Was out the other night and lost my dash lights. Later realized that the tail lights were out too. Now I've found the brake lights aren't working either. Weird thing is the signals work....
Checked the fuses and they're fine but there's no power coming to the tail/instrument fuse. If I jump it to the radio fuse the lights come on with the key

Any ideas?

 

probably a bad fuse box or connection
wiggle the wires on the engine bay side. maybe take apart and spray with electric contact cleaner

 

Could be a faulty fuse panel behind the fuses - what the fuses connect to.

 

Thanks for the replys; I'll check the fuse panel tonight.

 

Ok so don't know how I missed it but the brake light fuse is blown. Replaced it and taillights and dash lit up.
When I hit the brakes though the fuse blows and I lose it all again.
I replaced it again and the lights worked again so I tried the signals and they work fine and don't blow the fuse... This rules out a short in the lights themselves (I'm assuming this is correct since the taillights use the same circuit for brakes/signals)
Any suggestions on where to look next? Could it be a bad brake light switch?

 

On brake lights, polish/wire brush/emery paper the sockets and the bezel holes they fit into - remove corrosion as corrosion is extra resistance meaning more current drawn.
Then, troubleshoot one bulb at a time - remove the other side bulb - half the load.
The bulb/circuit blowing the fuse is the bad circuit.

 

I'll try unplugging the lights tonight; Ive replaced the stock bulbs with LED units and all the connections are new but I suppose its a good place to start.
Still thinking that if the signals dont blow the fuse my issue is elsewhere.....

 

Put 1157 bulbs into the sockets and try the brake lights

 

Update:
So after hours of messing with it I finally found the issue.
I figured out that the white lead from the brake light switch runs to the hazard switch, then branches to the brake/signal wires that eventually run to the taillights.
The ribbon of wires that runs through the steering column had been spliced by a previous owner for some unknown reason. the tape on the connection had worn through and was grounding to the column hence a direct short and instant blown fuse. The signals are somehow isolated from the brakes (even though they use the same wireing) which is why they still worked. The dumb thing is that once the brake light fuse blows you lose the power supply to the taillights and dash.

 

Good you found it and back on the road, so to speak.