Need help w/ fuse diagram

[zoltarr1]

My wife comes home w/ the max and says the brake lights quit. I checked one of the bulbs, it seemed to be ok, so I figure it must be a fuse. The problem is I bought it used and never got the manual with it. I opened the fuse panel and realized it would be quite time consuming to go through them all. Anyone out there able to tell me which one is for the brake lights? The lights do light up when the headlights are turned on but nothing happens when the brakes are depressed.

[Igobuk]

Well, checking all the fuses will take all of 3 minutes if that. Just get a fuse tester from an auto parts store for like 2 bucks, you push it against the fuse and a little LED lights up if the fuse is good and doesn't if it's bad. You don't have to pull all the fuses out one by one and look at it.

However, I don't think it's a fuse. There is a switch or wire connected to the brake pedal usually near the top, as you push the brake, it pushes on the switch or sometimes other type of mechanism and that's what tells your brake lights to come on. The switch may have died or the wire come loose or the connection have corrosion.

Or it may just be fuse

[zoltarr1]

Ok, I got the fuse tester, found the burned out fuse for the tail lights, and replaced the fuse. Only the fuse burned out again as soon as I hit the brakes again. My next guess is a short.

[Igobuk]

That's definitely a short somewhere. I'd disconnect both tail lights completely from the car and see if shorts again. If it does then disconnect the third brake light too. If it still shorts, that's a serious problem.

If it doesn't, then plug the lights back in one by one and test after everyone to pinpoint which one of the three is causing the short, once you narrow it down, start checking those wires. Usually stuff in the trunk slides around and after years, may have frayed one of the wires.

Good luck.

[BP2K2Max]

are any other lights going out with the fuse? i had a bad relay that sent the signal to my reverse lights so they'd turn on when i went in reverse. every time i'd put the car in reverse my tailights fuse would blow out but so would all my gauges and my voltage regulator on the alternator. i think it was #13 and it's a 10a.

[zoltarr1]

Well, I was tired of going through a lot of fuses. So off to the shop. Appearently the spoiler was added by the used car dealer and the 3rd brake light was wired in to the fuse panel which couldn't handle the additional load. A $137. fix.