HELP,fuse keeps blowing


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Old 03-31-08, 05:17 PM
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HELP,fuse keeps blowing

I have a 1992 Olds SILHOUETTE. About a month or so ago,all of the tail lights stopped working.I checked the fuse and it was blown so I put a new one in and it blew as soon as I turned the lights on.I tried again the same thing.Could it be a short in the wiring? Where should I start looking? Thanks for any advice you can give.
 
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Old 03-31-08, 05:29 PM
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question

Do you have a trailor hitch with lights? Lots of times the wires short there.
 
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Old 03-31-08, 05:38 PM
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No. It all started when I took the fuse out to put in my other vehicle(same kind of vehicle) and after that is when it started to happen.
 
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Old 03-31-08, 05:43 PM
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Originally Posted by 4given1
No. It all started when I took the fuse out to put in my other vehicle(same kind of vehicle) and after that is when it started to happen.
Is the fuse the correct amperage? Look on the lid to the fuse cover and the fuse whould have a # and you want the same.

If thats not it check the bulbs, sometimes water gets into the light.
 
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Old 03-31-08, 05:43 PM
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check this

Make sure you did not by accident put in the wrong size fuse.
You might have put in a lower amp fuse. They are very close togeather and you might have put in or pulled out the wrong one.
 
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Old 03-31-08, 05:48 PM
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I checked and it is the right fuse.
 
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Old 03-31-08, 05:57 PM
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just tail lights?

Is it just tail lights? If you can get under car and unplug the connector for the tail lights, you might have to do some wire following but it should have a plug, unplug it and try again if it does not blow the problem is in that part of the harness. If it still blows you have other more complex problems.
 
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Old 03-31-08, 06:06 PM
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yeah,it is just the tail lights.i will try that.Don't know if I can now cause it is dark but if not I will try tomorrow.I will let you know.Thanks so much.I have to get it fixed cause with 4 kids it is hard not having a vehicle to drive after dark.i am going to check what you said.
 
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Old 04-01-08, 01:51 PM
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I tried what you said to do and it still blows the fuse.I checked all the bulbs and everything.It is getting so aggravating.If I could afford it I would take it to a garage but that costs more than I can afford.i can usually do mechanical work myself but this is just aggravating.Where do you think I should go from here?
 
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Old 04-01-08, 02:10 PM
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Did this car set for awhile, before you started useing it again?
If so look for wires that a mouse or varmint could chew on.
You have a direct short.Start checking from where you unpluged forward. Has to have a bare spot, some where.I have seen a light switch go bad and cause problems! Short inside of switch.Check Brake switch on brake pedal also.

 
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Old 04-01-08, 04:15 PM
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I have tried to check the wires for that.Couldnt find any yet.no it didn't sit that long.the brake lights all work just no park lights.As soon as I put the fuse in and turn on park lights it pops.
 
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Old 04-01-08, 06:49 PM
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Originally Posted by 4given1
I have tried to check the wires for that.Couldnt find any yet.no it didn't sit that long.the brake lights all work just no park lights.As soon as I put the fuse in and turn on park lights it pops.
Check under hood and see if there is a bare wire around headlights and turn signals. This is a different circut than brake lights.Good Luck!
David C

 
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Old 04-01-08, 07:15 PM
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Smile

Originally Posted by 4given1
I have a 1992 Olds SILHOUETTE. About a month or so ago,all of the tail lights stopped working.I checked the fuse and it was blown so I put a new one in and it blew as soon as I turned the lights on.I tried again the same thing.Could it be a short in the wiring? Where should I start looking? Thanks for any advice you can give.
presuming here! the lights all worked fine until you robbed a fuse for another car??!! replaced fuse and fus blows as soon as you insert it??!! don't know the timeline on this, but if you didn't pinch or cut a wire, i would start by unplugging or removing the bulbs for the lights(i understand just the parking lights and tail llights only?). all other brake, emerg. flashers, turn sig. work ok? with lights on in the first pos.(tail lights and parking lights) re-install one bulb/re-connect one at a time until the fuse blows. find the problem with that light.
may your future be brighter!!!
 
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Old 04-02-08, 07:05 PM
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all I did was take out the fuse for my other van and a couple of days later i replaced the one I took out.It worked for a while and blew and after that it blows every time as soon as I turn the park/tail lights on.Also I have no dash lights either because of the fuse.I had forgotten about that until a few minutes ago when I was in it.I also tried what you said about doing the lights one by one it does no good.Fuse pops as son as I turn them on.Even with no bulbs in it.
 
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Old 04-02-08, 07:21 PM
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Aftermarket radio, Security systems , and the like are often "Tapped" at the fusebox. You may have closed the cover on a wire that was not otherwise noticed. Also check to make sure the "Terminals arent "Pushed In" to the fuse box. If they come loose, they can cause contact with metal framing around the box.

