Always something with an old vehicle

[CG]

A friend wanted to borrow my little welder today so I tossed it in the Scion and drove up to his house. Weather around here has been wet, snowy, and freeezing, because I drive my Scion all day everyday its more than filthy. I get up to my buddys place and his cars are all shiny clean. They have been off for a couple weeks so he was able to fit in a good cleaning between crappy weather.

I got home and we still have a light coating of snow here, you can just see the tips of the grass and the driveway has has about half that. My faucets are all winterized and the hose reels have been stored away. Except for the fact its freezing cold out, it is a beautiful day here in the NW.

I decided to start the new year with clean cars. Take off the faucet covers, drag out the hose reel and fill up my wash bucket with warm water so I dont freeze my hands off.

Got the Trail Blazer all clean, was fun cause the water kept freezing up on the car. Then I got the Scion all pretty.

I was looking at my K20, still covered in bout a half inch of snow ... do I want to bother? Yep, so I fired it up and let it idle for the hour it took me to get it all clean. I was really getting into it. I scrubbed the tires with a brush, cleaned off all the black stuff that gets on it from sitting so long in the back yard with tree junk falling all over it. I was freezing but really enjoying giving it a new year clean up. Now that it was all pretty I decided to go for a drive.

I put the other cars away, covered the faucet back up, stored the hose back in the garage and put down a layer of rock salt on the driveway. It was a little slippery lol.

I hopped in my truck pulled the headlight switch on and for some reason I decided to do a quick walk around. Headlights but no tail lights. No marker lights either. Turn on the blinker the lights all did their thing correctly except the front side marker lights were blinking too. No brake lights either.

Its cold out, do I feel like trouble shooting a problem the truck has never had before or should I go inside and sit on the couch in front of the fireplace and check out the board? Ill check out the board

Hope everyone is having a Happy New Years Day!

[Boog]

Sunshine here too and where am I? Inside. Right in front of the tv watching Barrett Jackson marathon and scanning these posts. Happy New Year everybody!

[LockDoc]

-
I didn't do anything with the trucks but I did go out and start cleaning the shop today. Lord knows it needs it..

LockDoc

[oldiron]

Check and see if you have dash lights working. If not check the fuse panel for a blown fuse.
If you have dash lights then check and see if you have burnt out tail light bulbs. If they are good then check and see if you have a good ground.
I will think up some other ideas later.

[Maxxd07]

Four below here today so not much doin but I did take the 70 for a drive to town and back, about 30 mile round trip.

[bosco200]

I had this same problem in my 72 I replaced all the light sockets because they were rusty and didn't have a ground at all....fixed now.

[swamp rat]

When it warms up take a look at the taillight wire plug on the rear crossmember to be sure its still together, then also look at the fuse block.

Whats with this deep freeze were in anyway!

[CG]

I might pull it into the garage later and fire up the heat. Its funny how the one thing on this truck that has always been perfect with zero problems decided to give me grief just when I was ready to take her for a nice spin. I guess sitting outside for four months without driving her in our wet NW weather doesnt help. I think Ill pick up a tarp and move it into the barn where at least its out of the wet part of the weather.

Thanks for all the tips guys. Ill be checking em all out.



Mark

[Hottrucks]

Four months and winter is just starting...I think I'd be sick if my truck sat that long...Ignore the wife for that long and she if she's not a little finiky.....lol...

[CG]

So far ... No blown fuses that I see. Dash lights all work. All my sockets look like new. I think the original owner had em replaced when he had the truck "restored". Bulbs looked good, but I stuck new ones in just in case my blurry vision is fooling with me. There is a camper plug wired into the harness that sits on the wheel well. Ill check all those and grounds next ... Gail just fixed me a nice hot lunch, think Ill attend to that first =)

[oldiron]

You have a nice dry shop and you put the truck in bird poop central!!!
I don't know you any more.

[CG]

OK I didn't put the truck in the barn. I rolled it into my shop to figure out this problem. Rechecked the fuses using a drop light so I could see better...there was a blown fuse. Got my tail lights working, but still no brake lights. And now my dash lights wouldn't work.

Wiggled my light switch around and got my dash lights sorta working. I had a couple of extra new switches so I replaced that. Now my dash lights work and so does my inside cab light when I twist the knob, it hadn't worked before.

