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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 89
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Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
My truck had a generic set of trailer lights on it and i bought the right tail lights for it from brothers. They aren't plug and play, I have to solder them. But I knew that. Didn't want to spend $50 each for oem tail lights just to get the right plugs. The factory tail light wiring harness is showing only two wires, a yellow and brown. And my new tail lights have three. A red, black and white. Now I assume the black is for ground and red is for power, but anyone know what the white would be for? But since there is no 3rd wire on the harness, where would I connect the 3rd wire on the tail lights?
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#2 |
Registered User
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Rochester NY
Posts: 831
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Whats the truck? What year? Fleetside or stepside ?
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1973 k20 Suburban 350 1974 Custom stepside c-10 250 1975 Chevy stepside 454 1986 K30 Crewcab SRW 350 R.I.P- glimmertwin01- board member and good friend, you will be missed |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: El Lago, TX
Posts: 1,668
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
I did the same thing you are doing on my stepside, but I can't rember the colors. I bought the lights at O'Reilly's and it seems like there was a diagram on the box.
I don't think any of the wires are ground. Seems like i remember one wire is tail lights, one is brake/turn signal, and the last one is for your reverse lights. I believe white is going to be the reverse light. They get their ground from bolting to the bed. I also had to run a ground strap from the bed to the frame to get my lights to work properly. |
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#4 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Sherman, ME
Posts: 2,359
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Factory wire colors are:
Brown = tail lights (both sides) Yellow = Left rear turn signal & brake light Dark Green = Right rear turn signal & brake light Did the new lights come with a diagram or color code chart? A lot of trailer wiring uses white (instead of black) for the ground. |
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 89
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
It's an 83 stepside and no, these new tail lights came with no diagram. I pulled out the tail light harness and took off all the electrical tape and man, these wires are cut to hell. Whoever messed with them did a terrible job. And there are three wires each on the factory tail light harness. A yellow, green and brown. So now I just need to figure out with wires on the new tail lights go to which wire on the harness. The wires on the factory plugs that go from the tail light to the harness were cut right at the base of the plug, so I really have no way to fix it. and I don't think they sell them new. So I think I will just have to crimp on some female plug in to fix it.
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#6 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Humble, TX
Posts: 171
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Hook them up and if the tail light is on when they are hooked up and does not get brighter then switch the wires around. If it does get brighter then you are good to go. To figure out the turn signal light use a light tester.
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I don't care how old or gangster you think you are; if a 3 year old hands you a play phone you answer that! I like long walks on the beach, dinner by candle light, and poking dead things with a stick. |
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#7 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,957
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Since we are talking tail light wiring. I was putting my wiring back on the frame last night and noticed a burnt section. I cut out the bad spot and noticed there is a dark and light green wire along with the yellow and brown wires. What is the extra green for?
__________________
Roy 85 Short Bed Silverado- Work in progress. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=564818 1987 R10 shortie |
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#8 |
78K & 79C Jimmys
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Ottawa Ont CANADA
Posts: 7,901
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
light green to both backups
yellow to left blinker dark green to right blinker brown to both parking lights/plate light
__________________
John 1978 GMCJimmy4X4-350/203 1979 GMCJimmy4X2-305/350 |
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#9 |
Senior Member
![]() Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Illinois
Posts: 2,957
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Thanks. Much appreciated.
__________________
Roy 85 Short Bed Silverado- Work in progress. http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=564818 1987 R10 shortie |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Swansboro, NC
Posts: 6
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
I think I am going to love this site! I will be wiring new tail lights on when I get my truck back and this is great information to have going in. I was having trouble finding tail lights for a step side that were a decent price so I picked some up from Advanced and was wondering how the wiring would match up.
Thanks for the info! Tim |
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#11 |
Moderator
![]() Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Wentworth, NH
Posts: 4,950
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
This snipped step-side taillight wiring diagram should help. The whole 83 CK wiring diagram is in my sig.
__________________
1959 M35A2 LDT465-1D SOLD 1967 Dodge W200 B383, NP420/NP201 SOLD 1969 Dodge Polara 500 B383, A833 SOLD 1972 Ford F250 FE390, NP435/NP205 SOLD 1976 Chevy K20, 6.5L, NV4500/NP208 SOLD 1986 M1008 CUCV SOLD 2000 GMC C2500, TD6.5L, NV4500 2005 Chevy Silverado LS 2500HD 6.0L 4L80E/NP263 2009 Impala SS LS4 V8 RTFM... GM Parts Books, GM Schematics, GM service manuals, and GM training materials...
And please let us know if and how your repairs were successful. |
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Swansboro, NC
Posts: 6
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
That's perfect Hatzie, I stopped by the paint shop today to take a look at my tail light wires and this matches exactly.
