Electrical Short

Hello, brand new user here and I just got my 4runner. The car won't turn on and I figured out that it has a short on the DOME fuse circuit. I tried replacing the fuse, no luck. All other fuses are fine. When I put the key in the ignition and turn it, no lights turn on, nothing. The battery is fine too. Any ideas? And for my model, what wires should I check for that circuit?

 

So by no lights when turning the ignition on are we still talking the dome light or dash lights? Not too sure why you need to turn the ignition on for a dome light to work.

Did you check the actual dome light?

 

No electronics work at all, I 'm talking about the Dome fuse and what it leads to.

 

Well if its all electronics I think you have more issues than a dome light fuse.

Does the fuse still pop when you replace or is still good and nothing still works?

What year 4R do you have? The same as your pic?

 

Actually the battery can still power some things(like if I turn the hazard lights on) but it wont give power to turn on the dash or anything else.

The fuse doesn't pop again so my guess is a bad wire somewhere, I'm just not sure what wire.

I have a 1991 Sr5 4dr V6

 

Does it start?

Maybe just the ignition switch? I don't have a wiring diagram in front of me but going to need to see what actually works and what doesn't so you can start tracing down where the power should be coming from.

 

It wont start because it wont turn on at all.


That's a good idea. I'm new to cars so I'm not sure how I would test the ignition switch. And yeah I'll get ahold of a wiring diagram.

 

so, does the dome light/radio fuse bloe immediately when you put it in, when you try to start the runner, or after you start it? it all makes a difference.

 

I have found that the power antenna seals often leak, allowing the power antenna unit to fill with water and short out. The unit is accessed thru the front passenger wheel well; disconnect the white electrical connector and then replace the 15A dome/radio fuse in the engine compartment.

 

I will have to try that . . . my antenna is broken so it may have filled with water when I gave it a wash the same day. Also the fuse does not blow anymore, just once. Maybe it blows when I start it but I can't turn it on.

 

curious how it goes, my 15A dome fuse under the hood blew every time I hit the starter, which also started the antenna, which shorted the fuse. disconnecting the white connector, and pulling the mast to full extension, kept fuse intact, dome light working, and radio working.

 

So its been a while but I found the problem . . . it was just the fusible link. Sometimes I overthink things.