My friend was leaving and I told him he could move my car since I blocked him in. He ended up hitting a parked car on the way out. I know, my fault. The car was a neighbors and I took care of that and figured I was good to go. On the way home that night someone behind me told me my back lights were out

So my friend backed into this car, the back right of my car hit the front left of their car. With the car turned on, lights on, the back lights on my car do not work. When I press on the brake, ALL the back lights go on... So they work when I press the brake. My car couldn't have hit the neighbors car hard, neither of our cars were damaged except for surface scuffs/scratches.

Does anyone know what could have possibly happened or how it can be fixed? Should I just take it somewhere?

The car is a 1999 Nissan Maxima

 

First, check your fuses, check your bulbs. It may be simple.

 

Can someone explain what I need to do/look for when checking fuses? I know where the fuse box is but...

Also I am now thinking that maybe the filaments were hot and fragile and the impact caused them to break. I hope at least it is something small,

 

checking fuse isn't a big deal, pretty simple.

You said you know where the fuse box is right? Go there and behind that small panel that you removed will show what fuse is waht and what amp they should be when replacing it.

As for the bulbs check that first cause taht might be easier for you to do.

 

Get a test light find a ground and ground the test light then turn the car on to ignition and start testing away.

 

Ok, I checked the fuses, shoulda done that first, doh. Fuse was blown. I found a spare fuse on the side of my fuse box and stuck that in there, lights did not work, checked fuse, spare fuse blown. So I don't know if this fuse was already blown before I put it in there, or it blew once I put it in there.

I'll go pick up some new fuses and stick one of them in there, but in the mean time, what could make a brand new fuse blow like that, if that was the case?

 

a short somewhere can make fuses blow......how hard was the impact? like u got anything broken on ur car?

 

Nothing broke just paint scratches. No dents, ect. I wasn't there when he hit but he was backing out of a drive way ya know? Couldn't have been that hard.

Someone suggested that there is a short and I should put a 15w fuse in there instead of the 7.5.. does that make sense to anyone, I don't want to blow something up.

 

i woudlnt put a 15w...id put in 10... 7.5 and 15...twice as much power can get there that is not recommened. So put in a 10 amp see if it helps.

 

I replaced the bulbs, put a new 7.5 fuse in, turned on car+lights, back lights still don't come on... grrr...


I put in a 15 fuse like someone suggested and it did nothing.
Any one have any idea how I can fix this?

 

Like the 67goat said, check bulbs. Hot filaments could have broken. Then look in that corner for a loose wire. May just be a loose connection. Did you check all related fuses? That blown fuse suggests a short occurred during the impact, may just be loose connection.

 

i think it might be a short too, get a test light and someone who may know how to test for a short, basically any car guy who knows a little more than the avarage joe about cars and theyll test it for you, also look at the sockets where the bulbs go does everything look intact or does it look mangeled. (as in the spring is missing or theres no copper power..button? or it looks like one at least)

 

make sure u put the correct fuse size into the correct hole. the size is on the actual fuse. this happened to me too. if ur brake lights work then it might not be the filament