Headlight/tailights wont turn on

Okay, these are hard to find. I assume you have no problem when you do not have the Tailights on? This would mean problem could run all the way to rear taillights.

But if the problem is not related to putting power through the wires to the taillights it is under the dash area. You would have a short from the power supply to the lightswitch. You have a Relay for the lights in the Powerbox.

Go to Autozone.com Website and register your vehicle for a free wiring diagram and Powerbox layout.

You can then see for yourself about how the dashlights are grouped with the taillights. You could have a bad Relay.

Look at how the taillights get their power and this will show you a color/coded path from the front to rear of your car. As I said earlier, it is important to know if the lights only short when they are turned on by the headlight switch.

If they short out all the time, regardless of the headlight switch being on or off, then the short is more towards the front, between the dash and Relay or the Relay itself.

Use the built-in cutoff points as a way of eliminating the shorted part. The headlight switch is a cutoff point. Power rearward is halted with the except of the Brakelights. If the Brakelights work fine, the bulb sockets are probably grounded properly.

If the fuse pops with the headlamps off, the power is not going rearward and you are okay.

I'd be willing to bet your dash lights don't work either when you turn the headlight on.change the headlight switch, it has a short, it's only about 11 dollars at advance auto, and is fairly easy to replace. my 93 chevy did same thing, changed headlight switch, problem solved

check fuzes then look for burned out taillights as the taillights are usually conected to the instument pannel, the manufacturer might have also included the headlights in the circut.

You checked to make sure you didn't blow all the bulbs at once?
If your front park lights work, then the headlight switch is probably alright.
You may have a taillight relay in your fusebox. Check the owner's manual. It may show it.

Your Protege has a dedicated fuse for the tailight circuit, as well as a relay. The fuse should be located in the passenger compartment fuse box, but it could be located in the main fuse box in the engine compartment drivers side inside fender area. It should be labeled TAILIGHT, and be 15A, or 20A. The relay is most likely in the main fuse box as well, but I can't tell from the attached drawing so you'll have to track it down if necessary.




Click here to enlarge.

Not a regular fuse for headlights. Usually a relay that trips if it overheats and resets when it cools off. Often under the hood. Probably means you have a short circuit somewhere. A hot wire touching ground , often at rear of vehicle, Are your tailights still on ? If headlights and taillights go off together then problem is definately a short.

check relay for headlights

Usely dash lights and taillights are on the same fuse, if you don't have dash lights you won't have tailights. If you got dash lights than you could have blown bulbs or maybe a bad headlight switch.

You'll have to use a 12vdc test light and start probing for power with tailights on, and I'd work from tailight & go forward. You did check all your fuses right?

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