Weird electrical problem

[itsAlex]

Hey everyone, so last night while driving I noticed my fog lights weren't on even though the fog dash light was illuminated. I came out of the car to check the fogs and I noticed none of the parking lights were working. I checked the fuses for "TAIL" as that fuse is for the parking lights. It was blown, so I replaced it with the same fuse and it instantly blew. I tried a bigger fuse and the fuse started smoking up. I also took a look at the fog light fuses and both the left side and right side fuses were fine.

Anyone have any idea what's going on? A short or something?

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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by itsAlex

Hey everyone, so last night while driving I noticed my fog lights weren't on even though the fog dash light was illuminated. I came out of the car to check the fogs and I noticed none of the parking lights were working. I checked the fuses for "TAIL" as that fuse is for the parking lights. It was blown, so I replaced it with the same fuse and it instantly blew. I tried a bigger fuse and the fuse started smoking up. I also took a look at the fog light fuses and both the left side and right side fuses were fine.

Anyone have any idea what's going on? A short or something?

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Using all stock bulbs? Do anything lately that could have pinched a wire? Parked in a field where there could be rodents (not a joke)?

[itsAlex]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Using all stock bulbs? Do anything lately that could have pinched a wire? Parked in a field where there could be rodents (not a joke)?

The only stock bulbs are the side markers and the DRLs, everything else is LED. When I changed my licence plate bulbs to LEDs I had to increase the TAIL fuse a few amps, it's been like that for about 3 months. My fogs are also LED and only consume about 20w each, which is way less than what the stock fogs pull.

I'll take a look in the trunk for any pinched wires, my subwoofer box does tend to slide around time to time, maybe it pinched something who knows. Either that or a faulty/shorted LED bulb I guess

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[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by itsAlex

The only stock bulbs are the side markers and the DRLs, everything else is LED. When I changed my licence plate bulbs to LEDs I had to increase the TAIL fuse a few amps, it's been like that for about 3 months. My fogs are also LED and only consume about 20w each, which is way less than what the stock fogs pull.

I'll take a look in the trunk for any pinched wires, my subwoofer box does tend to slide around time to time, maybe it pinched something who knows. Either that or a faulty/shorted LED bulb I guess

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Not just the amps to consider. You may have blown a ballast for the LEDs. I would start there before tracing to many wires.

[itsAlex]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Not just the amps to consider. You may have blown a ballast for the LEDs. I would start there before tracing to many wires.

I figured it out, one of the licence plate bulbs went bad:


It created a short which melted the wiring at the bulb harness:


I'm going to repair the harness and get a replacement bulb. I replaced the fuse and everything works again, even the fogs. It seems that somehow the TAIL fuse is also linked the the fog lights' functionality somehow, as I experimented and found that when the TAIL fuse is blown/missing, the fogs won't turn on.

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[justatroll]

Originally Posted by itsAlex

The only stock bulbs are the side markers and the DRLs, everything else is LED. When I changed my licence plate bulbs to LEDs I had to increase the TAIL fuse a few amps, it's been like that for about 3 months

When I read the above, I immediately knew the following:

Originally Posted by itsAlex

I figured it out, one of the licence plate bulbs went bad:

It created a short which melted the wiring at the bulb harness:

When going from the stock LP lights to the LEDs the current should NOT have gone UP.


And when I read that you had a problem but just kept putting bigger & bigger fuses in, I was tempted to be an ass and say "just stick a penny in it!"

@Tcoat will know what I am talking about

[humfrz]

Moral support from @Tcoat ......... and you figured it out ........


humfrz

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by justatroll

And when I read that you had a problem but just kept putting bigger & bigger fuses in, I was tempted to be an ass and say "just stick a penny in it!"

@Tcoat will know what I am talking about

YIKES! ...... are you behind times .......

Yes, for house type fuse boxes, we used to put a penny behind the fuse.

For older automobiles, we would put a spent .22 cal cartridge in the fuse slot.

However, with todays fuse blocks, the redneck way is to jump the fuse slot with a piece of bailing wire.

THEN, go looking for the smoking electrical piece ....... while having a beer .....


humfrz

[Chimera]

Originally Posted by humfrz

YIKES! ...... are you behind times .......

Yes, for house type fuse boxes, we used to put a penny behind the fuse.

For older automobiles, we would put a spent .22 cal cartridge in the fuse slot.

However, with todays fuse blocks, the redneck way is to jump the fuse slot with a piece of bailing wire.

THEN, go looking for the smoking electrical piece ....... while having a beer .....


humfrz

SO.. You jest.. However I had a short happen in some of my custom wiring and eventually did just that on an unloaded circuit to see if it still shorted and went hot as I was out of fuses to blow. Did eventually trace the short to a DC head which I guess shorted inside the male connector head.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by justatroll

When going from the stock LP lights to the LEDs the current should NOT have gone UP.


...I was tempted to be an ass...

...because YELLING your explanation wasn't CONDESCENDING enough?

[justatroll]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

...because YELLING your explanation isn't CONDESCENDING enough?

SOMEtimes I use ALL CAPS, and sometimes I use BOLD.


One thing I AM Certain of is that it is MORE anOYYing when people bitch about IT.

And I HARDLY THINK USING TWO WORDS IN CAPS CONSTITUTES YELLING


I mean it COULD be worse

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by justatroll

When I read the above, I immediately knew the following:




When going from the stock LP lights to the LEDs the current should NOT have gone UP.


And when I read that you had a problem but just kept putting bigger & bigger fuses in, I was tempted to be an ass and say "just stick a penny in it!"

@Tcoat will know what I am talking about

Originally Posted by humfrz

YIKES! ...... are you behind times .......

Yes, for house type fuse boxes, we used to put a penny behind the fuse.

For older automobiles, we would put a spent .22 cal cartridge in the fuse slot.

However, with todays fuse blocks, the redneck way is to jump the fuse slot with a piece of bailing wire.

THEN, go looking for the smoking electrical piece ....... while having a beer .....


humfrz

Oh come on you two. We all know that old school automotive fuses required cigarette pack foil wrapped around them when they blew.

I do recall a moment of fear when a buddy was having issues with the fuses in his AMC Javelin. He said he kept blowing fuses and asked if I could take a look. Crawled up under the steering column where the box was, took one look and rapidly exited and unhooked the battery. Apparently he did not grasp the concept of what a "spent" cartridge was and there about 14 inches from his crotch was a full .22 LR round crammed into an over heating brake light circuit.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

I do recall a moment of fear when a buddy was having issues with the fuses in his AMC Javelin. He said he kept blowing fuses and asked if I could take a look. Crawled up under the steering column where the box was, took one look and rapidly exited and unhooked the battery. Apparently he did not grasp the concept of what a "spent" cartridge was and there about 14 inches from his crotch was a full .22 LR round crammed into an over heating brake light circuit.

Yeah but if it blew, he'd've known it.

Originally Posted by justatroll

I mean it COULD be worse

Stu, you're one special snowflake.

fify

[justatroll]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Yeah but if it blew, he'd've known it.


Stu, you're one special snowflake.

fify

Says the self declared asshole...

I thought we always got along