Tail light woes

[ceejay]

Any help on these tail lights would sure be appreciated. I've gone from having tail lamps, turn signals, and brake lights, to one of each at a time. Currently I just have turn signals. I have replaced bulbs, fuse, there was some ugly trailer wiring that I came across in the back that I got rid of and cleaned up.Tried grounding the tail lights to bed, and also grounded from frame to bed in back, nada. Also replaced brake light switch, nada. Please help. Thanks.

 

[wanderinthru]

Have you chased the wires from the fire wall to the tail lights? Could have the wires breaking down along the way for some reason?

What are you working on? Blinkers and not brakes really is weird??

Do you have power going to the new brake switch? Front running lights working?

 

[ceejay]

Have you chased the wires from the fire wall to the tail lights? Could have the wires breaking down along the way for some reason?

What are you working on? Blinkers and not brakes really is weird??

Do you have power going to the new brake switch? Front running lights working?

Just went out there again. Looked at the brake light fuse again and now it was blown. Could of blown while I was repairing the hackjob of a trailer harness in the back. Now I have brake lights, turn signals, but NO tail lamps.

 

[AuroraGirl]

is your ground wire continuous, as in, working properly? its meant to ground to the body of the body in the tail light housing on one side. Is the connection where the trailer wiring was the connector or is it butt spliced? is the wire messed with further up the line to the bulkhead?

 

[AuroraGirl]

tail lamps only having problem could be switch. does your front side markers and turn lamps come on in either headlight or park lamp mode? tails still dont?

 

[ceejay]

Here's a picture of what was spliced in. Second picture is after I patched it up. Sprayed QD Cleaner in the connector before re attaching as well. Side markers in tail lamp arent working as well.

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[ceejay]

So as of right now, Headlights work when switch is on. No side markers or tail lamps. Turn signals and brake lights work. Don't know about hazards because my hazard switch is broken.

 

[wanderinthru]

So no running lights at all? Front or back?

 

[ceejay]

So no running lights at all? Front or back?

Well I don't have the front turn signals hooked up yet. Went from an 81 front end to 85 front end, so I haven't wired up the grill lights yet. Front side markers do not work. When I originally hooked them up (new lenses and bulbs), they were working, so it's odd that they aren't now, unless they and the tail lamps are on the same circuit.

 

[wanderinthru]

They are, or should be. Your sure the fuse is good? Do you have a wiring diagram? If so, find the wire leaving the switch that powers the running lights and check it with a test light. Have had many light switches quit, but it was always the head lights, not the running lights??

 

[Turbo4whl]

There is just one fuse for the marker/parking lights. The front side markers are wired with two hot wires, one from the parking light circuit, the other from that side turn signal.

When the parking lights are off and you turn on the left turn signal, the front turn lamp blinks on/off. So does that side marker. It gets it's ground from all the other parking light bulbs.

When the parking lights are on, and you turn on the left turn lamp, the marker will blink off. Two positive and no ground.

So the front side markers will not work if there are no bulbs in the turn lamps, or those bulbs are burnt out.

 

[wanderinthru]

Thats right!! I forgot about that!!

 

[ceejay]

So what do you guys think about the tail lamps? Could it be the switch? Or a ground? I don't know how it'd be anything else but the switch if the brake lights and turn signals work. Is there a way to test the switch?

 

[wanderinthru]

Check it with a test light.

 

[ceejay]

Check it with a test light.

I'll go pick a test light up tomorrow and see what happens.