Tail light circuit short

Looking for help/suggestions on this one.

2013 TRD O/R

I have done several elctrical mods but have spent 5 years as a car audio installer and use only solder and shrink wrap and tie strap and loom everyting to try and make it as neat and close to factory as possible

mods;
rear view camera anytime switch
factory heated mirror mod
after market stereo with factory amp
HID retrofit with angel eyes (all from TRS)


I've searched around on here and tested all the obvious things I can come up with but am still blowing tail light fuses (the one behind the coin try 10a)

the problem started all of a sudden. I have not made any recent mods (with in the last 4 months anyway) apart from replacing a a broken ballast from one of the HID headlights

I have tried disconnecting the HIDs completely and the problem remains, I have also unplugged the trailer wiring harness at the connection just behind the bumper... problem remains.

the one strange thing is that if i test resistance to ground from the tail light wire on the trailer harness, it shows nothing..... anywhere else that I test in the circuit shows a straight short.


Is there anything I am overlooking? I am hesitant to go to the dealership because I am sure they will take one look at my HIDs and start trying to charge me money.


please help TW

 

Try removing taillight bulbs and see if fuse blows. Do you have a canopy with a interior light? Most canopy interior lights are wired into the tail lights, maybe something is shorting there. Possibly a license plate light is shorted or a parking light. Try removing bulbs one at a time in the taillight circuit until you find the short. Hope this helps.

 

The 7-pin is on a different circuit and has it's own fuses in the fuse block under the hood.

Take all of the bulbs out and inspect connectors and the entire loom through out the truck for abrasions etc. If you still blow fuses with all of the bulbs removed and you don't find anything visually, you will probably have to break the tail light circuit into sections until you isolate the short. I know it sucks to cut wires on your harness, and it's a pain in the ass to solder and shrink them back together, but sometimes it is the only way. I hope you find it.

 

I have try pulling the parking light bulbs as well as the tail light LEDs. I do not have a canopy. I will try the license plate tonight, thanks.

That rules that out... it was my first suspicion as it has taken damage several times on the trail.

Breaking the the circuit into sections sounds like a nightmare
It'll take some time to find out all the reaches of the circuit given it shares the dash illumination.

I will go over the wiring diagram PDF while I sit at work and see if I can get a better idea of how to attack it after work.

 

I found the culprit, Turns out it was a ballast, (well I think it is a ballast) for the angel eye from the Retrofit Source kit I bought. This is sort of annoying because it is now the second part of the kit that has failed in just about a year.

 

Glad you found it.. Wondering how those ballasts are tied into the tail light circuit though. Are all of the running lights on that circuit? Just curious. Also, i'm assuming the angel eyes are LED so the "ballast" is probably some resistor housing or something. I could be way off base though.

 

Yes I think you are right that it may not be a ballast. It could be an igniter or a resistor. It was tired into the parking light circuit that shares a fuse with tail lights and illumination