Ranger brake light fuse blows

[dale3858]

I took my rear bed off my 96 ranger x/cab 4 cyl 5 speed 2wd to clean it up and paint the frame and put some shocks on while I have the bed off. I put my tail lights on a wooden board temporarily to go to the store this evening, when I touch the brakes the fuse blows. All the other lights work fine.

Could the ground that is usually attached to the rear body be causing this? I temporarily put it on one of the bed bolts but I think it might be corroded. Can a bad ground cause a fuse to blow?

Thanks,
Dale

 

[Tbars4]

...I don't think it's your ground...

...I had a similar problem and it was in my trailer hareness..It broke the wire jacket and when you hit the brake pedal, the power went thru the wire and shorted out where the jacket was broke...

...I would go thru all the wire in the bed area, especially on the drivers side, then the back, looking for wire touching metal and/or, a very small nick in the wire, or a pinched wire...The ground not being connected should not blow a fuse...

 

[dale3858]

I had a suspicion that the trailer harness might have something to do with it. I'll unhook it tomorrow and check it out. It's all inside a black plastic hose so it will be tough to find if it's not in the harness itself.

Thanks Tbars4...

 

[Tbars4]

...Good luck with finding the short but let us know the results...:biggthump