Taillight Fuse Blowing

Thought I'd post this because it took some digging to figure out the issue, and I'm hoping this will help someone in the future. I have extremely limited mechanical knowledge, partly why I purchased a 20-year-old truck was so I'd have the chance to learn. If I figured this out, you can too.

I was driving home from work when I heard a click and noticed the car behind me flashed their lights, when I looked in my side mirror, I noticed a small cloud of smoke and I honestly thought it was just my exhaust because it was cold out and I just started driving. I stopped in a store otw home and when I came out and started my truck it would not shift out of Park. I noticed that all the lights for my speedometer and dash light (except actual radio) were off. I asked a stranger in the parking lot if my break lights were coming on while I pressed them, and he said they weren't.

dug through this forum and some others and found out that a blown break light fuse will prevent the truck from recognizing your pressing the break and therefore won't let you change gears. I hopped out and checked the fuse box under the hood, sure enough TAIL with a 10A fuse was blown, I then checked the interior fuse box and TURN with 10A fuse was also blown.

I put new fuses in both and sure enough I was able to get it out of Park and drive home. Once I got home, I realized that my dash lights were still out... I put a new fuse in and turned the lights on, it blew it a few seconds later. Repeated the process twice more before going inside to do research.

I read a few different places that said that this issue is commonly due to bad tow wire harness. like I said at the beginning I have no mechanical knowledge, but I always wondered how it okay for the tow wire to just dangle like it was exposed to the elements (it wasn't dragging or anything, just seemed exposed). So back outside I go, I get under my truck and follow the tow wires up behind my driver side taillight. I decided to take the taillight off to get a better look but at this point I'm way over my head and have no idea what I'm looking at.

I called a guy I work with who was a mechanic back in the day and he said he'd take a look. the next day we have the taillights off, and he told me to put a new fuse in and let it blow while he watches what happens. Right away he goes "yup this is your issue" I hop out and you can smell burning plastic and see smoke.

the tow wire connector piece that was stuffed behind my DS taillight had some wires exposed, they got crossed and melted a huge chunk of the connector melted. Disconnected the entire harness and threw it out then plugged the taillights back in, everything worked!


TLR

If your taillights keep blowing check the tow wire harness. follow it and you'll likely find damage somewhere that is causing the trip.