For some reason my rear hatch is blowing a fuse. As a result the tail lights and gauge lights wont work. Anyone know why this is happening?

 

It sounds like the contact isnt telling the motor to stop pulling and it overloads the fuse. Do a visual inspection and make sure the contacts are clean by the hatch and make sure the wire(s) have a good connection.

 

Hatch pulldown has it's own fuse.

OP, does your car have the brake light under the spoiler? Also, check the wiring for the tail lights behind the driver's side rear panel (in the corner) for shorts, breaks, and corrosion.

 

what would the light have to do with the hatch?

 

Bit of a brain fart on that one when I forgot to edit. Temporary insanity caused me to forget that the brake lights are on a separate fuse.

Either way, I'd also check to make sure the pulldown unit wasn't cutting into a wire or something through its travel. My best guess is that the spoiler is leaking rain or something into the car and the lights are shorting out as a result, but I haven't seen it.

Also, year of car would help. Without that, this is all a shot in the dark.. The systems changed a couple times during the 10 years of ThirdGen production.

 

I do have a brake light under the spoiler. I have a 88. I did disconnect the power to the hatch motor and replaced the fuse that was burned out and my lights did come back on. I will take a look at the wires this weekend it's supposed to warm up a little bit.
Thanks for the advice.

 

FYI, the contact pad mentioned has absolutely NOTHING to do with the power pull-down motor. It powers the HMSL (high mount stop light). On earlier cars it powered the optional rear window wiper motor.

Lon