Electrical problems
 

I was changing a bulb in my 3rd brake light and something happened and it arked. Now the radio wont work or any of the reading lamps. The floor lamps and the cargo lights wont work either. I checked all of the fuses and couldnt find a bad one. The truck is a 1994 Z71.

u have a short, may as well buy a chilons manual, or find the electrical diagram for you truck online because u have some chasing to do (but first i would check all the grounds, the easiest of whick is the stereo ground) hopefully somebody here has an electrical diagram of your truck they can scan and upload

Once I start trying to find it how would i tell where its shorted out at

find melted or exposed wires, and melted or exposed connectors

You will have to determine if you have a short in the first place. A good volt meter can tell you this. You should have one hot and one ground for the third brake lamp. Use a good volt meter. Now here is the tricky thing (one of many actually :). Use the meter as a voltmeter to determine if any power is going through the socket (no bulb inserted) when the power is off (brake pedal is not pushed). IE there should be no volts measure on the meter.

Now, if the meter registered something, then that will dictate your next actions.

If you have nothing without the pedal depressed, check it with someone pressing the pedal. One should be hot and one should be ground.

Let me know what the meter says, and I can kinda talk you through the next steps. Also, let me know what color the wires are that are going to the socket.

Hope this helps.

Eric

i found it the short, it was right behind the fuse box

Sweet, I wish they were all that easy. You need to buy a lottery ticket!!! :)

If i was really lucky the motor would magicly be fixed

Close your eyes, click your heels together three times and repeat, "there's nothing like a new engine". HAHA :)