99 Taurus Electrical Problem!!

[Jeffro711]

I was recently in an accident with my 99 Taurus and have been fixing it over the past month with my friend who is an Automotive Repair Specialist. We have replaced pretty much everything from the engine block forward, including the PS Pump, Radiator, Condensor, Radiator Support, "header panel", Alternator, Valve Cover, Serp. Belt, Headlight (pass side), Blinker (pass side), and the body panels (hood, fenders (x2), & bumper).

We just finished up the final details of the car today, got it running as good as new, and took it out for a spin today. The Battery Light is on however....and it has us completely stumped!! Everything ran great (if we gave it a jump start first). The battery is brand new, the alternator is brand new, as is the power steering pump, Pass side Headlight, pass. side blinker, and other various non-electrical stuff. Our problem comes when I turn the dial to turn on the headlights (and dashboard lights). Immediately following the healights being turned on, a mini-fuse in the "power distribution box" blows, the windshield wipers go back and forth once...and this all leads to either the stalling of the car after a few minutes, or inability to restart it without another jump start...also, the in-dash light (behind the gauges) will not turn on when the headlight dial is turned (however, the headlights still work fine). The warning lamps function properly, as can be noted by the constant "battery" light being on. I'm assuming that we have a short somewhere, however we have not been able to locate it as of yet!!

So basically, I am looking for advice on how to fix this problem. That problem would be: The fuse blowing everytime the headlights are turned on (and the in-dash gauge lights not working), and how can we locate where the possible short in the electrical system that is causing this??