1994 Daihatsu Hijet S110p. Currently chasing a short from the fuse that feeds the tail lights & dash lights. I searched the forums looking for a schematic hoping to isolate the short/ground but could not find a diagram. I have removed the dash board connectors, unplugged the tail light, plate light connectors and still have a ground on the feed at the fuse block. Now tracing wiring harness from the tail lights under the bed to the cab. Hopefully there are connectors near the cab that will allow me to isolate the problem. Any advice is appreciated. Update: I found the culprit and it is I. I removed the stock AM radio and replaced it with an AM/FM unit which required an always on 12v and a 12v switched on by the ignition. The radio has been working fine for many weeks with no issues. I usually do not drive the Hijet after dark but found myself headed home around sunset a couple of days ago and switched on my headlights only to discover I had no dash illumination. After much troubleshooting I found that the fuse in question not only supplies 12v to the dash and parking lights, it also provides always on 12v to the radio. Apparently the new radio has a higher current draw and when combined with the resistance of the dash and running lights it exceeds the 10 amp rating of the fuse. To fix this I need to find another always on 12v source or replace the bulbs with LEDs to reduce the current draw to less than 10 amps.
Joe, I was able to find my short by using a jumper wire several feet long, with alligator clips on both ends, eliminating a possible bad wire, or connection in between, helping to show the obvious! Chasing electrical shorts, or problems can be very time consuming, so this can save a lot of time! Good Luck! Limestone
Well Joel, I thought you were a lifesaver as I've had this exact same story and assumed this was the issue. But now I disconnected the always on and it still blows the fuse as soon as I turn the lights on. Now I realize that I'm not sure these lights ever worked as I never drove it at night. I suck at anything electrical so I'm dreading trying to troubleshoot this. Really frustrating.
What amperage fuse are you using for your lights and do you have a Volt/Ohm meter. It could be as simple as a bad bulb. Check each bulb for your running lights to make sure they are good and not shorted to ground.
Fuse is 10amp. I disconnected the always on from the radio and taped it up, but when I replaced the fuse, it blew as soon as I turned the headlights on, so definitely a short somewhere. It may have even been that way when I got it, although it was inspected so shouldn't have been. I never really drove at night and didn't notice when I did recently until someone told me. Anyway I'll start by looking at all the bulbs and going from there. I'm not entirely sure what's all connected through that fuse. I think the lights on the back and the ones next to the headlights (seems like they're called clearance lights), I don't know how the dash is illuminated, a bulb behind somewhere? I did take the dash out and put it back so if I caused it, it might be back there. But someone also nudged my "bumper" when I had it parked on the street and bent it up a bit so could be there because it's dented a bit near the lights although flashers and brake lights work fine. Appreciate the response.
My old time Buddy Tim, and I were working on an old piece of Heavy Equipment in the Shop yrs ago, and after a day and a half, testing and checking with meters, electric test Buzzers, test lights, it was getting crazy! Going over ,what seemed like miles of wire, in that designated circuit. Tim said, come with me! That's when we SMOKED, it out! Not that I'm Advising this, last resort move, he jumped the fuse, by eliminating it, and we threw juice to the circuit, and as soon as we saw smoke, I disconnected the Battery, and he showed me where the smoke came from, and Behind a Radiator in a , naturally, hard to get to spot. was a burnt wire, that was shorting out, just by rubbing on the frame behind the Radiator! I replaced that section of Wire and wrapped it in wire loom, and the problem was solved. With today's vehicles, you have to be careful, with computers, and electronic devices! That's why it's important, to always check wiring from vibration, and eliminate rubbing! Because they always break in the darnedest spots! Good Luck! Limestone
I don’t have a wiring’s diagram but on my 94 that fuse powers the radio, the front marker lights (next to the headlights) and the tail lights. There are quick disconnects at each of these lights that allow you to eliminate the bulbs and sockets at the issue. Press the release tabs on these quick disconnects for each and replace the fuse and turn on the lights. If the fuse blows again you probably have a short in the wiring harness. If the fuse is good then plug in the quick disconnects one at a time to determine which one is causing the issue. Hope this helps.
Hard way to go, but there are times when you have to resort to drastic measures to get-er-done. BTDT. Fred
A couple updates on my troubleshooting. First thing is, this seems to be the same fuse but doesn't seem to have anything to do with always on. I initially assumed that was the problem and just disconnected the radio but it was still blowing the fuse. Then it occurred to me that the radio was still remembering stations presets so the always on was on even when fuse was blown. In any case, I disconnected all the quick disconnects and still blows fuse so I guess I eliminated the lights themselves as the problem. I don't have a garage and given the weather I'm likely going to pick this up in the spring when it warms up again.
Sounds like an intermittent short in a wire with worn insulation. With the fuse blown, pull each disconnect, and check to see if there is ground to the frame/body, using a continuity checker or Ohm meter. the headlights are ground controlled so trouble shooting them is backwards.