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#13 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Nashua NH
Posts: 27
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
I changed the ones on my 81 stepside. the stock ones had a plug with 3 spades inside. the wires did not match up. so what I did was I made up some female spades for the taillight side, and just kept moving the wires around till I got it right, and then when to the next one. I never poped a fuse or melted any wires they were led ones from xyz parts store.
__________________
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 1981 chevy step side 1998 chevy blazer 1999 Subaru legacy (DD) |
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#14 | |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 89
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Quote:
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#15 | |
78K & 79C Jimmys
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Ottawa Ont CANADA
Posts: 7,901
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Quote:
I've seen the ground tab rot out back there,wouldn't know there was ever one check it for strength
__________________
John 1978 GMCJimmy4X4-350/203 1979 GMCJimmy4X2-305/350 |
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#16 |
Registered User
![]() Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Glen St. Mary, Florida
Posts: 304
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Hatzie,
Thanks for posting both of those diagrams. I have an 86 frame with an 83 bed and the connectors are different. 86 has the square plug and the 83 has the round plug. The diagrams you posted helped me make an adapter for my harness.
__________________
86 Chevrolet K10 350/SM465 Frankie SOLD 1995 GMC Yukon GT SOLD 1996 GMC Yukon GT 2010 Suburban 1500 4x4 5.3l/6L80e. Sold 2016 Silverado 2500HD Crew Cab 4x4 6.0l/6L80e |
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#17 | |
Moderator
![]() Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Wentworth, NH
Posts: 4,950
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
Quote:
![]() I'm not a big fan of the old molded plugs. They don't keep water out so the connectors can become a collection of corroded terminals even with dielectric grease. I'm not sure why GM didn't use 4 position Weatherpak connectors with cavity plugs, like the fleetside harness, on the 1984 and up step-side tail lights. When they made the change to Weatherpaks they would've only had to buy a long and short bulkhead to tail harness for Fleet and Step models rather than four different harnesses for the Long Fleet, Short Fleet, Long Step, and Short Step models. I believe the 2x2 Weatherpak plugs have provision for a mounting tang too. Maybe they had a large inventory of the step-side taillight assemblies that already had the molds.
__________________
1959 M35A2 LDT465-1D SOLD 1967 Dodge W200 B383, NP420/NP201 SOLD 1969 Dodge Polara 500 B383, A833 SOLD 1972 Ford F250 FE390, NP435/NP205 SOLD 1976 Chevy K20, 6.5L, NV4500/NP208 SOLD 1986 M1008 CUCV SOLD 2000 GMC C2500, TD6.5L, NV4500 2005 Chevy Silverado LS 2500HD 6.0L 4L80E/NP263 2009 Impala SS LS4 V8 RTFM... GM Parts Books, GM Schematics, GM service manuals, and GM training materials...
And please let us know if and how your repairs were successful. |
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#18 |
Moderator
![]() Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Wentworth, NH
Posts: 4,950
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
If you have a damaged molded plug on a 1973-1983 truck you can convert to the 4 position 2x2 square Weatherpak plug and socket that GM used on the later squares. I've done it with a couple trucks.
This is the 1985 tailight diagram. The terminal pinout should be the same all the way to 1991.
![]() 2x2 Weatherpak Plug and Socket BOM with extra terminals and seals for one 2x2 square weatherpak (Click on This Mouser Electronics Project Link and add to cart to order)
Tooling
Tooling If you're only doing a few... ![]()
__________________
1959 M35A2 LDT465-1D SOLD 1967 Dodge W200 B383, NP420/NP201 SOLD 1969 Dodge Polara 500 B383, A833 SOLD 1972 Ford F250 FE390, NP435/NP205 SOLD 1976 Chevy K20, 6.5L, NV4500/NP208 SOLD 1986 M1008 CUCV SOLD 2000 GMC C2500, TD6.5L, NV4500 2005 Chevy Silverado LS 2500HD 6.0L 4L80E/NP263 2009 Impala SS LS4 V8 RTFM... GM Parts Books, GM Schematics, GM service manuals, and GM training materials...
And please let us know if and how your repairs were successful. Last edited by hatzie; 02-28-2014 at 01:03 PM. Reason: edit BOM |
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#19 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Nashua NH
Posts: 27
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
not sure where each wire went. Not sure how much time you have to get this done. I wont get to my stepside to check till Tuesday. but I do remember that the colors were not the same on either side like the truck had a black,green and red or something and my lights had like yellow red and brown. are the lights on the truck? im not sure if it matters cause mine had a wire inside going to the studs that they bolt on to for a ground so maybe your dim issue is a ground problem.
__________________
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 1981 chevy step side 1998 chevy blazer 1999 Subaru legacy (DD) |
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#20 |
Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 89
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Re: Bought new tail lights, wiring doesnt exactly match up.
I have all the time, this is just a project so it sits. These taillights have a brown, red and white color wires and my factory harness was brown, green and yellow.
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