Try plugging the fuse in with the "Dimmer " turned down. if it doesnt blow , turn up the dash lights. A bad "Rheostat" can cause this also.
 
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Old 04-02-08, 07:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Unclediezel
Aftermarket radio, Security systems , and the like are often "Tapped" at the fusebox. You may have closed the cover on a wire that was not otherwise noticed. Also check to make sure the "Terminals arent "Pushed In" to the fuse box. If they come loose, they can cause contact with metal framing around the box.

Try plugging the fuse in with the "Dimmer " turned down. if it doesnt blow , turn up the dash lights. A bad "Rheostat" can cause this also.
GOOD IDEA! you might want to get a meter and see how bad the draw is. fuses get expensive! you could at least read it without blowing fuses.
 
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Old 04-02-08, 07:31 PM
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Nope it still blows,I just tried it.What kind of meter do I need.I really appreciate everyones help and advice,I guess I probally do have a short somewhere huh? What kind of meter do I need and where would I start looking for the short?
 
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Old 04-02-08, 07:58 PM
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Since it only blows with the light switch turned on, it would be safe to assume it is NOT between the fusebox and light switch.

Other than that, if you have no dash lights, It is somehow tied to the courteousy Circuit. Im not as sharp on Gm's as I used to be, But that means "Anywhere else is fair game".
There is a harness connector to the left of the steering column, that splits front and rear "Parking Lamps" .Try and Isolate front or rear as the problem by disconnecting each half at a time.
Get a copy of your wiring Diagram, and follow from the fuse to every termination. This will at least give you an Idea what to check, and where the trouble spots might be.Wiring taped up in a harness, and undisturbed is far less likely to be a problem than say, a door harness that is required to flex when you open the door.Usually , finding the trouble will set off the bells and whistles of how it happened. Did you change a tire recently? Did the harness to the tail lights get pinched when you were remounting the Jack? Is there a Dime stuck in the cigarette lighter socket? ....All laughable, but all possible.
 
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Old 04-02-08, 08:01 PM
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Originally Posted by 4given1
Nope it still blows,I just tried it.What kind of meter do I need.I really appreciate everyones help and advice,I guess I probally do have a short somewhere huh? What kind of meter do I need and where would I start looking for the short?

Just get a simple Digital Multi-Meter. Don't spend more than $25.00 for it and set it to OHMS for what your doing.
OHMS tests for resistance in a circuit and it sounds like you have very high resistance.
You want to put the leads in-line like at the fuse block between the two lugs of the fuse holder.
If you strike the leads of the meter together the display will read infinite resistance and that is what I expect you will get when you test your circuit and that means a dead short somewhere in your circuit.
 
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Old 04-02-08, 08:02 PM
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OKay thanks alot.I have the wiring diagram(if I can find it).We haven't done anything to it that I can remember,but I will try to start on it tomorrow thanks for all the help.God bless you.
 
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Old 04-03-08, 04:50 AM
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OK...this is getting a bit confusing. let's sort out a few things here. First...it's blowing the "park/tail lamp" fuse, correct? a short means you have very LOW resistance, not high. You cannot use an ohm meter to diagnose this very easily. a circuit must be isolated before you can use an ohm meter, otherwise you'll likely blow the internal fuse of the meter. you CANNOT test for how big the draw is. the good news here is that you have a short that is present all the time...intermittant ones are the real hassle.

the easiest way to isolate is to diconnect branches of the harness going to the back or front of the van. first, go to your local parts supplier and purchase a circuit breaker made esp for diagnosing electrical problems (not the type that goes in the fuse box for power windows and seats). remove the fuse and install the breaker...when you turn on the lights, you'll hear and probably see it trip...when it cools, it will try to turn back on and trip again. this is what you need so you can tell when the short is gone. now...locate where the rear or front lamp harness connects to the main portion of the lighting harness and disconnect one or the other (i think you may also need a manual for all this info...not that expensive from your parts people. when you disconnect one of the lamp harnesses, check your breaker to see if it has stopped tripping. if it hasn't, move on to the next section of wire harness that you can disconnect. if it has stopped tripping, you've found the general area where the short is...now carefully inspect the wiring from the connector to the bulbs. common places that short circuits occur are where harnesses go around corners, trailer hitches and add on harnesses for trailers, where sheet metal screws poke thru body panels. keep in mind that the best way to do this is with a systematic approach of disconnecting portions of the harness one at a time until the short disappears. then you know what section to concentrate on.
 
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Old 04-03-08, 05:23 AM
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Thank you so much.Yes it is blowing the park/tail light fuse.As soon as I put the fuse in and turn on lights it blows.I will try to do what you said.This is getting so aggravating.Thanks again.
 
 

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