rodeo elect problem

(spell check on this time)
1. Dash lights went out
2. Tail lights went out (probable same time)
3. Found fuse blown
4. Disconnected all tail and marker lamps
5. Still blows 15a fuse
6. Found relay behind drivers side kick panel, checked ok, but replaced anyway
7. Still blows fuse
8. Disconnected all connectors (exc srs lamp) from behind the dash (these lights are on same circuit), still blows fuse.
9. Disconnected the illumination adjustment module, still blows fuse
10. Could not find a way to disconnect the wire feeding inst panel lamps from tail light circuit to see which had the short.
Observations:
A. When the truck has remained unused for several hours, putting a fuse in, all lights work, instr, tail and marker. After approx two to three minutes the fuse finally blows. Subsequent installation of a new fuse cause it to blow immediately. Additionally, when the fuse is first plugged in, the tail light relay hatters, rapidly, until the fuse blows.

Question:
1. Am I missing something in the circuit, a device, that may be taking a minute or two to heat up and then remains shorted until it cools off? I'd have sworn it was the coil on the lamp relay going to ground.
2. If not, are there any pinch points or known trouble areas where circuit could rub and go to ground? Taking the car apart to trace down each wire is tough solution. I believe the fuse is identified as a 15a, CB5. The headlamp switch, wiring and relay all test good. the output side of the relay (green w/red tracer) that feeds the tail lamp and dash light circuit shows .2 ohms to ground, essentially a short. Any suggs appreciated.

Obviously there is a short somewhere. I've seen testers that you place in the circuit (CB5) and they somehow place a signal in the wire that can be detected by a pickup unit which comes in the kit. It wasn't very expensive, less than $20.00. I don't know of any common pinch points, sorry.

Good luck, this kind of problem can be a PITA.

Dale

http://www.eastwoodco.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&itemID=1378&keyword=25026

If your Rodeo is wired like mine, there are lots of things connected to fuse CB5:

Side marker lamps
Parking lamps
Trailer harness connector
Tail lamps
License plate lamp
Power / winter lamp
Shift lever (A/T) lamp
Mirror control lamp
Mirror defogger switch lamp
Dash lamps
Hatch gate lamp
Heater bezel lamp
Cig lighter lamp (never found one on my Rodeo)
Ash tray lamp (never found one on my Rodeo)
RR wiper switch lamp
RR washer lamp
Cruise control lamp
RR defogger lamp
Hazard lamp
Audio lamp

There are 3 electrical connectors fed by the green wire with the red tracer. They can be disconnected to remove all of these lights from the circuit fused by CB5.

H17- White connector. 18 wire: Manual transmission; 20 wire: Automatic transmission. Mounted high behind left kick panel. Controls side marker and parking lights.
H30- White connector, 20 wire. Mounted below relays behind left kick panel. Controls trailer harness connector through mirror defogger switch lights listed above.
H28- Blue connector, 22 wire. Mounted high behind left kick panel. Controls dash lights through audio listed above.

Hope this helps.

Let us know how things work out.

Dale

I have been expierencing the same issues but they seem to be intermittent. It has been going on for about 6 months now, but now I am also expierencing another issue with the Engine IG. fuse blowing. It is causing the vehicle to not run. I am suspecting that I may have a problem with the PCM, but I am having trouble spending the money for one when I'm not sure that's what the problem is. I have been searching for a short, but can't find anything.

Sorry I can't help, but misery loves company.....

I'll keep searching and I'll let you know if I figure anything out.

i had the same prob so i checked the fuses under the hood and inside and found like five or six with the incorrect amps ..like 25 amp in a 15 amp fuse location..so i corrected them with what was supposed to go in there and then tried my taillight fuse and it worked perfect...make sure all your fuses are in the correct place with the correct amps running through ...my guess was there was one with the incorrect amps running on the same circuit as the tailight fuse combined ..hope this helps

i had the same prob so i checked the fuses under the hood and inside and found like five or six with the incorrect amps ..like 25 amp in a 15 amp fuse location..so i corrected them with what was supposed to go in there and then tried my taillight fuse and it worked perfect...make sure all your fuses are in the correct place with the correct amps running through ...my guess was there was one with the incorrect amps running on the same circuit as the tailight fuse combined ..hope this helps


arg!!!! I have this exact same problem. I did find one fuse that was incorrect, but I didn't think to look for others. The incorrect fuse was found by accident because it was right beside the culprit. I tried replacing the recommended 15A fuse with a 20A, 25A, and 30A fuses but all blew almost instantly (all of this after I blew 4 15A fuses trying to find out the symptoms that cause the fuse to blow). I don't see why this problem would just appear after 7 years and no changes to the original electrical system (this includes no aftermarket cd player). It makes no sense.

A few times the tail lights would remain on and the dash lights would remain on....until I close the door...then blam! Or I put the 30A fuse in and think I've finally (temporarilly) fixed the problem only to start driving off and blam!!!

very very frustrating indeed!

What year? What engine?

I had a similiar issue on my 93 Rodeo when I got it in 2004. I couldn't find the short, so I ended up running own wires. First thing I did was cut the wires under the kick plate on the drivers side going to the rear of the vehicle and then testing them for shorts. Then went into each dash light and checked them. I basically just went around the short.