brake/running lights? wtf?????

[dman1982]

no bad bulbs...cant find any bad wires, i asked a few weeks ago about this issue but didnt get too many hits....i need to get this thing inspected soon and need to figure this out...i have brake and head lights and turn signals but no running lights...what is the problem? trying to get this fixed sometime 2marrow. thanks

[nbpro]

You don't say what kind of vehicle it is, what year it is. It would be nice to know what you have checked. The more info you give, the better response you'll get.

[fixit-p]

What year, have you checked your fuses?

[dman1982]

oh ya...my bad...went all into the problem without saying what the problem is on...its a 84 k10, i put a new steering column in it about a year ago then deployed, they werent working then either just saying...before i put the column in everything was working...now its not lol

[dman1982]

oh and all the fuses are good

[nbpro]

Is this the column that has the light switch/turn signals all in one? If so, I would start there.

[dman1982]

no its got the light switch down below the dash, the cruise control and turn signal switch up there on the column

[nbpro]

steering column was the correct one for the vehicle, right? I'd make sure all connections going to the column are good, because it looks like you've done everything else. Fuses, bad wires. Make sure all grounds are good. But I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the new column installed. Back track yourself if you can. Make sure there are no loose connections. Good luck.

[dman1982]

does the ignition switch have anything to do with my running lights?

[dman1982]

and the steering column came out of a blazer

[nbpro]

Day time running lights ?

[BLE 'BURBAN]

By chance do your dash lights work? If not check the fuse for them as well If it's blown it'll take out your running/parking lights as well EVEN IF your fuse for the running/parking lights is good.
Years ago when I replaced the stereo in my old 81 crew cab I forgot to seal up the end of the illumination wire for the OEM radio and left it hanging about once every couple of weeks my dash lights would go out, replace the fuse and drive on until it happened again. One night on the way home, NOT KNOWING my parking lights weren't working, a kind old officer gave me a written reminder about it. The next day I started chasing down my problem and that's when I found the wire had been tapping against the radio and shorting out my dash lights. Piece of heat shrink tubing and a $75.00 fix-it ticket later no more problem.
Hope this helps.
Dave

[fixit-p]

If the light switch is on the dash then the tail lights don't go through the column.

First check the taillight fuse for power if that checks out ok check the orange wire at the light switch for power if that checks out, check for power on the brown wire at the light switch with the lights turned on post back results.

[nbpro]

Originally Posted by dman1982

no bad bulbs...cant find any bad wires, i asked a few weeks ago about this issue but didnt get too many hits....i need to get this thing inspected soon and need to figure this out...i have brake and head lights and turn signals but no running lights...what is the problem? trying to get this fixed sometime 2marrow. thanks

brake and head lights and turn signals but no running lights...hes check all the fuse

[glock35ipsc]

You need to start at the problem, then work backwards.

Get a test light or a DVM, and start at the drivers front marker light. Should be a brown wire. (the lt blue/dk blue wires will be from the turn signal switch) With the headlight switch on (either the first or second position) check for power on the brown wire.

If you have power there.......

Pull the washer reservoir off so that you can strip the split loom off the wire harness all the way to the firewall connector. Inspect the wiring for breaks. Check for power at the firewall connector two ways; 1] probe the connector for the brown wire where it enters the plug, and 2] unplug the connector and see if there is power on the firewall-side connection.

If you have power there.......

Check fuses for marker lights and instrument cluster lights.

If you have power there.......

Check for power at the headlight switch itself, at the brown wire coming off of it.

I just saw this:

before i put the column in everything was working...now its not lol

They worked before you swapped the column, now they don't? Since the column doesn't have any bearing on the marker lights (but obviously does for the turn signals, and the wiring is intertwined), it's possible a wire between the light switch and the fuse box got cut or pinched. If you don't have markers front or rear, this would be my guess, as IIRC there are two different wires leaving the firewall plug for marker lights; one for the front, and one in a different section of the plug going to the rear markers.

Power is supplied to the headlight switch, then to the fuse block, then splits in two to the firewall connector (front and rear), then on to the front and rear lights.

One thing I have learned in chasing electrical gremlins is..... always start at the problem and work your way back to the source. Don't bounce around to things that may or may not be related. Truck won't start? Don't start at the alternator to see if it's charging the battery, start at the starter and work back to the thing that makes it function, etc.

[nbpro]

Quote:

They worked before you swapped the column, now they don't? Since the column doesn't have any bearing on the marker lights (but obviously does for the turn signals, and the wiring is intertwined), it's possible a wire between the light switch and the fuse box got cut or pinched
why i said
pretty sure it has something to do with the new column installed. Back track yourself if you can. Make sure there are no loose connections.

[dman1982]

turn signals work, just no running lights....that is where all the confusion is...chased wires already....ill take a test light to the wires you told me about and check it out...thanks alot...ill let you know if i find the problem

[fixit-p]

I would start at the fuse check it with a test light or DVM then the orange wire it feeds the headlight switch for the tail/park and dash light circuits. I doubt you have a ground fault but you could test your ground by back probing the black wire (ground wire) on the headlight plug, with the lights turned on any reading below .5 volts indicate a good ground. Here are a couple of diagrams. The only way the steering column could be the cause is if you cut, pinched or disconnected something during the install as mentioned already by others.





I would normally agree to start at the problem but since the problem is at all 4 corners of the truck the culprit would have to be at or near the splice, I don't know how the wires are routed on these year trucks but the problem is most likely in the cab.

[Yupiamlo]

Hey my marker lights had been all messed up a few weeks ago and I couldnt figure it out either. I had narrowed the issue down to the brown wire that is a ground for the marker lights, and their is a connector that they all ground out to down by the base of the steering column, its a simple little prong, but I had done my motor swap a few months back and forgot to plug it back in.

Maybe thats your issue.

-Adam

[nbpro]

could the wires in steering column be cut, pinched by a previously repair by original owner ? Would it cause that running light problem?

[dman1982]

hey adam....do you know what color that prong is???? i think i know what your talking about....where does that thing plug into????

[dman1982]

i found the brown wire, it is cut by the fuse box, is it suppose to have a plug and go somewhere? if so im looking at the scematic and kinda confused.

[fixit-p]

Did you identify the wire (check for power with light switch on) where does it lead to? If it has power present with lights on then look for another brown wire. If it looks like it goes to the outside wiring check to see if it came off of the light switch. I've never seen where the ground for the park/tail lights came back into the cab.

[dman1982]

it looks like it went out the engine compartment but there isnt any loose brown wires out there, thats why im assuming and looking at the scematic that i would say it goes into the fuse box, it looks clean cut, but i dont see where it exactly goes on the schematic

[fixit-p]

Originally Posted by dman1982

it looks like it went out the engine compartment but there isnt any loose brown wires out there, thats why im assuming and looking at the scematic that i would say it goes into the fuse box, it looks clean cut, but i dont see where it exactly goes on the schematic

Check the light switch it may have broken off there