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1998 rav Running light and dash light fuse keeps blowing

2973 Views 12 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  jiggseob, 
Hondaguy93
So I know this is an old car and there are alot of threads already but I still can't seem to find an answer. Everytime I put a new fuse in the "tail" socket it blows after a couple minutes of driving. Ive replaced all of the bulbs including the license plate ones, ive checked all of the sockets and none are burnt, ive replaced all of the bulbs in the gauge cluster and still it's doing it. I even replaced the turn signal bulbs upfront since they're 2 way bulbs. Does anyone have an answer for this? Ive been scratching my head for a week now trying to figure this out. Please help!
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Caconym
Stick a penny in there and see what part of the car catches fire?
Sorry.
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LugNut
A short. I'd look first at wherever the wires go through moving parts, like the door(s).
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Hondaguy93
LugNut said:
A short. I'd look first at wherever the wires go through moving parts, like the door(s).
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Do you think it could be the headlight dimmer switch? The fuse only blows when the running lights are on.
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E
-- Hondaguy93, are you handy with a multimeter and reading electrical schematics?

-- Please confirm: Is it fuse #23, as shown in the drawing at www.autogenius.info/toyota-rav4-xa10-1998-1999-fuse-box-diagram/, that keeps blowing?

-- If possible, post a photo of the fuse box that identifies the fuse (fuses?) that keeps (keep) blowing.

-- I would start by disconnecting the plugs in the engine bay for the headlights. Run the Rav4. Does the fuse (fuses) keep blowing?

-- I am looking at the 1998-2000 wiring schematic. If you search for 1999Rav4wiringdiagrams.pdf, you can download it. In particular, I am looking at pages 24, 30, 40 and 42.

-- If you answer the questions above, I can probably offer a systematic approach that may help you find the fault/ground/short as quickly as possible.
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Hondaguy93
Elle_Rav4 said:
-- Hondaguy93, are you handy with a multimeter and reading electrical schematics?

-- Please confirm: Is it fuse #23, as shown in the drawing at www.autogenius.info/toyota-rav4-xa10-1998-1999-fuse-box-diagram/, that keeps blowing?

-- If possible, post a photo of the fuse box that identifies the fuse (fuses?) that keeps (keep) blowing.

-- I would start by disconnecting the plugs in the engine bay for the headlights. Run the Rav4. Does the fuse (fuses) keep blowing?

-- I am looking at the 1998-2000 wiring schematic. If you search for 1999Rav4wiringdiagrams.pdf, you can download it. In particular, I am looking at pages 24, 30, 40 and 42.

-- If you answer the questions above, I can probably offer a systematic approach that may help you find the fault/ground/short as quickly as possible.
Click to expand...
Yes its 23. Ive tried driving with just the running lights on and it still blows. Ive noticed that when I brake the dash light flicker before the fuse pops. I though maybe it was a bad bulb in the cluster but I replaced all of them. When I first bought it a year ago I had the same problem but I replaced a bulb in the cluster and I was good to go. This time nothing is working
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Hondaguy93
Hondaguy93 said:
Yes its 23. Ive tried driving with just the running lights on and it still blows. Ive noticed that when I brake the dash light flicker before the fuse pops. I though maybe it was a bad bulb in the cluster but I replaced all of them. When I first bought it a year ago I had the same problem but I replaced a bulb in the cluster and I was good to go. This time nothing is working
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I have a meter and im handy with electrical scemes, I just haven't been able to find the right wiring diagram for the brake system. Also this started a day after I put a new battery and alternator in.
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-- Hondaguy93, are you saying that the fuse blows when you press the brake pedal?

-- Try this: Remove the 10 amp "Turn & Gauge" fuse. The "Turn & Gauge" fuse is in the same box as the Tail Fuse. Start the engine. Does the Tail fuse still blow?

-- Attached are a couple of sections from the 1998-2000 Rav4 service manual that I am using. The Tail Fuse (fuse #23) appears on pages 24, 40 and 42. Page 30 seems helpful as well for a DRL equipped Rav4.1.2.

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LugNut
Hondaguy93 said:
...when I brake the dash light flicker before the fuse pops.
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Inspect all around the brake pedal, up under the dash, to look for wires being rubbed/bent.
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Hondaguy93
Elle_Rav4 said:
-- Hondaguy93, are you handy with a multimeter and reading electrical schematics?

-- Please confirm: Is it fuse #23, as shown in the drawing at www.autogenius.info/toyota-rav4-xa10-1998-1999-fuse-box-diagram/, that keeps blowing?

-- If possible, post a photo of the fuse box that identifies the fuse (fuses?) that keeps (keep) blowing.

-- I would start by disconnecting the plugs in the engine bay for the headlights. Run the Rav4. Does the fuse (fuses) keep blowing?

-- I am looking at the 1998-2000 wiring schematic. If you search for 1999Rav4wiringdiagrams.pdf, you can download it. In particular, I am looking at pages 24, 30, 40 and 42.

-- If you answer the questions above, I can probably offer a systematic approach that may help you find the fault/ground/short as quickly as possible.
Click to expand...
Elle_Rav4 said:
-- Hondaguy93, are you saying that the fuse blows when you press the brake pedal?

