brake light and dimmer switch issue on 61 unibody

[unibodynewbie]

I am having a heck of a time trying to figure out why I can't get any brake lights once I push on the pedal. Also, everytime I hit the dimmer switch, the fuse pops. I replaced the dimmer switch with a new one, but still doing it. Everything was working correctly until I moved the gas tank between the frame rails out back and had to move the wiring. Thought it might be ground, but the grounds look good out back. I'm stuck. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.


Shane

[Toyz]

Which fuse pops? Sounds as if you've crossed or grounded something on the rear harness. Not sure where the dimmer switch might figure into it without more information. Does it "pop" when high beam is selected, or low?
Paul

[ICEMAN6166]

there are only 3 wires that run along the frame back to the taillights so theres not a great deal to investigate there.

in moving the wiring its obvious you created a short between the brake/taiilight and ground. possibly the harness was already in bad shape but still functioning and the moving just exposed part of it to metal.

go buy a roll of trailer wire and solder the factory plugs on the ends and it should fix the problem.

[unibodynewbie]

It pops when high beam is selected. I tried moving my wires around on the dimmer switch, but didn't work. The wiring harness is a new Rebel Wire. There are only 3 different wires to the back, your right. The lights out back are grounded to the screw that holds them to the body and the light itself. The fuse is the one that runs the lights.

[ICEMAN6166]

in the factory harness the rear lights (stop/turn/tail) are fused in the fuse panel and the headlights are fused thru the circuit breaker in the headlight switch.
could be your headlight switch is bad internally.

electrical gremlins can be a pita to chase down and quite frequently after a lot of time is spent you get to the "doh" moment of realization. this is why i tend to look for the stupid /simple things first.