Ok, so my Fuse #13 has been poppin' a lot. (actually, everytime I put one in). Fuse #13 in the 04 is for interior lights and the horn.

So I guess a run down on what I have going on in regards to that fuse.

The wire that it runs off of the fuse is a black/blue wire. (it can be found in the PS fuse panel and where the dome light power is.

Dome Light:

I have the explorer dome light. I ran a power wire up from the DS side panel, Green/Orange I believe, for constant power. It is grounded to the roof of the cab (where the stock location is).

OHC:

The lights in the OHC is wired respectively, to the constant power (for map light) and to the black/blue wire for dome light function.

Puddle Lights:

I have added a relay for my puddle lights.

The relay is being used like this:
Position 30: power from bolt in front of fuse box in engine bay (fused by 15 amp fuse)
Position 85: Grounded to chassis
Position 86: Triggered from the black/blue wire via a wire tapped into the black/blue wire on the PS kick panel
Position 87: Powers Puddle Lights.

In addition, the puddle lights are gounded to ground-bolts on the frame.

What am i doing wrong? Everything I put a fuse in (with battery terminals unplugged), and then connecting the battery terminals again, it shorts out..

Help?

 

I dont think you have to run a power wire to the dome light. I didnt in my truck. Yours is newer, but it should be the same. The power was already there...

 

x2..ummm there should be one from the original light..? theres a bad ground somewhere or a positive wire is fookin up and arcing..bob will clue in though he does do wonders!

 

the later 04+ were not pre-wired for map lights, so we have to run an extra power up.

I've checked all the grounds, they're all good. All the wires are not bent, arched, kinked, etc etc.

 

10-4, im out of ideas then.

 

Every so often its a good idea to check the relay that was just installed. If that was what you did just before the problem statrted.
15amp fuse- domelight +Trigger 85-86 ground-
15amp fuse-Voltage+ 30-87 volt to lights to grnd-
try taking the fuse out for pos 30 to see if when you put a new one in #13.

 

From your description, it sounds like what you did was OK. So, if the #13 (15A) fuse continues to melt, I think you have two likely scenarios:

1) The combined load of the horn, dome and console light circuits plus your new relay coil are exceeding 15A. Given what you've done, this doesn't seem likely unless the relay is defective. Still, it's something to keep in mind.

2) There is a short to ground somewhere.

To isolate a possible short to ground, I would disconnect the branches of the system to narrow it down to which is causing the problem. Then disconnect the suspect branch from its power and load and use an ohmmeter to check that branch for continuity to chassis ground (very low or zero measurable resistance).

My guess is that there is pinched or chafed insulation or a stray wire strand somewhere that is causing a short. There are a lot of sharp metal edges inside the dash or you could have something pinched when the console is tightened in place. Also, take a look at the mounting screws on the Ex dome light to make sure that they are not grounding.