Everytime i would turn my tail lights on it would blow a fuse. I would replace the bulbs and they would work for a bit. Now it blows the fuse all the time. I checked the wires and they are good and replaced the sockets the bulbs go in and it still does it. I have a 92 olds cutlass supreme.

there will be a wire from the fuse to the lights that is shorting out follow the wires back from the tail lights to find it . Check inside the bulb holder to see if the short is there

If the fuse blows, you have a dead short to ground somewhere, likely around the tail lights or parking lights. Try this:

Get a box of the correct fuses.
Remove all tail and parking bulbs and put in a new fuse. If the fuse does not blow, try installing each bulb at a time to see which light assembly causes the fuse to blow.
Let's suppose its the RH tail light assembly. Pull it off the car and check for dirt and damaged wiring.

If this is an older vehicle, there may be wiring damage (due to rust) in the harness under the carpets.

remove your tail light bulbs than put in a new fuse if it does not blow it is a bulb socket put one bulb back in check the fuse if it blows remove bulb. than put bulb in other socket if it doesnt blow with new fuse you will know what socket to replace. if this was helpful please leave feedback

replace the tail lamps... one is dead shorting (filliment broken and grounding to the body of the bulb).

Check your tail light and other running light sockets for corrosion.
Pull each and every bulb to check it, also check the back side of the socket.
(Your headlights are not part of this circuit.)
Rust or water with rust will conduct enough current to blow the fuses.
Please revert back to the 20 amp fuse, as you may damage the wires leading to the bulbs in places you won't be able to find or fix.
It's unlikely that it's one of the actual light bulbs, all light bulbs tend to go open instead of shorted, but you can check them too.

I'm not an expert on the electrical part of the 04 maxima. But I noticed on one of the websites I normally visit that it could be a blown bulb on the passenger side vanity mirror. Here's the quote:

2004 Maxima Tail Lights and Parking Lights fuse blows when interior dome light is on Discovered that my tail lights and parking lights fuse (next to the window washer box which took me a couple of hours to find!) would blow everytime I turned interior dome light on. First I thought it was my Ipod and then maybe moisture was getting in through a small crack in the left rear tail light. Sat in my car last night with a box of fuses and did everything one at a time. It was the turning on of my dome light that caused the fuse to blow. It was instant. I have a blown bulb in the passenger side vanity sun-viser flap. I will change that tomorrow and post an update.


He hasn't updated on the results of changing his vanity mirror bulb. I hope this helps...I hate car electrical problems...So hard to diagnose...

something is shorting out and blowing the fuse. remove both tail light bulbs then change fuse and turn on lights. if fuse does not blow then try new bulbs in tail lights to see if that works. If fuse blows without lights in tail lights then you might have to look at front lights as well since they are all on same fuse i believe.

Are the bulbs out of the sockets and the fuse blows?
Take bulbs out and check again
Place one back at a time if fuse was OK with bulbs out to locate bad bulb.
Otherwise.......
Do this........if still needed with bulbs out and fuse blowing.
Put a circuit breaker in to replace the fuse of the same amperage.
It will trip off then back on.
Use a standard cheap magnetic compass........place along lighting wiring........the wire with current will cause the needle to jump as circuit breaker trips on and off.
Follow path of current to problem.....the compass will stop moving once past the shorted /grounded wire/connection.

OK there is a short in your car
take all the light bulbs out of the light that trigger the problem this break the current place one bulb in at a time checking that the fuse has not blown this will pin point where the problem is
once you find the problem you can replace the socket as it may have started to corrode check for water
once you replace the socket you should not have a problem
if you do let me know
dj_ricko_1988 at hot mail dot com

you could have a shorted tail light bulb. these also controls the park lights at the fronts. so please check all four bulbs. replace what ever busted bulb you can find.

tnx 4 using fixya,

drcool