I/2 of lights weren't working

rlux4 · Post by **rlux4** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 9:45 am

You guys (and gals) are AWESOME! I was having the worst time finding why I wasn't getting tail lights, lic. lights, some side marker lights working. One of the yellow/black wires on the fuse box was shorting and I couldn't find it. In reading all of the discussions here I came across a discussion about the circuit and how it included the trunk light. I went out, popped the trunk and there was the yellow/black wire connected to the ground terminal! I didn't think to check there because the light had been taken out of my car by someone and I didn't know they had one. Problem solved, thanks again everyone. Ron

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:23 am

wow, you're lucky! connecting a hot wire to ground usually results in all of the smoke escaping from the wire

rlux4 · Post by **rlux4** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 10:33 am

You're right as usual. When the fuse first blew I pulled first one, then the other wire coming out the back of the fuse box. When I pulled the one that eventually ends up back there the fuse held, so since then I've been trying to track down the short.

ga.spyder · Post by **ga.spyder** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:18 pm

When I first bought my car I was having similar issues.After repeatedly hitting my head against the wall I found my personal demon in the trunk light.The p/o had taken the bulb out and bare wire was shorting against metal. No trouble since eliminating the useless trunk light!!

mdrburchette · Post by **mdrburchette** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 7:49 am

That silly trunk light. I had the same issue after I installed a bulb in the trunk light holder. It took a couple hours of tracing and testing to find it. One of these days I'll take a better look to see what's wrong with it, but Fiat electrical gremlins are so anal, I'm willing to let well enough alone for now.

rlux4 · Post by **rlux4** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 10:21 am

I guess I could live without a trunk light, just a tool kit back there anyway. While we're on the subject: it looks like a direct line to the light from the tail light circuit, I don't see any mercury switch or other mechanism that turns it off when the trunk is closed, and it looks like your tail lights would have to be on to energize it. Is that the way it's set up?

So Cal Mark · Post by **So Cal Mark** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 11:05 am

I believe the lights have to be on and the door open for the trunk light to work

ga.spyder · Post by **ga.spyder** » Sat Dec 15, 2007 1:22 pm

So you pull off the road,turn off the car ,but leave the lights and the door open,just so you can open trunk and have light! Hmmmmmm. good arguement for carrying a flashlight. Must have been a long day w/ no cappuchino in the engineering dept. Craig

I/2 of lights weren't working

I/2 of lights weren't working

Right on Mark