headlight fuse is blown

[kountzer]

Hello, I have a 2003 ford ranger pickup, regular cab, 6 cylinder. It has 58,000 miles on it, give or take. Here lately the truck has been having various electrical problems related to the headlight fuse. When I am driving at night, with the headlights on of course, the console light will not come on. Also none of the marker lights come on when the headlights are on. The license plate lights, the tail lights, the yellow marker lights on either side of the headlights. None of these lights come on when the headlights are on. When I get out of the truck with my keys in the ignition the truck doesn't warn me anymore. Neither does it warn me when I get out of the truck with the headlights still on.

Earlier today I found the headlight fuse in the fuse box under the hood. I replaced the fuse and voila! All those lights and accessories just mentioned were working again. However, when I got back home and check to see if everything was still okay, I found that they were not working again. I am quite sure the fuse is blown again.

My question is this: what would cause a headlight fuse to keep blowing like this? Any information someone has to share about this would be greatly appreciated. I failed a vehicle inspection Sunday because of this. Hopefully a can find out what the problem is and get a new inspection sticker.

kountzer

 

[kountzer]

Vehicle uipdate. I put a second fuse in, went back to the inspection place and it passed inspection. So, I got my inspection sticker. On the way back home I thought I saw some smoke coming from the area of the speedometer console, and steering wheel area. I pulled over and looked under the hood and everywhere else, but didn't see anything. Maybe it was the a/c. I still think I have an electrical problem somewhere. Perhaps the headlight switch, the switch which helps turn the vehicle on when you turn the key. Somewhere.

Kountzer