Ghettobird52

So I havent had brake lights for a minute now.... I was very busy and finally decided to attempt to find out why the fuse would blow instantly the brake pedal is pressed. Yet im still at a loss. The brake pedal fuse (stop/hazard 20amp) will blow only once the brake pedal is pressed on. It blows out the brake lights and the hazard signal, Not the tail lights or turn signals. I attemptd a new brake light switch, nothing. As i was down there i noticed it would only blow if the 3wire connector was plugged into the Brake light switch. I pulled A TON of interior panels off while following the blue wire back to the tail lights, no breaks or fraying or grounding to the frame/chassis unintentionally that i could find. Weird things happen though. First thing if i have the lights on and then press the brake pedal to pop the fuse, the Fuel pump will reprime a 2nd time right when the 20 amp fuse pops????? Yet if i unplug the wiring connector above the rear end to stop priming, the fuel pump wont prime yet the fuse will still blow. Also If the lights are on (dash/exterior lights) the seatbelt sign will appear yet when i press my foot on the brake it goes away????? When i let my foot off the brake the seatbelt sign reappears.....

Im seriously confused as to why the hell

A: The fuel pump will reprime?!

B: the seatbelt sign appears and goes away when i press my foot on the brake? (only when dash lights are on).

My car is ****ing ripped apart in my drive away and im sitting here pounding beer after beer listening to pantera. Where should i continue my searcH?! Wtf!

EDIT: Also when a smart fuse is in ( one with the small red light attached to show you that its blown) the stop/haz location it will show red when blown, but when i put my foot on the brake pedal the fuse lights up really bright, then when i let my foot off the pedal it goes to dim red, still lit. Yet when my foot is on the pedal when the smart fuse is blown it lights up REALLY bright. Also when the fuse blows, its loud and has a visible flash.

Thanks all for your time and advice

Ghettobird52

Ok so i do notice on some body wiring diagrams from Autozone is that the Hot at all times 'stop/hazard" 20amp fuse is connected to the convience center via the hazard flasher which is also connected to the seatbelt indicator switch. Do these two share a ground?

TTOP350

iTrader: (8)

All the lights good? Wiring under the dash not chaffed ? 3rd brake light wiring under the rear plastic good and not chaffed?

Ghettobird52

This is actually where I'm going to check this morning.... The third brake light. This car used to have one yet when I got it painted I had the wing taken off trunk deck lids filled and had them cap wires off. Well I'm thinking this is going to be my problem yet I'm having trouble figuring out how the stock wiring went into the rear hatch? Are the supposed to be under the rear plastic and did the follow up the window into the frame of the car or how do they wire up from stock?


Thanks for the help!

Ghettobird52

So i found it. As blind as i am i didnt notice i grabbed a 30amp fuse instead of a 20 amp (20 is yellow, 30 is greenish/yellow) threw it in as i was testing and noticed the brake lights stayed on. i was pressing the pedal when i instantly saw a small trail of smoke above the fuse block. I INSTANTLY RAN TO THE BATTERY AND UNPLUGGED IT. I then ripped out the fuse noticing it was 30amp as i pulled back my fuse block i found this.



It appears it was touching the frame and i think when i threw the 30amp in it melted a little of the other wires, seriously i know im a ****ing idiot.

So ok how would you guys go about now tackling this? Pull each wire separate and wrap in electrical tape? Im friggin scared as ***** now.

From a headache.... into a nightmare

Ghettobird52

So im going to go in there and butt connect alot of them. Some i will ad a few strips of wire and then wrap them all individually with electrical tape. Most likely will wrap the frame location that was getting arched on.

Matt trans am

I wouldnt add a bunch of butt connectors. Solder and heat wrap every wire one at a time. Time consuming but cleaner and alot better in the long run

Ghettobird52

I really wish i knew how to or else thats exactly what i'd be doing. I had to run to work, still have one wire left to connect and then test. Fingers crossed for no problems.........

Ghettobird52

So everything is wired back up and working. I have brake lights! Hopefully i wont have any problems with this crimping/taping job

Ron U.S.M.C.

Wow, I hate electrical.
Nice job getting it back on the road but that's some thing "not" to ignore.
I would get a quote or two from shops that do auto/electrical work. Even stereo install shops on a really nice solder and shrink wrap job and then call it done.

Ghettobird52

Yeah honestly im debating to get this done at a shop as well, just to call it 'complete'. Ive never liked electrical, now i despise it!

W.E.G.

Techs at 99 out of 100 COMPETENT shops will take one look at a third gen and run away with their hair on fire.

There are plenty of INCOMPETENT shops who will break more stuff on your third gen in the process of "fixing" whatever it was you brought it in for if its anything remotely complicated.

Either find that 1% (and pay them handsomely), or figure out how to do it yourself.

Ghettobird52

Honestly this is exactly whats keeping me away from bringing it in to a shop. I have a soldering iron and some copper wire... i need to pull it out and really learn how to use the damn thing