Side lights Shorting Out?

Hi All

The passenger side sight lights, front and back seem to have started shorting out on my 1988 RRC 3.5 EFi .

I have changed the fuse three times, the last time uprating it to a 20. Each time I switch the lights on the fuse blows.

The rear brake light functions normally, but both front and rear left side lights won't.

I am no electrician but with the fuse continually blowing I am presuming there is a short somewhere.

Could anyone shed any light on where I should be looking to try and find this.

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

Treva

1) NEVER increase a fuse rating.
2) isolate each circuit in turn until you know which circuit (side/headlight/dip/main) ia causing the fuse to blow.
3) isolate each side of the suspect circuit.
4) trace it through.

it sounds like a wire has shorted to ground somewhere.

It is only the front and rear passenger side sidelights that are blowing.

The fuse blows as soon as the light switch is turned on.

All other lights function as they should.

My problem is that I am crap at electrics. When you say "trace it through" - from where to where and what!!!

get yoself the circuit diagram. and then follow it - remove all the bulbs and then follow the wiring, paying particular attention to any places it goes through a bulkhead.

If the fuse is blowing when it comes underload ie, when you switch the lights on, check the following.

As a previous poster has suggested check the wires where they come through the light box at the rear of the headlamps, they are known to chafe on the metal holes if the grommit is missing.

Are the conectors the ones fitted at manufacture? they should be round 3 pin male and female conectors.

People have been known to use the sidelight feed for extra lamps, this would involve either cutting the cables or using a piggy back conector, neither are good ideas and and can cause the symptons that you have.

If you have the manufactured conectors check each pin with all bulbs removed with a tester to check that cables have not been reversed casing live and earth to be opposite.

For the fuse to blow you have a live feed to earth somewhere.

If you have a 7 pin socket fitted for towing, check that, including removing it from its mounting plate as the terminals are very close together and easily shorted.