Author Topic: tail light fuse after being on for a little bit  (Read 2233 times)

Offline muddin82

  • New Users
  • Posts: 2
  • Newbie
tail light fuse after being on for a little bit
« on: January 02, 2014, 10:25:25 PM »
I have a 1983  chevy pickup and after you turn on the head lights it will blow the tail light fuse. IT does not do it as soon as you turn them on but it will after they are on for alittle bit and when it blows the fuse it pulls enough power to dim the headlights and makes the alt. belt squeal. Any help would begentle appreciated. Ty for looking

Offline Irish_Alley

  • Tim
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13319
  • Family is not an important thing. It's everything.
Re: tail light fuse after being on for a little bit
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2014, 11:09:29 PM »
rae you just sitting still or are you driving? about how long does it take?
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline muddin82

  • New Users
  • Posts: 2
  • Newbie
Re: tail light fuse after being on for a little bit
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2014, 11:33:31 PM »
It is usually any where from 5 to 15 minutes and it does it driving down the road i havent tried it sitting still yet






Offline Irish_Alley

  • Tim
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13319
  • Family is not an important thing. It's everything.
Re: tail light fuse after being on for a little bit
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2014, 11:47:19 PM »
sounds like you have a wire chafed somewhere, then it arks on the frame or another wire and causes the high draw and blows
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline Irish_Alley

  • Tim
  • Global Moderator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 13319
  • Family is not an important thing. It's everything.
Re: tail light fuse after being on for a little bit
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2014, 11:55:41 PM »
If you can’t tell yourself the truth, who can you tell it to?~Irish_Alley

When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth ~Sherlock Holmes

Offline rich weyand

  • Senior Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1391
Re: tail light fuse after being on for a little bit
« Reply #5 on: January 03, 2014, 12:02:56 AM »
Sometimes they get melted together where they are too close to the exhaust if either the exhaust or wiring paths were messed with.  We had one of those a couple months back that shorted light hot leads to each other.  This sounds like the TL hot lead is shorting to the frame rail somewhere, intermittently, when the truck is bouncing and vibrating.
Rich

"Working Girl": 1978 K-10 RCSB 350/TH350/NP203 +2/+3 Tuff Country lift