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Keeps blowing fuse on brake light?

Tiny
DUSTYCOLE12
  • MEMBER
  • 2004 CHEVROLET TRUCK
I have an 04 chevy silverado z71 and I have put about 5 fuses in the 3rd breaklight location. It blows them after about 5 minutes. I have even put a bigger fuse in it and it still happens. Please help me find the problem. Thanks
Tuesday, February 7th, 2006 AT 12:38 PM

14 Replies

Tiny
VIDEO
  • MEMBER
  • 16 POSTS
It sounds like you have a short in the wiring harness somewhere. Trace the brake light wires back to the front of the car from the back.
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Tuesday, February 7th, 2006 AT 2:09 PM
Tiny
DONNELS99
  • MEMBER
  • 8 POSTS
My suggestion would be to check the light bulb itself. Often the light can ground to causing an overload despite any fuse rating.

Afterall, it is a cheap fix for under a buck.
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Wednesday, February 8th, 2006 AT 6:52 PM
Tiny
BOLTER_MAN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
  • 1997 CHEVROLET TRUCK
  • 5.7L
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 235,000 MILES
Fuse blows when brakes are applied. Replaced brake switch, checked all bulbs and 3rd light, disconnected all and did not solve the problem. Have tried a 30 amp fuse, but when brake is applied, the fuse gets hot. If brake is applied longer than 20 seconds, the fuse blows.
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
That's probably a bad turn signal switch. The 2 lower brake lights pass though it so it can cancel brake lights for turn signals
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BOLTER_MAN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
I unpluged the plug on fire wall that is tail light brake lights and blinkers that go to rear of truck and it did not blow fuse when I applied brake
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
WRENCHTECH
  • MECHANIC
  • 20,761 POSTS
That means you have a short from that point back.
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
BOLTER_MAN
  • MEMBER
  • 3 POSTS
Thanks that is what thought
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
MLBKKB
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1996 CHEVROLET TRUCK
  • V8
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 139,000 MILES
My truck is blowing the brake light fuse. All bulbs and sockets have been checked. The fuse is for the hazards brake light. The hazards work fine but as soon as the brake pedal is applied the fuse blows. The brake pedal switch has been changed and the problem still is there. This will also blow the fuse when the brake light relay is removed. Any help on this would be very much appreciated.
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
PEAR69
  • MECHANIC
  • 1,482 POSTS
From the brake light switch the wiring goes to the hazzard then turn signal switch. Here is a wiring diagrams so you can see how the system works and a guide to help you test the connections:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

Check out the diagrams (below). Please let us know what happens.

Cheers, Ken
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
DLANG51
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
I had this problem it was the turn signal switch. It cost me $78.00 for a new one. All fixed! I love this site.
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ANDREWFUELL
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
I have the same truck mine keeps blowing the fuse. I even pulled the hazard relay and the turn signal hazard switch and as soon as you hit the pedal it blows the fuse. Can't figure it out.
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,480 POSTS
ANDREWFUELL, could you give a bit more information please like the year, engine and if it's one of the higher trim levels? The brake switch feeds more than just the lights, it also goes to the cruise control and the high mounted brake light. A short in those could cause the fuse to blow.
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
ANDREWFUELL
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
It's a 1996 Chevrolet Silverado 454. But I figured out what happened. I rewired the tail end months ago and there was a white wire in the back loom that I thought was a ground, so I hooked it to a ground and for some reason it wasn't getting a ground until a few days ago and that's when it started blowing the fuse. It was a extra brake wire sent to the back of the truck in the harness. Do you know why they put the extra white brake wire in the loom going to the back of the truck?
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)
Tiny
STEVE W.
  • MECHANIC
  • 13,480 POSTS
Trailer feed most likely. The trucks try to keep them separate so the lighting load doesn't burn up the harness. Thanks for using 2CarPros
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Saturday, November 21st, 2020 AT 4:30 PM (Merged)

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