Just for grins I checked my back up lights, one was burnt out. Changed that. Now everything was working again except my brake lights.

Did the hang upside down thing under my dash and checked the brake switch. It was stuck. I took that out and carefully lubed the actuator shaft. Put it all back together and everything works again.

Just weird how all of this happened with my truck just sitting there without being driven for a few months. I'm very careful to keep everything functioning properly in this old rig. I don't want to get hassled by the "man" over anything that he can pull me over for just by watching me drive down the road.

I see so many old trucks driving around with half the lights out and mismatched half bald tires, I don't want to be that kind of driver. It isn't the prettiest truck around but right now everything is functioning pretty darn well.

Thanks for everyone's tips on what to look for.

[swamp rat]

Cool beans man!

[Kokomoooo]

Washing your truck............................in the snow? Not me brother!! I hate the cold!!!!! There, warm your hands on that.

[Jacfourteen]

Washing your truck in the snow? , although you could call me crazy too, today I was playing paintball and I was laying in the snow and mud to hide from other people trying to shoot me

[CG]

Since my truck is running perfectly and all my lights are working perfectly, I decided to take a run to the dump. I had a bunch of lumber left over from summer projects. An old fence we tore out, a large porch cover/pergola thingy, and even had some leftover junk from when I was building my shop.

Filled my truck higher than the besides by a foot and a half. Got my load all secured and tied down legal like. They are very tough on unsecured loads here in Washington state. Been a few very bad/sad accidents with people losing stuff off of their trucks in recent years.

Weather is crappy today with a rain/snow combo. I pulled into 7-11 to grab something to drink. I was checking out the reflection of my truck with all my beautiful lights functioning so nicely lol. Before I got her shut down a city police officer pulled in beside me.

I had a smug look on my face I'm sure. In my head I was saying, Yeah everything you're looking at officer is legal.

We both got out of our rigs at the same time ... Hey nice old truck you got there ... Thanks, its kind of my baby. He just laughed and nodded his head. Oh hey, when I pulled in behind you I noticed your license plate light isn't working. On the outside I was, Hey thanks Ill get that taken care of right away, on the inside I was, AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

I wouldn't worry about it too much, most of us wouldn't pull someone over for that unless we felt there were other things going on. Have a good day.

*Sigh*

[Stocker]

Originally Posted by CG

On the outside I was, Hey thanks Ill get that taken care of right away, on the inside I was, AAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

*Sigh*

Like your thread title says...

[swamp rat]

LOL!! Well its way better than a non secure load ticket!

[CG]

Pulled the license plate light out and the thing was super corroded inside so I ran down to the parts store to see if they had any. They had the same kind I have now and it was only a few bucks.

Got it all put in and it works great....COME GET ME NOW COPPERS!

Now that I'm on a roll I'm thinking about installing my NOS cab lights. This should be interesting lol.

[Kokomoooo]

Originally Posted by Jacfourteen

Washing your truck in the snow? , although you could call me crazy too, today I was playing paintball and I was laying in the snow and mud to hide from other people trying to shoot me

Now see, that sounds perfectly sane to me!!!

Man, its been awhile.........................................

[gonzo6869]

I washed my truck today, although it was nice and sunny with Temps in the 60's, I don't know if I could have done it with snow, but I will never have to worry about that here

[Kokomoooo]

Originally Posted by gonzo6869

I washed my truck today, although it was nice and sunny with Temps in the 60's, I don't know if I could have done it with snow, but I will never have to worry about that here

Move north, you will love snow!!!!! Actually snow wouldn't be so bad if it was like maybe 80 degrees?!

[keenan]

it could be that since it was so cold the wires contracted and an open was made.

[RCbowtie69]

just have to say that feel the same way, i like to all my lights to work. so a month ago i went and brought new switch for my back up lights, put in new switch & found a short in the driver side housing,so i rebuild both sides by buying new sockets & spent about $30.00 & now i have back up lights

[keenan]

and if your having troublefinding that specific open in the wire but u cannot find a cut or anything have someone press the brake pedal and trake a small compass(doesnt have to be an exspensive one a cheapo will do) and follow the wire back thru the cab and under the frame rail. if u get to an open within the wire the needle will move around(electromagnetic force). u will have voltage up to the open no current