Tail Light Fuse Keeps Popping

2000 Tacoma, no tow package, brake lights and blinkers work fine but the tail light fuse keeps popping. It looks like from the wiring diagram that the entire tail light assembly lights all share a ground so I'm assuming its the hot line shorting out. I have visually inspected the line and don't see anything obvious.

Is there a common point of failure with this that I can focus on?

Thanks in advance

 

wil it blow with all the taillight bulbs removed?

 

My buddy with a 3rd gen 4runner just had this happening to him. It turned out to be water entering his 3rd brake light assembly. I would check all of your lights for condensation inside

 

Previous owner on mine had a loose wire for the camper shell it came with. It would sometimes hit the chassis in the back and short out the whole back end. Got anything like that?

 

That’s a good place to start. You can take out the bulbs and put them back in one by one until you find your culprit

 

Hurry...

 

It doesn't blow right away so It would be hard to tell. I guess I should have included that detail.

When my tail lights went out the first time and it took me a while to notice so I'm not exactly sure when it happened. After I changed the fuse the lights worked for around 2 weeks.

I noticed from the wiring diagram that the buzzer and the plate lights are also on the circuit

 

Do you happen to notice anything special when it’s happening? Like hitting a hard bump, or only happens when it rains? Or is it just random?

 

Nothing notable.

 

That makes it difficult to diagnose. I would check for water entering still. Look for droplets inside your lenses

 

Don`t forget to inspect the parking lights up front as well.

Do all the dash lights also go out as well? if they do test the tail light relay.

Might be as simple as A fuse loose in the socket that moves and draws an arc causing the fuse to open.

Check you might still have a evil converter box!!

 

Are the tail lights connected to the front running lights?

 

Oh yeah….all running lights

 

I thought you looked at the schematic for the tail lights?

Yes the front parking lights are on the same circuit.

 

Now I see it.

Thanks and your patience is appreciated.

 

I had a similar issue that came up when I added my truck topper/camper shell brake light. It eventually stopped happening. No idea what caused it. So I'm here in solidarity but otherwise worthless.

 

We all learn these things as we go!

Some of us have a huge head start!!

 

Fond the culprit! I got in a little fender bender a while back and the aftermarket running light I put in there jostled loose and rubbed a hole in the wire. All good now, thanks for the guidance guys!

 

Thanks for posting the resolution and the photo. The photo is great and will give future searchers a visual of what to look out for!

 

That is a very bad habit of poking holes through wire insulation !!

Then it might have been done before you bought the truck