Tail light fuse keeps popping out. 1994 Peterbilt 378

Discussion in 'Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Mechanics Forum' started by Nestor, May 16, 2018.

  1. Nestor

    Nestor Light Load Member

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    Wondering if anyone ran into this problem before need some help. Truck is a 1994 Peterbilt 378 dump truck .
    My tail light fuse keeps pooping after 3 seconds that I switch up the clearance lights . That switch turns on my clearance lights, dash lights and tail lights. And I think high beam . It only did it to me like once or twice before . Today it just keeps popping it right out as soon as I turn switch up.
    With fuse popped out everything else works such as blinkers headlights brake lights . Any suggestions thank you ! I don’t know where to start
     
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  3. LGarrison

    LGarrison Road Train Member

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    You got a short get a multimeter track it down and fix it
     
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  4. Nestor

    Nestor Light Load Member

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    I have a snap on multimeter don’t know how to use it . Would u mind giving me some pointers . I used one years ago forgot how to use it. Where would I start
     
  5. Expeditor

    Expeditor Medium Load Member

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    One way to find it, if you have a dead short, would be to take a LED light or a light that has low current draw.
    Take the blown fuse out and replace it with the light, if LED make sure + end is on the hot side of the fuse the other end to the other side of the fuse. If you have a dead short that light will illuminate. Now have someone watch that light will its on, go down the wiring harness of the effective circuit, what the fuse protects, and do a wiggle test. Just move the wiring harness around when the light goes off you have found your short. Hope this helps.
     
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  6. fargonaz

    fargonaz Road Train Member

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    Buy or borrow a pigtail, it takes the most abuse.
     
  7. daf105paccar

    daf105paccar Road Train Member

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    Do you pull a trailer?
     
  8. Nestor

    Nestor Light Load Member

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    No trailer. I noticed also when I turn switch up for my head lights the tail light fuse pops out also. But lights stay on low beams . My high don’t work when fuse pops out . My clearencenlights from top of cab stay on but not the rest
     
  9. RocketScott

    RocketScott Medium Load Member

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    Do you mean the tail light circuit breaker? The white button pops out?

    There is a short somewhere on the #8 circuit. That's your marker lights (top of the cab are clearance lights circuit #5)

    The headlamp relay gets power from that circuit so if it's out you won't get high beams, just low.

    Outside the truck you're going to have to trace the wires. Hood hinges are great for crushing the headlight harness and causing shorts. Check there first, and it may not be obvious without pulling the loom off the wires. You can unplug the headlight harnesses and see if that fixes it.

    Inside the truck you can pull the kick panel and look for burnt wires/crushed wires. I'd bet that it's outside the truck though.
     
  10. Nestor

    Nestor Light Load Member

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    Thanks man I’ll check that out today . Yesterday I took off head lights all four . It did some wierd ####. So the low beam on the driver side light didn’t work on the passenger side if the high beam light on the passenger side was not connected . The light low beam light from passenger worked ok on the driver side without the high beam being connected in that side . Swapped out lights . But still the same . Checked cables inside the housing everything looks ok in the besides loose connectors . I’m thinking problem with headlights ?
     
  11. BoxCarKidd

    BoxCarKidd Road Train Member

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    Unplug harness plugs one a a time it help isolate the problem. I do not thank it is the head lights.
     
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