BIG PROBLEM altima tail lights

[highfiveforyou 10+ year member]

hey i have a 1994 nissan altima, just the other day i installed a aftermarket head unit...connected all the speakers ground continueus power, and turn key power...i didnt pull the fuse on the radio and while strippin the continuesus power i hit the body of the car (ground) and blew the fuse....i then switched my fuse with the hazard lights which i figured i wouldnt be using any time soon to test the radio...it was a sucessful install although i did blow a fuse.... but the big problem is when i start it up to go home today from work, i started it up let it run for about 5 mins as she is no longer a baby, and proceeded to turn the head lights on when i heard a pop....another fuse, this time the tail lamp....i replaced it and as soon as i turned it on pop another fuse...there is obviously a short somewhere either in the radio somewhere or maybe from the power wire i installed about a week before i put my head unit in....please help me, i have no car at night now...and it is essential in my line of work where i get off at 10 pm

any sugestions on how to troubel shoot and find this problem...i dont think it is the radio cause i took out the radio and made sure nothing was touchin the ground...but i dunno any help is appreciated...

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[Unregistered]

well youre best bet is to prably take it to a technition.and get some stuff rewired

 

[Plater 10+ year member]

Instead of blowing fuses hook up a 12V light blub to the two fuse terminals then try moving around wires untill the light goes out then try and isolate the wire and the short.

Good Luck

 

[falkna]

i have the same car...this weekend i installed an new head unit....when i turned on the lights the tailight fuse kept blowing.....so i then found a metal sopt on the body of the car and wired the ground to it instead of using the nissans old ground wire which was causing the fuse to blow....all is ok now....

 

[anthonyfg]

in my experience with stock stuff, i never like to use it, i dont trust it, always do your own grounds and all that, it works out better that way, and do u really trust nissans factory ground? i wouldnt, also, i would replace the speaker wires too if u get new speakers

 

[viper0383 10+ year member]

most likely you hooked the illumination or positive dimmer wire to the ground, this wire will act like a ground, until you turn the lights on, then it switches to 12 volts.