-- Attached are a couple of sections from the 1998-2000 Rav4 service manual that I am using. The Tail Fuse (fuse #23) appears on pages 24, 40 and 42. Page 30 seems helpful as well for a DRL equipped Rav4.1.2.
Click to expand...
It only blows from braking on occasion. That's when I noticed the flickering in the gauge cluster. It randomly blows but only when the running lights are on. I could drive all day without them on and the fuse is fine
LugNut said:
Inspect all around the brake pedal, up under the dash, to look for wires being rubbed/bent.
Click to expand...
I just checked that and nothing out of the ordinary down there
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Hondaguy93
Elle_Rav4 said:
-- Hondaguy93, are you saying that the fuse blows when you press the brake pedal?

-- Try this: Remove the 10 amp "Turn & Gauge" fuse. The "Turn & Gauge" fuse is in the same box as the Tail Fuse. Start the engine. Does the Tail fuse still blow?

-- Attached are a couple of sections from the 1998-2000 Rav4 service manual that I am using. The Tail Fuse (fuse #23) appears on pages 24, 40 and 42. Page 30 seems helpful as well for a DRL equipped Rav4.1.2.
Click to expand...
I tried to take that turn and gauge fuse out and it seemed like it caused it to blow even faster. I don't know if I mentioned this yet but this only happens when I'm driving. I left my car running for 2 and a half hours the other day and the fuse did not blow. I mashed the brake pedal while it was sitting running And I accelerated the engine. Perfectly fine until I tried to drive
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E
Hondaguy93 said:
I don't know if I mentioned this yet but this only happens when I'm driving. I left my car running for 2 and a half hours the other day and the fuse did not blow.
Click to expand...
-- Please confirm: Were the running lights on when the Rav sat and idled for those 2.5 hours?

-- My theory for now: I am thinking the electrical fault (wire-to-wire touching; or ground fault) involves (1) the running lights being on and so the running lights wires; (2) vibration due to driving; (3) the tail fuse circuit; and (4) an intermittent fault, meaning it does not happen as soon as you start driving, and it does not happen with the Rav just sitting and idling.

-- Looking at pages 24 and 30 of the wiring diagrams, one thing physically common to all of the above (1 through 4 above, as listed by me) is the Instrument Panel Junction Box ("J/B" for short). The location of the junction box appears on page 1 of the 1999RelayLocations.pdf file I linked above. It is near the driver's left knee. You will have to take off some paneling. This junction box is not hard to access.

-- Leave the junction box mounted for now. I would thoroughly inspect the wires to, from and in this junction box. At this junction box, look for wires where the insulation has melted off. Look for signs of charred wire or charred connectors. Leave the panelling off; go for a drive with the DRLs on and a new Tail Fuse; and see if you smell melted plastic at any point. Photos of the 1998-2000 Instrument Panel Junction Box appear in the Relays and Fuses guide at Elle's 1996-00 Toyota Rav4 Site .

-- With the negative terminal of the battery disconnected, consider removing the junction box and inspecting it more thoroughly.

-- The instrument panel junction box has six connectors that connect to the instrument panel. These are shown in the attached photo and on page 3 of the 1999RelayLocations.pdf.

-- Edit: Do what JiggsEob advises, or maybe a $35 tool like this would be worth it: www.amazon.com/allsun-Automotive-Circuit-Tracker-Detector/dp/B07BC4X28Y/ref=asc_df_B07BC4X28Y/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=241954052572&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=15834492506328356236&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9030460&hvtargid=pla-570590604873&psc=1

-- Again at the instrument panel junction box, locate the six connectors that connect to the instrument panel. Disconnect one connector, then drive around with the DRL on. Does the Tail Fuse blow? Re-connect. Repeat with another instrument panel connector. If the tail fuse does not blow with any given connector disconnected, write down the name of the disconnected connector, and report back here. I realize this will be laborious.

-- Disconnect the left headlight assembly (hi and lo beams; everything). Drive around with the DRLs on. Does the fuse blow? Reconnect the left headlight.

-- Disconnect the right headlight assembly (hi and lo beams; everything). Drive around with the DRLs on. Does the fuse blow? Reconnect the right headlight.

-- Because the problem is intermittent and appears to require vibration from driving, I do not think the multimeter will be useful at the moment.

-- Driving without all features operable, and testing a safety feature like a fuse as the OP diagnoses, is of course not desirable. Edit: Jiggseob's tool looks better than my own ideas of repeatedly letting the fuse blow et cetera.

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jiggseob
When chasing a blowing-fuse short, I like to put a light in-series in the circuit to replace the fuse. I've created a pair of jumper wires, a female spade connector on one end, and the blade from a smashed fuse soldered on the other end of the wire. I use two of these wires, about 8 feet long, to splice a 5001 old-skool sealed beam hi-beam-only headlight into the circuit where the fuse was. The fuse blade soldered to a wire goes in where the fuse was, and the female spade connectors go to the two prongs on the back of the sealed-beam. I use some electrical tape to temporarily insulate the connectors on the back of the sealed-beam so I don't short out. This headlight, being 50 watts or so, will pass about 4 or 5 amps @ 12v, well below the melt-harness amperage. With 8 feet of wire off the old sealed beam headlight, I put the headlight where I can see it then start wiggling harnesses and wires and bulb sockets until I see the state of the light change. Works great for chasing those intermittent shorts that blow a fuse then work just fine for a while. Much less destructive than putting successively bigger amperage fuses; 10 then 15 then 20 then 25 then 30 amp and watching for where the smoke is coming from.

When the headlight is dim-lit, such as it would be in-series with your tail lights circuit, you can clearly see that. Then when headlight goes out, you have interrupted the circuit. When the headlight goes full bright, you have dead-short but are only passing 4 or 5 amps. No melting wires.

This is my hay-wire implementation of a current-limiting indicator test light. Good luck.
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