2005 Taurus Wagon SE

I've looked in the hard copy manual and the latest on-line copy and I can't find a listing for which fuse is used for the license plate lights. I am assuming that there isn't a dedicated fuse just for those 2 bulbs, but I'm kind of hoping there is.

My wife needs to have the car inspected and I noticed that both plate lights were out. When I pulled the bulbs, I found one was blown and blackened but the other one looked good. I tested it outside of the car and it did indeed work. I had 2 new 164 bulbs so I plugged one into each socket, but neither one lit.

I checked the power at both sockets and there was none. I disconnected the nearest wiring harness connector (in the lift gate) and checked the incoming power on the pins of the plug and read 0 V. I applied 12V to the "outgoing" connector and both bulbs lit. So either there is a dedicated fuse that is blown or I've got a wiring harness issue.

In the meantime, I've installed 2 replacement sockets and wired them into the tail light wires so the license plate lights get power whenever the lights are turned on. That should get me through the inspection.

If there is a dedicated fuse, I'd liked to know which one it is, but as I said, I don't see any mention of the license plate lights in the fuse listing, not even in combination with any other lights.

Any info would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

The tag lights are wired in with the running lights from the factory. So you probably have a bad connection or broken wire after the splice to the tag lights.

 

Thanks for the response.

Do you see any reason not to leave the tag lights tied into the left rear tail light?

Based on what you've said, I have apparently added two more bulbs to that circuit. Am I in danger of overloading that circuit and possibly blowing a fuse?

It passed inspection today, so I could always remove at least one bulb, if not both.

 

The license lamps share and are spliced off of a single brown wire leading out from the SJB (smart junction box). Since you haven't 'actually' added any extra lamp/amp draw with additional bulbs then it should be fine, although, the mystery would drive me on I think way2old is spot on with a broken wire probably at the hinge/bend point in the harness.

The tail lamp wire gauge shouldn't be an issues since the license lamps don't pull much current and technically the lamp circuit isn't an overload. No dedicated fuse for the license lamps..

 

Thanks Hayapower.

Where is this SJB that you speak of?

I did notice that the power came to both the tail light and the plate lights on a brown wire, so that's what I tapped into at the tail light.

I still find it curious that the plate lights aren't mentioned in the manual's fuse listing, not even in combination with other lights.

As it is now, the harness connector to the original plate light sockets is disconnected and the original sockets themselves are just floating free behind the lift gate panel. If I ever get around to chasing down the broken wire, it will be very easy to put it all back together the way it was.