Here's a question that I humbly submit to the electrical guru's and wiring wizards who may be reading.
I am installing licence plate lights.They are 73 MY the rectangular ones. Easy right? The lights work great until I screw them into the bumper, then the fuse blows. I have a feeling that they should not light until they are screwed into the bumper, and they are somehow supposed to ground when they are screwed into the bumper. Or something along those lines. Before I burn out my last fuse, could someone point me in the right direction? Should the lights light when they are hanging unattached. It's uncanny, they work great until I screw them in, then the fuse blows...What's going on? Do I have the wires crossed? Please help!

Sounds like your screw is grounding the light to the bumper blowing the fuse. There are license plate lights that you can get new that are plastic. I'd go to pepboys and buy a generic plastic one and see if that works without blowing the fuse. if it does youve found your issue and get a plastic repop light. I can order you and ship it over one if that is the issue.

-Matt

Yes... peel the rubber back and make sure the power wire goes to the terminal that contacts the base of the bulb and the ground is hooked to the tab on the socket frame that the screws go thru.

Did the same thing myself

Well I sorted it out. It is important to have the wires going to the LP lamps on the correct terminals on the LP lamps. If not connected correctly the lights will light but when you screw the lamps into the bumper the screw contacts the metal gromet that holds the lamp assembly to the plastic lens and creates a short, blowing the #7 fuse. Who'd a thunk it. I switched the connections and it works fine. At one point I switch one set of wires on one lamp, screwed it in,everything was Ok, then started to screw the other lamp in and heard some electrical crackling as the screw touched the gromet, i stopped before it blew the fuse, reversed the wires screwed it in and it worked. Incidentally the LP lights will light when they are hanging unattached to the bumper. Anyway that's it, problem solved, gremlin terminated...

Got it, trial and error, tricky little beasts aren't they ...Thanks!

Thanks! Got it, only blew 3 fuses in the process...