kelowna bc drop me a line. The beers are on me.
Kato