I have electrical gremlins running around my truck. I got the correct tail lights,3 wires, so I now get brake lights. But I only get then about 25% of the time. So I think short in the wires, 30 yrs old. So I cut the wires at the farthest point I can reach. Right behind the gas tank. Run new wires and I still only get brake lights 25% of the time. Step on brakes, no lights, step on brakes, no lights, step on them again and now I get lights, again lights, then back to no lights. Hold the brake pedal down, they flash and then no lights. On to the questions: Are there relays somewhere? And what do they look like? On the brake pedal itself, there is the switch, can that be going bad? And where would I get a replacement? Also could there be a short in the wires, and I just need to go further up the wire to find it?
it could be a short but than it could be your brake light switch going out idk for sure and you should be able to get that switch at any parts store
More wierdness. I saw the post about the fuse cover and found the pic of the 79 cover that was posted. So I took out the fuse that is supposed to be to my tails, it appears good, I also took out the brake fuse and it appears good. Then I noticed my tails were still on, how can this be, when I have the fuse on the floor. So I unbolt the fuse box and discover someone cut the wires and ran them together, by passing the fuse block. So this could be why my tails are on a seperate switch. So I am going to try and do the same for my brake lights and see if this is part of the problem. I'll have to wire in some fuses and stuff. I hate wires and previous owner's who don't know how to properly fix things. A rewire may be in store for my truck
tail and hazzards are 2 different fuzes. use a test light to find out the function and LABEL the wires for the rear lights. sounds more like grounds to me. the tail lights are grounded through the mount bolts on the light housing. Read: notoriously $hitty the bed is only grounded by the bolts through the body mounts. with the stock housings, i make a F'd up lil wire that connects to the mount bolts and the chassis. guaranteeing that i have a solid ground for each bulb. ive had mild sucess with washers between the housing n the bed, but the wire works best.
Went to the auto store. Picked up a new brake pedal switch, 2 15 fuse holders, 8 feet of 8 gauge wire. That will give me enough wire to do a proper ground for the rear end and some of the grounds in the engine bay. So since I got to work tonight I don't have time to mess w/ it. But tommorow I'll wire up the new switch, try a temp ground and see if it fixes my problem. I really hope it does. Then I can fuse that running light wire that is currently un fused. ( previous owner ) fuse my brake light wire, since I noticed that there is corosion in the fuse block, besides mini fuses are easier to deal w/. Locate a place on the rear frame where I can drill and tap a place for a proper ground. Do all the crimp and wire shirnk for a good water resistant seal. Label my new fuse holders, find a good out of the way place to mount those. Maybe I'll have time to do the ground on the neg. battery terminal and switch to my old Stinger battery terminals, just to brighten up the new battery. Then get my ass to bed. This brake light problem is very annoying to me. The more time I spend on other things takes away from my flat bed. And it also stops me from driving around in my truck. And driving around in a half completed project truck that looks like total **** is one of the funnest things you can do. Wish me luck and I'll let you know how it all works out.
just cuz i think it was unclear... but the ground wire i make has 4 washer type ends on it it, one for each housing mounting bolt and one for the frame mount. used existing holes/bolts. and some times its the nut on the inside of the housing thats come loose, a serious bitch to check/fix
I don't have stock tails. I cut the top half of my bed off. Since I hardly drove the truck after I bought it, I don't know if this is a all ready existing problem or this is because I got rid of the stock grounding points. So I have to go through all the possibilities. You seem to know a awful lot about old toys, and you suggested grounds. So since I don't have a ground, I'll do a ground. The other stuff is stuff that I might as well do since I am all ready there. And like my pappy all ways said, either do it right or don't f*ckin touch it
Okay got it figured out, my fuse box is totally screwed up. Where I am supposed to have power I have none, that is why the owner wired the driving lights to a seperate source and switch. Okay, I can deal w/ this. I have a left over power wire from another small amp, so I'll use that and run my constants off that, since it appears that all my constant power is gone from the fuse block. I only have 2 switched powers left, I need to identify those and basically leave them alone since they are the only working things in my fuse box. All makes sense now, no dash lights, cig lighter, and the radio loses all setting and memory cause I got no constant hot. Okay questions, What fuse rating should I run. I don't know the draw of these items. I'll probly just run the brake light power and stereo, and find the dash light wire and wire that to the same keyed source as my tails, or will that put to much draw on that?? I am not a electrician, so I need a little help
i would rate them similar to whatever a stock fuse box runs for that type of circuit. for when i do head units into things, i always run a nice sized wire through a fuse holder from the positive. i branch it into 2 wires and one goes through a toggle switch to the keyed power on the deck and the other to the constant. then its just speaker wires and a ground. for those i usually run a 20A fuse. cuz ive been known to add other small circuits to that main feed. LED lighting, extra lighter sockets, ect.
sounds like the PO blew a fuseable link and bypassed it instead of fixing it. bet you have some kinda monkey rigging in the stock wiring near the batt.
