Hi all,

The number 19 (15 amp) fuse in the under hood fuse box keeps blowing out on me. This is one that controls the dash lights and the parking lights. It went out once on Friday night (rained hard that night) when my wife was driving it. I replaced it today and it worked for the first 5 miles of my trip and blew out again (it was sprinkling today). I replaced the fuse and as soon as I turned the lights on it blew out again.

I'm not sure if the water has anything to do with it or not. Any ideas? I do have A-pillars gauges, that are tapped in to the #5 illumination fuse in the cab.

Thanks for any help,
Travis

 

If it was your guages, I'd think they'd blow the #5 first.

I'd look for a wire to the parking lights that is worn through and intermittently grounding out.

Or you could try turning on the parking lights, then smacking the truck in the vicinity of the lights to see if something in the housing or bulb is grounding.


phox

 

Check the trailer connector and its wiring first, especially if it's an add-on. I would also try unhooking the illumination wiring to your gauge pod. I would estimate that 70% of short circuits occur due to wiring/accessories that have been added to the vehicle, as opposed to factory wiring.

 

Yes, easy to check those first.

You could have a little bit of corrosion in between the contacts, and the current can travel across it to ground.
Especially if you have the dual connector, the 7pin and the 4pin.

My 4 pin is pretty gunked up, water gets in the rubber cap as well.


phox

 

Thanks for the advice. I do have the 4 pin and 7 pin connectors and the 4 pin was pretty gunked up. I cleaned it good and replaced the fuse and I'll see if that helps. If not, I'll check all the trailer wiring.

Thanks!
Travis

 

I took care of a fleet of trucks in a city yard that painted signals. One night the tail lights, parking lights and dash lights went out on 14 trucks. The yard had a new supervisor and he ordered the crews to paint the rear bumpers. The crews slathered on the silver paint that they used on the signal poles. Zinc based. shorted out the trailer connector on every truck.
If the trailer connector isn't the problem check each bulb some times they will burn out and short out.

 

Also check the headlight switch to be sure it isn't melted near the multi-plug connector on the back.

 

Mine did the same thing right after i hooked up my gauges I had my hot wire for the lights in the same place you do on the number 5 illumination fuse. un hook your gauge lighting wire from fuse number five and replace the one under the hood if it doesnt blow again then you have a short in your gauge wiring somewhere.the number five fuse doesnt blow for some reason the one under the hood goes first. I know it sounds wierd, but it happened to me, took me two days to figure out what was wrong.