Mopar brake light switch

[daroldmac]

Guys,

This is not on my 'cuda but on my wife's 77 Aspen R/T

I kept blowing a fuse that handled the dome, console light, glovebox light, dome light and radio.
it also controlled the brake lights, then i noticed the brake light switch on the pedal was bad.

I replaced the switch, and the taillight bulbs, and the fuse, drove two blocks, and blew the fuse
and the brake lights. replaced the fuse, and the taillight bulbs, and drove two blocks, repeat...

Does anybody have any ideas what and where is causing this and how to fix it, I've tried tracking all the wiring and see no broken wires or anything, everything is stock.  I've had the car running two years,and this just started happening...HELP!!!!!

[dodj]

If the same fuse powers the brake lights and the radio, keep the radio on when you are driving and see if the fuse blows when you apply the brakes. If that's the case, you will have to trace out the brake light wire to find out where it is shorted to ground. If it blows at other times when you are not using the brakes, one of your light circuits or the radio is the culprit.

[daroldmac]

Its blowing the fuse, but not the bulbs, if I put in a new fuse the brake lights still come on, till about two miles down the road and a few brake presses, the it pops.
Also, in gear only, when you turn the wheels to the left and right, they start to hang and vibrate,
this was not happening before and now its happening and blowing the fuse.
All turn signals, flashers, tail lights and everything else work, except what is on that circuit ( dome, radio, glove box light, and trunk light).
I have not added anything but a tuff wheel about 6 months ago and that caused the horn to go kookoo.

it's weird, i have not crossed this one before, but I do have it idleing high to keep the idle up when the AC is on.

It's blowing the fuse with the brake pressed and radio on - have not tried with the radio off yet.
but I will.

THANKS

[Chryco Psycho]

it sounds like something is heating up , possibly you have a bad bulb 

[daroldmac]

today I changed the fuse, drove it 8 miles and never turned on the blinkers, stereo going making turns and it was fine.
Get back in 2 hrs later, put it in reverse and put foot on the brake, pop!
replace the fuse, go about two blocks turn on right signal and turn good, turn on left signal pop! before i can even hit the brake...

the last two the radio was off.

this one is stumping me, I cannot find any brakes in the wiring, its a new switch, new bulbs, i'm just lost on this one, it seems likes it more with the left turn signal than anything, but like earlier, put on brake and put in gear...pop!

i'm stumped!

THANKS,
D

[dodj]

If the switch is new and the bulbs are new, I would suggest that somewhere between the brake switch and the brake lights, the wire sending the 12 volts to the bulbs is shorted to ground. (insulation broken/rubbed off). You could prove/disprove this by disconnecting the wire from the brake switch that goes to the brake lights. press the brake pedal and see if the fuse still blows. Remember you will have no brake lights during this test so don't drive around town - do it in your driveway. If the fuse still blows, its the new switch. If it doesn't blow, the wiring to your brake lights is faulty, which could take some time to find.

[73EStroker]

Also to continue on dodj's thread ....... take the left kick panel off and unplug the wiring harness connector that goes to the rear. Try the pedal lots of times. If the fuse doesn't blow then the problem is from the connector back. If it does it is somewhere from the connector forward. Trouble shooting wiring is all about isolating the problem otherwise it gets to a guessing game where you throw parts at it until it goes away.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Is it possible the wiring harness in the trunk got pinched by something sliding into it? If I wire isn't shorting to ground, maybe you have two wires pinched together.