91 Ranger rear running lights and stereo not working. Please help!

[Canadian Bacon]

I have a 91 Ranger 4.0 4x4. Recently my stereo quit working. It's a Kenwood deck that was in the truck when I bought it.
I was recently informed that my rear running lights are also non-functioning. I suspect they are related, somehow. The head lights, break lights and blinkers work though.
I checked the bulbs and they seemed fine, replaced anyway.
Checked fuses, all test fine continuity with my multimeter.
I suspect the fault lies much deeper, but I have no idea what I'm doing really.
I feel very unsafe and having to drive this thing to and from work in the dark. Please help me understand what's going on with this bucket of bolts that I love, despite everything!

 

[Mark_88]

Welcome to TRS~!

Nice name...btw...

If these two happened around the same time I'd suspect a short in the wires...and the stereo may have been wired to share a ground or something with the lights...but you'd have to pull the stereo and trace the wires...the previous owner may have tried splicing wires and somehow tied the stereo into the mix...

It's not hard to trace if you have a multimeter, but you may want to have a look at a wiring diagram...there are some in the tech library for that year...or get a Haynes or Chilton manual that covers your year of truck...

 

[Canadian Bacon]

Thanks for the reply! I ended up just taking it in to a local shop. Turns out the stereo had blown a fuse in itself and the rear light had a bad cable that was grounding out the lights. $90 later I have rear running lights.

Now to replace the exhaust that is falling apart...

 

[Majagit]

Check for faulty wires at the fuse block, had one fall off from the block itself from the rear, or it could be a wire...