seego

I am trying to fix tail lights on my 96 Prelude si. Here is the problem: stop, reverse and turn bulbs work fine on both sides. However, bulbs indicating that my headlights are on don't work, neither work side markers and bulbs above the license plate. Not so long ago I've noticed that I don't have soft "ding-ding" signal if I leave my lights on while trying to lock my car. I checked all bulbs - they were fine. So I assume there is something more serious there... I tried to measure voltage (black and green-black wires on the connector on left-rear tail light), and I have noticed that there is no power.... What could be a reason, wher should I start digging?

Is there a fuse I have to check?


Thanks.

InvaderTrax

Check the in car fuse box (not the one under the hood). The little diagram on it will tell you which fuse does what

seego

I checked fuses under the hood and inside the car. It is either I don't know which fuse # controlls tail light or there is no fuse associated with my problem. Please, be more specific if you know the problem.

seego

Ok. I finally got some time to go back to my prelude's problem. I found that fuse 42 (20A) inside underhood fuse box keeps blowing as soon as I turn lights on. What could be a reason for that? Below you see the wiring diagram, do you have any ideas why items marked with red dots don't work inn my car?

mgags7

you have a short somewhere in the system for that fuse to be blowing like that, have you recently changed anything on the car or been in an accident??

seego

Everything worked fine, but one day it just desappear. Do you know what wire could be shorting? Could it be a faulty combination light switch?

mgags7

somewhere in the light system obviously....do you have foglights??

these problems are very hard to track down....is there <u>anything</u> aftermarket on the car thats related to the lights in any way??

seego

no aftermarket stuff. I think it was a day when I noticed that if I leave lights on chime did not work. so the idea is to find a wire wich connects chime and other stuff.

mgags7

well then you have a short somewhere in the light system, go around and test all the positive wires at the bulbs, see if theyre grounded out.....

seego

Thank's for the advice, man. .... I went to an inspection and they replaced high-beam bulb, I remember them saying that they put some kind of different bulb. May be it is the reason. However, since head lights work in low and hight beam mode, I doubt it. Will be checking it tomorrow. You think that it is not a fault in combination light swtch, don't you?

mgags7

it certainly could be, it suppose that it could be gunked up and be somehow shorting out the power wire and then when you switch it on, pop goes the fuse....

check the system with the switch off though, if you get a ground on both of the wires to any bulb, you have a short somewhere after the switch...try that with the keys off first, then try it with them on.....you should only need to do it to one light, since theyre all connected together...

use any exterior light other than the headlights.....

if that shows up nothing, then turn the switch on to just parking light mode, then try it again....if that shows up nothing, then turn it to headlights on and try again....get back to us with those results...

note that this will work even though that fuse is blown, that is before the point in the circuit we're trying to isolate and test

paulwithap

check the wiring. you might have an exposed and corroded wire.

seego

OK, thanks everyone for trying to help. As it was suggested by bb4ever, I was able to find a grounded wire in my driver side parkng light. Now everything is fixed. :-)