electrical nightmare - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

67gmcss · 08-05-2004, 07:31 PM

Please help tell me what's wrong---With parking lights or headlights either one on, in the rear I have only driver's side taillight on the step side. With the turn signals on BOTH rear lights blink no matter which side turn signal i use, but passenger's side won't work any other way. Also, license plate light has power to the actual socket but won't light up the bulb even though it will the circuit tester...yes, the bulb is good. Help, help, help -- I am afraid to even drive it for fear of a ticket and definitely no night time driving. BTW the little "box" where the wires to the rear mount on the firewall gets warm to the touch when the lights are on...not hot or anything but warm enough you can tell a difference. Is that right?

WRMZ71 · 08-05-2004, 07:59 PM

I kinda had the same problem last year with mine. I had switched out the headlight switch and the turn signal switch and was still having problems. What it ended up being was the front turn signal in the bumper. The socket grounds itself out with some push type tabs and it was just a scoche loose. This was causing the applied voltage on that turnsignal filament to jump across the ground go back through the headlight side and make all the lights flash including the dash lights. Man talk about a brain buster!!!! It sounds like you might be having the same problem. I'd pull the connector at each light one at a time and see if its still happening. Just make sure your grounds are good they can do some crazy things!!! Good Luck

JimKshortstep4x4 · 08-05-2004, 08:01 PM

I would suggest working on the grounding of the taillights. Make sure the bed is well grounded, also. You may have more than a grounding problem, but it is a good place to start.

Jim

**68 Stepside** · 08-05-2004, 08:30 PM

I had the EXACT same problem with my 68 step. I grounded the metal of the bed to the frame, and that was all it took, no more problems.

67gmcss · 08-05-2004, 10:10 PM

thanks guys...i will try these this weekend. i would have cried, but that would just have shorted the rest of the junk out.

jimfulco · 08-06-2004, 02:26 AM

If all else fails, check & see if somebody replaced a dual-filament bulb with a single-filament bulb. This will cause some pretty strange lighting patterns.

08-05-2004, 07:31 PM	#1
67gmcss Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: somerset,kentucky,usa Posts: 154	electrical nightmare Please help tell me what's wrong---With parking lights or headlights either one on, in the rear I have only driver's side taillight on the step side. With the turn signals on BOTH rear lights blink no matter which side turn signal i use, but passenger's side won't work any other way. Also, license plate light has power to the actual socket but won't light up the bulb even though it will the circuit tester...yes, the bulb is good. Help, help, help -- I am afraid to even drive it for fear of a ticket and definitely no night time driving. BTW the little "box" where the wires to the rear mount on the firewall gets warm to the touch when the lights are on...not hot or anything but warm enough you can tell a difference. Is that right?

08-05-2004, 08:30 PM	#4
68 Stepside huh? Join Date: May 2000 Location: Washington, Illinois Posts: 5,690	I had the EXACT same problem with my 68 step. I grounded the metal of the bed to the frame, and that was all it took, no more problems. __________________ Someday when I'm lonely, Wishing you weren't so far away, Then I will remember Things we said today. RIP El Jay

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08-05-2004, 07:59 PM	#2
WRMZ71 Cause the Chicks DIG IT!! Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Beaufort SC Posts: 509	I kinda had the same problem last year with mine. I had switched out the headlight switch and the turn signal switch and was still having problems. What it ended up being was the front turn signal in the bumper. The socket grounds itself out with some push type tabs and it was just a scoche loose. This was causing the applied voltage on that turnsignal filament to jump across the ground go back through the headlight side and make all the lights flash including the dash lights. Man talk about a brain buster!!!! It sounds like you might be having the same problem. I'd pull the connector at each light one at a time and see if its still happening. Just make sure your grounds are good they can do some crazy things!!! Good Luck

08-05-2004, 08:01 PM	#3
JimKshortstep4x4 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Muskegon,MI,USA Posts: 6,026	I would suggest working on the grounding of the taillights. Make sure the bed is well grounded, also. You may have more than a grounding problem, but it is a good place to start. Jim

08-05-2004, 10:10 PM	#5
67gmcss Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: somerset,kentucky,usa Posts: 154	thanks guys...i will try these this weekend. i would have cried, but that would just have shorted the rest of the junk out.

08-06-2004, 02:26 AM	#6
jimfulco Registered User Join Date: May 2003 Location: Shreveport LA Posts: 3,170	If all else fails, check & see if somebody replaced a dual-filament bulb with a single-filament bulb. This will cause some pretty strange lighting patterns.



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