Help Needed no dash lights

[jimmypage]

about last August i took my truck huntin while going up the mountain my dash lights started going in and out finally they stopped working i havent looked into to it since couple of weeks ago i tore my dash apart trying to find my issue i found i had fried my headlamp switch so i got a new one and put it in but when i put in a new fuse it poops it instantly when i had the gauge cluster out put in a new fuse it then i have dash lights but when i put everything back together and try it again i poops the fuse then we put a jumper instead of blowing fuses and started moving dash wires my headlamp switch starting smoking a fried that one now

if you have any ideas please let me know i am kinda dumb founded one what to do i checked all the wires the best a possible without ripping them out and they look fine

 

[DaveBen]

Your tail lights have a short in them. The dash lights are the warning that they are out. Crawl under the truck and start looking. My guess would be your fancy running boards.

Dave

 

[jimmypage]

i have taillights checked them to make sure they weren't corroded but never traced the wires all the way up or haven't checked the steps either i know when my dash lights went out they would go in and out everytime i hit a bump then finally they stopped worked

do you think i am wasting my time looking behind my dash? Do you think it is somewhere else then?

does anyone know where to get a wiring diagram of my truck?

thanks for you help

 

[RoyBoy]

I'd check for things like bolts or accessories pinching the wire harness in the on the frame. I saw that once when my brother added a fuel tank under the rear of the truck.A pinched wire can be ok until it wears through the insulation. Just follow your wiring from your taillights up and look for the obvious. Hope this helps.

 

[Ironmerganser]

I had this same problem when I got my truck. Check all your wires around the rear bumper. My short was on the lights that light up the license plate.

 

[jimmypage]

thanks for the input i will let you know what it is when i find the problem

 

[jimmypage]

so i looked under my truck to find any wires that were pinched or chafed i couldnt find anything at all

any other ideas??

 

[Yooper75]

You may just have a faulty dimmer switch causing you to have no dash lights. I had something like that drive me batty on a car before I found the problem.