1999 Suburban Blowing Interior Fuse #9, No Tail lights!
Thread Starter
CF Beginner
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
1999 Suburban Blowing Interior Fuse #9, No Tail lights!
Fuse 9 on interior fuse panel. Blowing periodically, sometimes of big road bumps. Kills taillamps, kiidna of big problem at night. The fuse 9 circuits powers around 20 different illumination points around the truck, so finding this short has proven difficult, maybe near impossible. And all these illumination points are powered by identical little brown wires. Wonderful.
So I have concluded to separately power the taillamps with a toggle switch mounted in the dash area.
Issue with that is I need to either run wiring from rear taillamps to dash area, or try to find this magical brown taillamp wire in the harness in the cab area of the truck. This hasn't proven to be very easy. If someone else has some info from previous experience, please share!!
Another option I may also utilize is to use a ressetable fuse for Fuse #9. I could do that as my only "fix" or in conjuction with direct wiring the rear taillamps. Would keep all those other illumination bulbs all over the truck lit.
So I have concluded to separately power the taillamps with a toggle switch mounted in the dash area.
Issue with that is I need to either run wiring from rear taillamps to dash area, or try to find this magical brown taillamp wire in the harness in the cab area of the truck. This hasn't proven to be very easy. If someone else has some info from previous experience, please share!!
Another option I may also utilize is to use a ressetable fuse for Fuse #9. I could do that as my only "fix" or in conjuction with direct wiring the rear taillamps. Would keep all those other illumination bulbs all over the truck lit.
CF Pro Member
Joined: Mar 2024
Posts: 668
Likes: 99
From: Huntsville, AL
Here is a diagram for the EXTERIOR lighting on a 1999 Suburban.
https://charm.li/Chevrolet/1999/C%20...%20Schematics/
If you will look at it, they branch out in multiple places with those brown wires - the tail lamps off of point S412 in the diagram. That is at the rear I believe, underneath, near the spare tire. In other words, there is no separate wire for the two tail lamps to the front of the vehicle. The license plate lights, tail lamps, turn signals, all tie together back there. On newer vehicles like my 2006, there is an actual connector plate back there that breaks things out, but surprisingly, the 1999 Suburban doesn't implement that modularity.
I guess what I am saying is that you will have to run a wire from the rear of the vehicle if you want to put the tail lamps on their own switch. Zip tie it to the frame down the drivers side, and take it through one of the firewall grommets, and put your switch on or under the dash.
https://charm.li/Chevrolet/1999/C%20...%20Schematics/
If you will look at it, they branch out in multiple places with those brown wires - the tail lamps off of point S412 in the diagram. That is at the rear I believe, underneath, near the spare tire. In other words, there is no separate wire for the two tail lamps to the front of the vehicle. The license plate lights, tail lamps, turn signals, all tie together back there. On newer vehicles like my 2006, there is an actual connector plate back there that breaks things out, but surprisingly, the 1999 Suburban doesn't implement that modularity.
I guess what I am saying is that you will have to run a wire from the rear of the vehicle if you want to put the tail lamps on their own switch. Zip tie it to the frame down the drivers side, and take it through one of the firewall grommets, and put your switch on or under the dash.
Thread Starter
CF Beginner
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Here is a diagram for the EXTERIOR lighting on a 1999 Suburban.
https://charm.li/Chevrolet/1999/C%20...%20Schematics/
If you will look at it, they branch out in multiple places with those brown wires - the tail lamps off of point S412 in the diagram. That is at the rear I believe, underneath, near the spare tire. In other words, there is no separate wire for the two tail lamps to the front of the vehicle. The license plate lights, tail lamps, turn signals, all tie together back there. On newer vehicles like my 2006, there is an actual connector plate back there that breaks things out, but surprisingly, the 1999 Suburban doesn't implement that modularity.
I guess what I am saying is that you will have to run a wire from the rear of the vehicle if you want to put the tail lamps on their own switch. Zip tie it to the frame down the drivers side, and take it through one of the firewall grommets, and put your switch on or under the dash.
https://charm.li/Chevrolet/1999/C%20...%20Schematics/
If you will look at it, they branch out in multiple places with those brown wires - the tail lamps off of point S412 in the diagram. That is at the rear I believe, underneath, near the spare tire. In other words, there is no separate wire for the two tail lamps to the front of the vehicle. The license plate lights, tail lamps, turn signals, all tie together back there. On newer vehicles like my 2006, there is an actual connector plate back there that breaks things out, but surprisingly, the 1999 Suburban doesn't implement that modularity.
I guess what I am saying is that you will have to run a wire from the rear of the vehicle if you want to put the tail lamps on their own switch. Zip tie it to the frame down the drivers side, and take it through one of the firewall grommets, and put your switch on or under the dash.
Thanks
CF Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2024
Posts: 41
Likes: 2
Fuse 9 on interior fuse panel. Blowing periodically, sometimes of big road bumps. Kills taillamps, kiidna of big problem at night. The fuse 9 circuits powers around 20 different illumination points around the truck, so finding this short has proven difficult, maybe near impossible. And all these illumination points are powered by identical little brown wires. Wonderful.
So I have concluded to separately power the taillamps with a toggle switch mounted in the dash area.
Issue with that is I need to either run wiring from rear taillamps to dash area, or try to find this magical brown taillamp wire in the harness in the cab area of the truck. This hasn't proven to be very easy. If someone else has some info from previous experience, please share!!
Another option I may also utilize is to use a ressetable fuse for Fuse #9. I could do that as my only "fix" or in conjuction with direct wiring the rear taillamps. Would keep all those other illumination bulbs all over the truck lit.
So I have concluded to separately power the taillamps with a toggle switch mounted in the dash area.
Issue with that is I need to either run wiring from rear taillamps to dash area, or try to find this magical brown taillamp wire in the harness in the cab area of the truck. This hasn't proven to be very easy. If someone else has some info from previous experience, please share!!
Another option I may also utilize is to use a ressetable fuse for Fuse #9. I could do that as my only "fix" or in conjuction with direct wiring the rear taillamps. Would keep all those other illumination bulbs all over the truck lit.
I just want to say to fully diagnose a circuit and claim it is good, you need to test for an open (infinite resistance) a short (0 resistance) and then load test the circuit. If a fuse blows immediately when installed it’s likely a short to ground OR the device pulling too much current
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
grayghostss
Express, Savana & G-Series Vans
7
Jan 25, 2021 11:12 AM
cindy1369
Tahoe & Suburban DIY and Useful Threads
3
Dec 1, 2017 1:17 PM