I recently noticed (Tuesday night) that the rear lights on my 2005 Optima were dead. I thought it a little… odd that all of them would die at the same time, so the next day (I did not drive it that night) I started by checking the fuses in the cabin. Both of the fuses for the Left and Right Rear taillight section were blown. Thought it odd, but popped out the fuse for the radio, slotted it into the right side and it worked. Found a spare fuse under the hood and slotted it (both proper 10A mini fuses) and it seemed to be okay. Went to drive it tonight and noticed that the left side was out again, but the right side was fine. Friend of mine picked me up, ran me to a parts store, picked up a box of 10A fuses and as soon as I slot one into the slot for the left side it immediatly pops. What all could cause this fuse to just short almost as soon as slotted and how hard would this be to find?
The short is most likely near the rear bulb so check that area out. Also check the socket for any trouble. You could replace the fuse with a brake light connected with wires to bypass the fuse slot. This will limit the current to the short to a safe level. When you find the short and remove it the light will go out. If you happen to have a trailer harness setup that is the first area to check.