Fuse panel problems

[BlackVic_P71]

Today I blew a fuse and another slot appears to have gone dead.
The fuse that controls the running lights, plate light, goes to the trailer relays too(may be the issue) blew a few weeks ago and I found a lager than stock fuse in it(20amp), I replaced it with a 15 amp fuse that was supposed to be there and it's been fine since. This morning i turned my lights on and the fuse blew immediately.
I am also using an open pin on the fuse panel for my fan controller(just tells it that the car is running), while looking into the blowing fuse I unplugged that pin and now that socket has no voltage, no clue what happened there.
Is there a way to remove the fuse panel? I've tried a few times and it's not coming out.

[GM_Guy]

Odds are very high you have the headlight switch harness meltdown. The running light feed is the one that causes all the grief. Small wire, too much current, gets warm, gets brittle, wire gets fragile, connector corrodes.

Alex.

[gadget73]

It comes out, though since I don't know what you're working on I can't say for sure how. If its the wagon, there should be 2 screws, one in each corner. Undo them and it will come loose. I can't recall if you can remove the panel it bolts to and then access the back side of the panel through the hole, or if you have to push it up and then fish it down behind that panel. I've had them loose to get an access hole to install stuff before but I never actually had to pull the fuse panel itself out for a look-see.

and +1 on the headlight harness probably cooking. Relay it and/or fit some LED's to take the load off the circuit.

[BlackVic_P71]

Damn, all exterior lights are LED except headlights. I'll look at the harness for the light switch(started remembering the crappy wiring as I was falling asleep) and see how the wires look

[BlackVic_P71]

I've tried replacing the headlight switch and that didn't solve the lighting issue. I disconnected all exterior lights and the fuse still blew, I know the wiring is old and a short could be elsewhere but I'm trying to get this and checking all easier to find things first.
Are there any common points in the parking light wiring that wear out?
My headlights work and my signals all work fine so that should rule out the parking light controllers(they are all LED), I have replaced a few LEDs with standard bulbs and the problem is still there.
There have been a few odd times when the fuse did not blow, this first happened in September and I replaced the fuse, all lighting worked fine for a month. After replacing the light switch I went for a drive and the lights worked, then the next time I tried it blew the fuse.
I have tried again to get the fuse panel out and can't, I also want to put an electronic flasher where the hazard flasher is so they will work correctly since I have all LED. I don't want to break stuff and figured the members here might have some tips/tricks to change that flasher.
I had a thought the other day that the illumination wire for my pillar gauges could be the issue, I ran a wire from the clock illumination to the pillar around the cluster to the pillar and I know the metal frame of the dash could have made a cut in there...I just have to get in and check it.

[gadget73]

Where did you unhook the exterior lights from and still have the fuse blow?

Flasher should just unplug, unless I don't understand the question.

[BlackVic_P71]

Unhooked the wiring for the lights up front, I had added new weatherpack plugs for all the lights(switchbacks that have a controller). Pulled the bulbs out back.
The hazard flasher is on the back of the panel, has a cover over it, just not sure how it comes off.

[BlackVic_P71]

It was all my fault, I got to thinking about how the wire was ran for my gauge lighting on the pillar by some metal in the dash...disconnected that wire and parking lights are back. I'm not sure where the wire is damaged but my lights work and it only took one police stop to make me fix it, just a "fix it" ticket but made me late for work.