2000 celica. Tail light fuse blown. Switch seems to function properly.Replaced with larger fuse and wireing harness starts to smoke any ideas.
Optional Information: 2000 Toyota celica 4cylAlready Tried: replace fuse. try to track source of smoke
Hello and thank you for using just answer! You are doing a very dangerous thing here. If the fuse keeps blowing you need to trace for a short to ground, by installing a larger fuse you only danger components in the car and risk damaging very expensive parts. Has the vehicle ever been in an accident or do you have any aftermarket equipment that may have been tapped into this circuit for power? DO you have aftermarket tail lenses on the car? Lets start with the basics here. Do you know how to read an electrical schematic if I provide you with a downlaod version? If not I can walk you through this to help narrow down the source of the short. What general area did you see smoke from?Peter39583.8204475694
Experience: ASE Certified, 10+ years Lexus and Toyota Certified
I have no problem paying you for an answer. But if its not something thats plug and play (ie fuseable link or bad switch) There is no way Im tracking down those wires. That is the one thing that I am not good at. To answer your question the car is all stock, never been in a major accident.
If car is stock and has no accident history you most likely have a bulb or switch issue. Have you replaced any bulbs recently? Has windshiled been replaced recently? I am trying to help you think of any easy items that may have caused this. If the fuse keeps blowing you have a short. Either a bulb is shorting out or you have an issue with the dimmer or headlamp switch. One easy thing you can try is remove the rear tail lights and see if the short is still present. If you have the rear bulbs disconnected from circuit and the short still pops the fuse you will need the dealer or someone qualified to trace the short for you. Please do not install another overload fuse into the car, you can only do more harm than good.
Reply to Peter's Post: Thanks. The tail lights stopped working. I changed the bulbs and they still didnt work. Thats when I found the fuse problem. All this just started on its own. I didnt even know they were out till a cop pulled me over to tell me, because the headlights still work. If the switch can still function but have a short then that is probably it.
If the problem was there before you replaced the bulbs and is still there and you are sure the proper bulbs were installed it is time to bring it to the dealer if you do not want to trace wiring. Let me know if I can be of further assistance.