the other day I drove over a hard bump in the road and my instruments lights went out. The #8 fuse blew, and now that circuit is shorted out. Do these trucks commonly short out this circuit? I am open to suggestions as to where to start looking for the short. Hoping I do not have to pull the dash out! Thanks,

Dodger

 

Check the light in the glove box, I think I remember talk about it shorting out.

 

will do, thanks

 

Just the other night, all my dash lights went out when I turned the headlight on. I wiggled the headlight stalk switch a little and they came back on. Sounds like my switch may have some excess wear in it.

 

a worn headlight switch will cause a loss of lights but it wont cause a fuse to blow. that requires a direct short to ground or an overloaded circuit.

 

It is under the dash somewhere, I removed the cluster and found a few bare wires rubbing on the support. I fixed them, replaced the fuse, they worked till I hit another bump. Then I removed the cluster again, installed split conduit on all the wires, and put it back together again. Replaced the fuse, they worked again till I hit a bump. My guess is that I will need to pull the dash and just check all the wiring. I guess I know what I am doing this weekend...

Dodger

 

there is a company called power probe that makes automotive electronics tools and equipment, and they make a device specifically for locating shorts, I have never used it and have no idea how much it costs but it may be worth looking into. I will say that I have a few of there products and am pretty happy with them.

 

2x on the headlight switch, I'd be looking there first being a wear part.

 

I am going to warn you up front, finding shorts is the absolute worst part of what I do, I honestly would say that more than 50% of those situations I end up running a new wire to bypass the short. I suggest studying the schematics, locate and disconnect all the connectors on that circuit and test the wires for ground. that will help you pinpoint where the short is.

 

I own the complete power probe kit. The short finder is pretty much usless on circuits with lightbulbs in them. It will mistake the bulb for a short.