Rear lights fuse keeps blowing!!

[planet Bongo]

Hello everyone, this is my 1st post to the forum

Number 8 fuse (rear light 15A) in the bonnet fuse box keeps blowing!!! so far I’ve changed it twice, i find out when the light on the dashboard went off and the registration light as well, so i checked all the fuse to find number 8 in the bonnet was blown so i changed it and everything was working, then it happened again yesterday after driving for a little while, has anyone had same problem? i will appreciate any information, thanks in advance

[daveblueozzie]

Check that you don't have a bad earth wire to the lights and the connections to the bulbs, that can cause the fuse to keep blowing.

[jaylee]

Hello everyone, this is my 1st post to the forum

Number 8 fuse (rear light 15A) in the bonnet fuse box keeps blowing!!! so far I’ve changed it twice, i find out when the light on the dashboard went off and the registration light as well, so i checked all the fuse to find number 8 in the bonnet was blown so i changed it and everything was working, then it happened again yesterday after driving for a little while, has anyone had same problem? i will appreciate any information, thanks in advance

Hi PB,

Could this fuse blowing happen after the rear fog light is operated, or maybe another after-market light related axillary switched on perchance...?

If so? Could be a dodgy switch fitting on the dash??

[nigelgibson]

i had exactly same problem. it turned out there was a dodgy connection on radio/bmw clock recently fitted which was shorting out. i reckon either clock or radio linked into the circuit which you are having problem with for dash lights/rear number plate/ rear lights.
have you had radio or clock out recently ?

[jaylee]

i had exactly same problem. it turned out there was a dodgy connection on radio/bmw clock recently fitted which was shorting out. i reckon either clock or radio linked into the circuit which you are having problem with for dash lights/rear number plate/ rear lights.
have you had radio or clock out recently ?

Another one to look for, apart from the rear number lights... Is the light above the rear heater control... both NP illumination & heater control light mentioned have a cap-less bulb fitting, (Though not the same size.) & if a bulb has been replaced & not fitted properly, it kind of scrunches the contacts in the bulb holder which can cause a short??

[Nevets]

Check that you don't have a bad earth wire to the lights and the connections to the bulbs, that can cause the fuse to keep blowing.

Bad earths will not blow a fuse they just don't allow the circuit to be completed, But a short circuit or wiring overload(the lighting supply wire chaffing on the body or too thin wire for the passing current) will blow the fuse.

it'll probably be the wiring harness chaffing, wrong/faulty bulb or the bulb holders..

Cheers steve.

[planet Bongo]

Thanks guys, i will run some diagnostics once i get home, we just bought this Bongo so havent done any work to it so far, its a 2.5 diesel 1995, i remember playing with the radio wiring but havent changed anything, so i'll try to disconnect the radio first and see what happnned, not really that good on cars ( know how to fix PCs though) . cheers

[mikexgough]

Check that you don't have a bad earth wire to the lights and the connections to the bulbs, that can cause the fuse to keep blowing.

Bad earths will not blow a fuse they just don't allow the circuit to be completed, But a short circuit or wiring overload(the lighting supply wire chaffing on the body or too thin wire for the passing current) will blow the fuse.

it'll probably be the wiring harness chaffing, wrong/faulty bulb or the bulb holders..

Cheers steve.

+1... got to be a "short" somewhere

[daveblueozzie]

I meant to say a loose wire causing a short,
I knew what i meant