Dear Tom and Ray:

I just bought a 1988 Ford Escort Wagon for my wife, and I found out the brake lights don't work. The fuse was burned out. When I replaced it, it took just a pump or two on the brakes to blow the fuse again. I did this three or four times (duh!) and finally replaced the rear bulbs. Then I replaced a faulty engine ground strap, and I still have the problem. I think I have a dead short, but I have no idea how to go about finding it. I would sure appreciate any help you could provide. -- Mark

Ray: Well, Mark, my first piece of advice is to look at every car problem as an opportunity to buy a new tool. And the tool you need this time is a "short tester."

Tom: Whenever I buy a new pair of BVDs, there's a little tag that says "inspected by No. 19." Wouldn't that make No. 19 a short tester?

Ray: No. The short tester Mark needs is available for about $20 at any good auto parts store. It's a self-resetting circuit breaker, which you insert in place of the fuse. So when you step on the brake pedal the circuit breaker will blow, and then -- when it's cool enough -- reset itself. And it'll do this indefinitely, which will save you from having to tap your 401(K) to pay for fuses.

Tom: The other piece of the short tester is a very sensitive induction ammeter. So you have an assistant plant his or her foot on the brake pedal, and then you move the ammeter slowly around the outside of the car. And when you get to a place where the needle is swinging wildly back and forth, that's where the short is.

Ray: If you don't want to go through this search, you can save time by simply asking the previous owner where the accident was. I'd be willing to bet that somewhere along the line, this car was hit in one of the rear quarter panels, and a brake light wire got pinched, and now it's shorting out.

Tom: Of course, that eliminates the excuse to buy a new tool, Mark. So forget that my brother ever said that.

Stop the madness! You can stop driving like a knucklehead, and you'll help your car in the process. Learn how your driving habits can harm your car in Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1999 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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