What is causing my fuses to blow?

[Jeffreyisbald]

Just to give you an insight i have some cliff notes.

-Alternator was repaired
-Brand new battery
-Following fuses popped. Gauge, ACC, & fan?
The fuse in my AC popped about 2 years ago but I did not think much of it. About a week ago my instrument gauge crapped out on me and i let it ride for a bit. A couple of days ago my car died on the road while driving. I had the car jumped and it ran and it died again, so the battery wasn't able to hold the charge. So I then got the battery replaced under warranty and decided to test out the alternator. I threw on a Digital multi. meter and tested it and found the alternator wasn't running. I got my alternator rebuilt/repaired and threw it on.
The trucks alternator works, and the car continues to stay on even after i pull the positive terminal from the battery.. I then returned the connection and drove it around the block.. it ran fine until going a half a mile. The Gauge fuse popped once again, I checked all other fuses and they were all still fine.. I threw the meter on the car again and the alternator showed it wasnt running.. I would then replace the fuse (gauge is the only one popping now) and the alternator would then work fine..

So.. in short.. when I start the car, the car would start and no problems. Car shows proper order of operations. The AC would blow cold. the alternator would be putting out power even under a load..
When i get into the vehicle and put it into reverse, the fuse to "gauge" blows, and the alternator doesnt put out. i get a voltage drop from 14vDC back to the 12.7vDC (unsure of the readings but its in the ballpark)

anyone have any insight on my issue/problem?


Edit: So Here is the lowdown..

When the car is put into reverse the Gauge Fuse blows and the alternator cuts out and car continues to run off the battery. I then place the car into neutral and started the car up. The fuse doesnt blow and i put it into drive and it remains in tack. I removed the instrument panel and repeated the process with the cluster all disconnected and the fuse still blew, so I eliminated the instrument panel. Now i've also noticed even when the car isnt running, but set to the on position and moved from "PARK" to "Reverse" the fuse still blows.

So to recap.. The fuse pops under the following condition.
-When shifting from Park to Reverse (Car running and key just in "On" position.)

Fuse will not pop when-
-Car is started in the "Neutral" and set to drive (Car is Automatic)

Any idea on what is popping my fuses'? or where a possible short could be? it seems that toyota is having a problem with this when i google "Instrument panel blows fuse when shift into park to reverse". and it seems only "Toyota" comes up..


Update #2: Problem Solved
So I decided to go out and underneath my truck the other day and I started my way from the front and crawled towards the back. A couple of years ago I had my a dual-exhaust put in. someone decided to hate on my truck and kick down my exhaust or whatever and caused my bracket to break causing it to hang low so i Temporarily wrapped the pipe to a strut with "T-Bar wire". I found that that the "T-Bar wire" was pinching a set of electrical wires.. I removed all the electrical tape and inspected all the wires. I found no damaged wires so i when and felt for any pinch. I then found a Green/yellow wire that had a small pinch in it.. I then used "Dolphin" connectors to repair the wire. I put my car all back together and fired it up and No problem since.. So i guess the reverse light circuit is all tired in to the "Gauge" and Alternator. i guess its done like that so make it hard for the average person to locate the problem.

2002 Toyota tundra Limited v8 4wd (automatic)

[dyogim]

My first thought is an exposed wire that is causing to much power to be drawn and it ends up blowing the fuse.

[Hi Volt]

Your reverse lights are powered from the gauge fuse ( there is relay involved but the power source is the same ). Check for a short in the reverse lights or the trailer socket ( start at the primary location under the box on the driver side back). According to my service manual the reverse light wiring is red/yellow at the tailights. At the trailer connector it is either green/black or red/black ( depending on which diagram is correct). The trailer connector I speak of is the OE junction, not the bumper mounted one. Look or a shorted wire, bad bulb ( internally shorted ), or corrosion bridging to ground.

[SE2000]

I"ve never seen reverse lights run off a guage fuse. Usually a different power source, especially if you have a 7 pin trailer plug. But you do get the relay switch running off of that. Could be on the transmission or the shifter.
Don't have a manual but that is generally how things work. You'll need a meter to track things down.
Have you checked your reverse bulbs for corrosion? You can do that when you remove the bulbs to see if it still blows the fuse when going into reverse