fuse Box

[hondarider188]

I have a 1983 chevy k10 silverado. with a 5.7 liter engine. Ive got a pretty serious problem. It all started with my instrument lights were shorting out, where i then traced it down to the rear tail light wireing. In the midst of finding where the actual issue was i found myself at the  back of the fuse panel under the hood. Where someone along the line tried to add a trailer wiring system and cut the wires all the way down the nubs from where the wiring comes out of the fuse box. Anyway the tail light assembly and the right hand blinker were barely hanging on. And with my luck they broke off. So i pulled the back of the box off and pretty much forced the blade that pluggs into the other half of box. But what i need to know is how do i go about fixing it now? I can i buy new blades and put them in or do i just need to buy a whole new cable assembly to run all the way back the rear harness for the lights?

[hondarider188]

I fixed the right hand blinker and the taillights never did break off so i'm still good there for now at least, but does anyone know of any cause of my instuments lights still shorting out according to the tail lights? I have traced the wiring from the bumber all the way up to the back of the cab where then i lost it due to the fact that the wiring runs in between the cab and the frame so from their up to the firewall i don't seem to have any access, so if anyone knows a way without taking off the entire cab please let me know.

[Tx_Phil]

I'm no electrical guru but if two unrelated systems are suffering the same kind of problem I think I would start checking and reworking the grounds.  From reading others comments on here it seems that grounding issues cause all kinds of strange problems.

As for those blade you asked about, can you post a picture?  It might help someone identify them and point you to a resource.

On my 87 suburban the PO cut all of the power window and door lock wires right close to the back of the switch.  I was able to salvage all of the connectors but I found this online resource for those connectors.  Maybe they have something like what you are needing.

http://www.repairconnector.com

http://www.repairconnector.com/products/-GM-Power-Window-Switch-and-Door-Lock-Terminal-Connectors-5-Pack.html

[hondarider188]

thanks for the input, but the blades im talking about are basically the same as whats on a fuse, but just oversized and longer. Their isnt any problems with the tail lights I had just accidentaly broken the connection so sorry if i caused any confusion. but the tail lights and the insument lights are indeed connected, because when you turn on the lights the first stage is your park, tail, and instument lights that all come on together. But i still havnt found anywhere where the instument lights are contacting the tail lights. So does anyone know if this is a common issue and how to fix it?

[Captkaos]

I would assume this is more your running lights than taillights.  The instrument isn't on until you pull the switch which turns on all the exterior light.

[hondarider188]

Exactly all the exterior lights except for the main headlights in the first stage of the switch. the only reason i Believe that it is the tail lights is that i went through and pulled out every fuse and put each one back in one at a time until the fuse blew which happened at the tail light fuse, but is the tail lights and the forward park lights on the same fuse?

[pholliday1]

This may be a little of a stretch... But while your at it double check the wires going to the back of your radio.Frequently when radios get"redone" there are wires that come over from headlight switch that provide power for radio lights when your running and headlights are on. I think they might be gray not sure. People forget to properly cover these wires during a stereo upgrade and usually there lying loose behind the radio.

[hondarider188]

you might actually be right because my radio was redone and i hate to be rude but the last owner was a bit of an idiot, and everybody's mess that they left me is where half of my problems are coming from. So I will definately check into it when i get a chance.

[ralphhemi]

When i use to work at a new car dealer ship, GM and Ford, and a vehicle came in with a blowing of the parking light fuse and it had an aftermarket radio the do it your self's had 2 wires left to hitch up so he would hook them together . The 2 wires he had left   was the radio external ground and the dash light wire which lite up the factory radio   So that's where i found a lot of dead shorts.

[Captkaos]

My 87 was done this way with the Previous owners aftermarket radio rewire when I got it.  When pulling my boat with the lights on I could hit the brakes and it would blow the fuse..

[hondarider188]

well thanks for the help, and i do believe that the problems is in the radio that's been installed. But the only thing that i am still a little confused about is how the tail lights would be getting mixed up in the radio lighting?

[Captkaos]

Someone tied the power wire from the lights in wrong...  hooking the grounded wire to the power wire as stated above.

[hondarider188]

alright i think im beginning to get was your saying. So the power supply running from the headligts swith to the original radio was cut and is now possibly being connected to the ground wire of the new radio. Correct?

[pholliday1]

Any combination of things may be the culprit ...they may have just left the wire just dangling behind the radio .. Bottom line some how power is getting to ground.

[hondarider188]

ok thanks for the help. I still havn't been able to get to it yet with the weather being really bad. So I'll let you know once i get the radio either fixed or eliminated.