Sorry i dont know where else to put this topic as there is no electrics forum anymore?

Im just seeking some ideas...

we pulled the dash out to get to the pedalbox(which needed welding) and when we put the dash back in afterwards and screwed it all up i had no brake lights.. We checked all the fuses and globes and they were ok. My mate got the brake switch and tried to use that.. brake lights still didnt work, we got another ED brake switch and put that on and still no brake lights. I found out that with my headlights switched on i press the brake and the lights on the dash cluster will turn off. release the brake, the cluster lights reappear. They will stay on for about 20 mins then a fuse(tail light fuse) will blow causing the dash and tail lights to stay off. So here i am driving around with no rear lights whats-so-ever! I tried it again and it keeps blowing fuses. Before it took 10-20 mins for hte fuse to blow but last night, i put a fuse in to check something and turned the headlights on and the fuse blew straight away. We did take the dash back out and check for any crimped wires or something, but i guess we have accidently pulled a wire off or crimped something i cant see. Maybe earthed something?
Any ideas?

Will fitting a new dash wiring loom from an EB fix this problem?

sounds earth related. Dumb question but did you put all the earth wires back, the big bunch at the top of the dash and the ones in the drivers footwell.

i just got a visual image of waht you are describing while driving around at night... LOL!!! Ive seen cars where one tail light work, and the other doesn't as soon as the brake are applied, the middle brake light comes on, as the other tail light, while the working one switches off... I thought that was funny..

Sorry I can't really help, but sounds to me like something got mixed up. Ie wired back up wrong?

Good luck with it

Sounds like it's going to take a fair bit of work just to diagnose the problem!

Like Dellboy said, it could be an earth problem...

Probably the best thing to do is take everything apart again and look at where ever you fiddling with the wiring? You might see something obvious...

yeh we pulled them back i saw, but my mate was fiddling with the ones under the drivers footwell so im not to sure then. the ones on the top of the dash i checked and they seem to be in good nick. My mate has a EB wiriing loom im thinking of swapping mine with because he has the trip computer wires already there and the electric ariel. IF i swapped them do u think the lights would work then?

Well, if not you would eliminate a possibility, so its worth it, if it isn't too much work.

i would go back to the earths before starting to pull looms out. even check the earths from the battery and the ones that go though the bolts that hold the sides of the dash in the footwells. i would almost guarantee its an earth problem.

There is not a lot of chance of getting the plugs wrong, so as suggested check your dash earths first. Should only need to lift the windscreen vent cover off to find the earth on the drivers side.

You don’t say if your car is a GL,GLI, Fairmont or whatever, I assume it’s an EB but that’s not clear either.
Anyway, have a hunt around under the dash up behind the fuse box area for an unused connector plug. A good lead-light or torch will help.

Normally you can’t confuse wiring plugs as they are different shapes etc, but it seems some models have another connector in that area that’s the same as the brake light connector, which is unused on some models.
You may have the brake light switch plugged into this one.

The result of shorting the wrong plug will blow the taillight fuse if the headlights are turned on.

To check if you have the correct plug on the brake light switch, you should have continuity (zero ohms) from the ‘dead’ side of brake light fuse to one terminal on the brake light switch connector block.
The other side of that connector should read continuity to the brake light connector in the boot.

You are my saviour mate! You were dead right! I found an unused connecter but it was black and i plugged that in to the brake switch and it worked! beautiful. Cops cant pin me now. Thanks heaps for that. If it wasnt for fordmods.com id be changing all sorts of s**t and probably spending alot of money on an auto electrician!
Do u know what the other one is used for?
Also thanks to the other people that responded.

fg