Here's the rundown. Last week I decided to rewire my aftermarket stereo because of the botched job I did last year just twisting and using electrical tape. This time I used solder and heat shrink to make it look better and be more dependable... and in the process got my rear view camera and steering wheel controls to work properly. I'm driving around at night feeling accomplished when I see the reflection of the front of my car in a trucks lift gate... my passenger low beam HID was out. I get home pop off the inner plastic fenders and test to see if the driver side working HID bulb will work on the passenger...nope gotta be the ballast. Off to LKQ, I bought used ballast from a G35 sedan for $13. I slap the bad boy on and it works... problem solved. The next morning I go to wash my car, notice my state inspection is due. I go to the state inspection and the guy tells me
1). Several components are not registered on the OBDII (I'm guessing because my cars battery was disconnected overnight)
2). Your parking lights aren't working, but your brake and headlights are.

Note: I have a 2005 6MT coupe with navigation. My aftermarket stereo is a pioneer AVH 4200. I wired it up according to Wrathernaut's guide . I heard some people say you shouldn't connect the illumination wire, but I did... as his guide specifies not to do it on 2006+ models.

I smelled some sort of burnt plastic smell coming from the drivers area when I got home. So I start researching on here and saw that most individuals were able to solve their issue with the tail lamp fuse in the fuse box by the battery. What I've tried to remedy the problem.
1). Checked all Tail lights, headlights, Parking lights, clearance strip lights, and aftermarket stereo for frayed or burnt wires. I saw nothing out of the ordinary.
2). Disconnected: Tail lights, headlights, Parking lights, clearance strip lights, aftermarket stereo (along with all the harness adapters).
With all of these components disconnected if I turn the the light switch to trigger the parking lights, the fuse immediately fails ... this happened testing each component as I removed them.

I'm sure there's a short somewhere... my next option is to bust out the multimeter and start checking continuity. Does any have any suggestions before I start wire hunting? Something I may have overlooked.

 

 

Ok... so I went through the Parking, License Plate and Tail Lamps in the field manual. Checked continuity between IPDM connector terminal 22 and all the connectors for the combination lights that are used when parking lights are activated. All lights showed continuity between ground to ground and hot to ground. I pulled my aftermarket stereo completely out, so that nothing aftermarket is connected to the car. I put a new fuse in and POP!!! I'm so confused. Something is obviously grounding out. My car needs to be inspected and school starts Wednesday.

Do anyone have any suggestions besides the dealer. I feel like I'm very close.

Also, I notice that the Tail lamp relay doesn't click when I turn on the parking lights... is there supposed to be a relay click. This relay is integrated into the IPDM fuse box behind the battery.

 

If your new fuse popped when your parking lights were in the off position, then the problem might actually be your relay. It might have an internal short.

The taillamp relay on the IPDM is not built in. It can be popped off and replaced. For testing purposes, u can swap it with one of the other relays on the IPDM. They're all the same.

 

 

I double checked the IPDM, the relay seems to be working as intended. There is no clicking sound. This the voltage was recorded at the fuse location 71 on the IPDM.

• Key OFF / Combo Switch OFF
  • 0.560 V
• Key ACC / Combo Switch OFF
  • 0.606 V
• Key ON / Combo Switch OFF
  • 0.608 V

• Key OFF / Combo Switch AUTO
  • 0.578 V
• Key OFF / Combo Switch PARKING LIGHTS
  • 12.62 V
• Key OFF / Combo Switch MANUAL
  • 12.61

• Key ACC / Combo Switch AUTO
  • 0.622 V
• Key ACC / Combo Switch PARKING LIGHTS
  • 0.62 V
• Key ACC / Combo Switch MANUAL
  • 12.49 V

• Key ON / Combo Switch AUTO
  • 12.3 V
• Key ON / Combo Switch PARKING LIGHTS
  • 12.3 V
• Key ON / Combo Switch MANUAL
  • 12.3 V

 

 

Thanks. Ok took your advice.
Fuse with gray connector disconnected did not blow... and I can hear the relay clicking.
Fuse with gray connector connected blew...the relay will no click.

Any suggestions on how to hunt down the short? Do you think this ChrisFix video would help? I tried it earlier but the voltage didn't change... given nothing was connected. I'm gonna try again with everything fully assembled.

( )

Thanks.

 

 

Tell me about it. I gutted the trunk and no sign of burned wires or grounded short. I took the front bumper off, removed the headlights, and did a 4th inspection, nothing, Tomorrow morning, I will remove the aftermarket stereo for the 3rd time and inspect factory harnesses... they got tugged and pulled trying to get the head unit situated. I checked the aftermarket harness and no burns or signs of short. I saw a video on youtube were a guy mentioned he was shorting a factory radio wire. I'm pulling the entire dash out, steering wheel , speedometer... HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Ok, I'm losing my mind.

 

 

A day before l I took my car to get inspected, I had swapped out the passenger side ballast and rewired my aftermarket head unit including the back up camera. I didn’t know they the parking lights were out until the inspection place told me. There was a frayed connection on the drivers side, side marker wire (see pic). I cut the connector off and replaced it (flux, solder, heat shrink). This has been the only frayed wire I found. There was no signs of burning or melting from the connector to where it meets the main harness for the headlight assembly. I checked the passenger side and it was in good condition. There’s no funny business in the trunk or with the license plate lights. The only thing I didn’t check is the illumination... The only place I can think is the dash area as it’s where most of the illumination takes place.

I just thought of something, before I swapped the ballast and did the rewrite... at night when I’d drive, I’d randomly see
my speedometer lights flash bright (like day time brightness). For the last two years the illumination behind the mileage was dimmer than the rest of the speedometer. I gonna give it one more round before I take it to the dealer.


Frayed/worn to copper wire right at connector.

 

So I gutted the front interior dash area, and the trunk. I'm not sure why I didn't do this back in 2012 when I bought this car. Whoever had it before me must have had some heavy mods on it. There's evidence that a Tein EDC unit was installed at some point (wiring harness still there but not connected to anything). There were slits in the carpeted walls in the trunk, I think someone had a rear strut tower brace. There are some weird crimp splicers under the dash, where you crimp the wire, then insert the connector (I'm guessing for an alarm or something). Right next to the trunk release button there's a unconnected non-OEM switch. And even though the front engine looks as stock as photos I've seen online, you can definitely tell a supercharger or turbocharger was installed. I wonder if the engine is the same engine from the factory or if it has been replaced.

I found the short!!!!!! It was the cigarette lighter. I had to cut and splice (flux, solder, heat shrink) the connector on, the previous owner cut it off and used the ashtray for Gauge pods, or the Tein EDC controller. When I soldered the two wires the red/blue wire had a strand of copper piercing through the heatshrink and shorting on the ground wire. No damage.

Thanks a lot for the help Scorpi0!

 

 

There's like what, 7 big grey harness connectors on the IPDM. Which one are you referring to?

How does this tell you if the IPDM is bad, if you pull that harness isn't this cutting power to the taillights, how can this possibly indictates if the IPDM is causing the issue .. ?