My license plate lights went out. Per Andy, he said sometimes the defrost light by the shifter will short and blow the fuse. Popped the fuse #7 and it was blown. I pulled the wire off the positive on that light. Checked and cleaned all the grounds and bulbs at the license plate light and the trunk light. Installed new fuse. Turned on the key and the fuse immediately popped, while I watched.

The flow chart shows Gray wire from fuse to Light switch K on one side of the fuse. It shows Gray on the other side of the fuse to the trunk light and to the license plate lights and dead ends there. Also on that fuse side is a Blue-black wire going straight to 58b on the light switch. (I couldn't find the defrost light anywhere on the chart)

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1. If I pulled the bulbs on the trunk light and the license plate lights, installed the fuse and it blows, then there's a short in the positive wire to the ground somewhere in this circuit? Yes?

2. If it doesn't blow, and I put back one bulb at a time:
A. If it blows on the first bulb, it's probably a light switch problem?
B. If it blows after putting several bulbs, it a problem in the last bulb's
wire - when the fuse popped - back to the previous bulb?
C. Other?

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Get this one done and I'll try for the instrument lights.


The back lighting on the instruments lights are out, and on a different fuse (ok there) but go into the light switch for dimming, this seems to point to the switch again.

If I come up empty on the light bulbs and wiring on fuse 7, is there a way to test the light switch? Headlights, turn lights, brake and tail lights all work just fine.

Thanks for your electrical thoughts

I does matter what wire you put on the license lights where. One of the terminals is ground and will ground through the mounting screw. I found out the hard way. Remove both light assemblies from the bumper and try it. If the fuse does not blow one or both of the lights are wired wrong.

check to make sure that the license plate light connections are hooked up correctly. The grey to the copper connection the brown to the silver (or maybe rusty) connection. Often these are wired backwards resulting in good operation for awhile until through the rust process they finally ground themselves through the metal in the rear bumper top seal. An easy check is to drop the license plate lights down out of the bumper and see if the fuse still blows. If not the light (s) are wired backwards

Let me guess, it's in the Tech Tips 9000 book

Thanks Dr914. Finally got back to checking on this. The rubber grommet at the body had pulled out and the grey wire insulation was cut through and grounding on the body. A grommet reinstall and heat shrink up the wire and I have lights again. B