The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 1975 K5 Blazer electrical

I’m not sure if this is the place to ask, or in the “electrical” section of the technical page, but here goes. My 75 Blazer headlights work, but the parking lights do not. When I turn on the parking light switch, the fuse burns out immediately. All the bulbs are new and I don’t see any obvious issues like bare wires, so I’m not sure where to look next. Is it possible that the issue is in the headlight switch itself? Any help would be appreciated. I’ve owned this Blazer since 1980, but I only drove it 14 months before I parked it when I joined the Marine Corps. It has been off the road since February 1982 and I’m close to getting it back.

I moved your thread to where it will get the attention it deserves.

I would try removing the park light bulbs and see if the fuse continues to blow. If not, try it with the front or rear bulbs in place. Maybe you can narrow it down.

Thanks, I’ll give that a try.

Cars that sit for that long invariably get corrosion on wire connections, terminals, switches, etc. This is true with indoor and outdoor storage.

I think you'll have to trace the wiring from the socket all the way back to the switch. Anywhere there's a joint or connection, take apart the connections and run a brass brush over them or sandpaper, etc. Make sure all the connections, including ground wires, are clean and tight.

Clean the fuse terminals, too. Contact cleaner and little brass brush works well,

Disconnect the battery before cleaning terminals especially cleaning the fuse box with a brass brush, otherwise sparks may fly!

Thanks guys. I’ve tried removing all the parking lights and I’m still burning fuses. The turn signal switch in the steering column has some gremlins in it because you have to push and hold the lever a certain way to get the lights to work. I’m in the process of tearing all that apart and cleaning it up. If it looks worn, I’ll go ahead and replace it. The truck only has 51,000 original miles on it, but like you said, sitting around takes a toll.

Take care,
George

I found a spot in the wiring along the frame that had been burned by the exhaust, just under the drivers side door. I cut all 4 wires and separated them and then put a fuse in the slot and turned on the parking lights… the fuse didn’t blow, so I was 90% sure I had found the problem. I spliced the wires back together after removing a 4” piece and tried the parking lights again… The fuse burned immediately, so today will begin a new search. On the bright side, I know the problem is in the back part of the Blazer. I wasn’t looking forward to trying to figure out the problem with all the “spaghetti” in the engine bay.

Finding electrical problems is not my cup of tea. I would also check any hole the wires pass through to make sure there is no rubbing on metal and you have a grommet for protection. Nice work finding your first issue and correcting it.

If you have enough wire, pull or push the wires out of the sockets once the bulbs are removed. When you have the wires out enough and know the contacts are clear of any metal around them, put the fuse back in.

Also look really close around the trailer hitch if it has one, there have been a lot subpar trailer wire hook ups done over the years.

The same fuse controls power to the parking lights, the tail lights, and the dash lights. That circuit is designed that way on purpose- - - -if the dash lights go out, it also means you don't have any tail lights. Do the tail lights burn with the light switch in the "headlight" position, or does that also blow the fuse? You might start looking for mouse-chewed wiring under the dash- - - - -it's a problem that's pretty common on vehicles that have been parked for a long time.
Jerry

Thanks for all the helpful tips. The mystery was finally solved. I started at my previous splice and was pulling the wires away from the frame to inspect them and less than a foot from the splice, the wire wouldn’t pull away from the frame. It didn’t take long to figure out that when I put the transmission and transfer case back in, I pinched the wire under a crossmember bolt. After loosening the bolt to free it and then splicing it, everything is working fine. Thanks again for all the suggestions.

Take care,
George

George - Great that you found the source of your issue and thanks for coming back and letting folks know your find/fix. It may help another Bolter in the future.

Success! Good to hear. Very nice looking K5!