Brake Lights

[climberman]

I need to get my 1966 C10 inspected I have been working on my electrical for 3 days now. There were problems with everything but the brake lights they worked just fine. For my other troubles I thought there was a problem in the steering wheel switch so I ordered another one it isn't here yet maybe today.

However after it set in my garage for a few days the signals started to work so I decided to just get things working. Remember my brakes lights worked the whole time. There was a bunch of things I needed to fix.

Like my tale lights only work in the back and while I was working on that they started to work in the front and not in the back. I never figured it out so I run wires to the dash and wired them to a toggle switch. I first changed the light switch but that didn't fix it.

Everything working I went to get it inspected but forgot to check my brake lights I got there and they didn't work. I don't know what I did.

I am getting power to the brake petal switch and the switch works the electricity is going though it.

Could it be in the steering wheel or are there any other ideas that I should look for at this point I am lost.

[kieth]

Originally Posted by climberman

I need to get my 1966 C10 inspected I have been working on my electrical for 3 days now. There were problems with everything but the brake lights they worked just fine. For my other troubles I thought there was a problem in the steering wheel switch so I ordered another one it isn't here yet maybe today.

However after it set in my garage for a few days the signals started to work so I decided to just get things working. Remember my brakes lights worked the whole time. There was a bunch of things I needed to fix.

Like my tale lights only work in the back and while I was working on that they started to work in the front and not in the back. I never figured it out so I run wires to the dash and wired them to a toggle switch. I first changed the light switch but that didn't fix it.

Everything working I went to get it inspected but forgot to check my brake lights I got there and they didn't work. I don't know what I did.

I am getting power to the brake petal switch and the switch works the electricity is going though it.

Could it be in the steering wheel or are there any other ideas that I should look for at this point I am lost.

Ay yes the age old grounding gremlin, Things keep changing because you do not have a good ground on the lights, I simply soldered a ground wire to every light housing and grounded the lights to the frame.......now your lights will work, Kieth

[KJSR]

The brake lights go through the turn signal switch. If you were having issues with the turn signals it may be a bad switch. I would replace it and see if that fixes your problem....

[climberman]

I decided to pull the steering wheel off and just messing with it, now my signal lights both flashing no matter witch way you turn them I am going ahead with the signal switch replacement first and eliminate it. I know what you mean everywhere I look next something else doesn't work.

[climberman]

I change the switch and still the same what should I check next?

[MacsGTO]

Kieth has it dead on. The reason your issue changes each time you play with it is because of grounding and the flow is constantly looking for the path of least resistance. No kidding you need to ground your battery to the frame and your engine to the frame. Make sure your front and rear light buckets are grounded to the body and have a ground from the frame to the body in at least two places. The buckets will be a major point of failure a lot of the time.
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[TxRat]

I went through this very same thing. What Kieth said is correct. Make sure you check all your grounds and you'll get it...

[joedoh]

yep, keith is right. I was so frustrated with the poor grounds on the taillight buckets I used a self tapping screw right into the housing with a star washer and ran a wire from there to the frame. brake lights never looked so bright, and you cant even notice the screw tip next to the bulb with the lenses on haha

[climberman]

I know what you mean I have to shut the hood in order for the front lights to work. But in the back my signal lights work and my park lights work so there must be a ground. And so the brake lights would have a ground too.

[TxRat]

You have a bad ground up front or a pinched or loose wire. by closing the hood you are closing the circuit. start there...

[joedoh]

Originally Posted by climberman

I know what you mean I have to shut the hood in order for the front lights to work. But in the back my signal lights work and my park lights work so there must be a ground. And so the brake lights would have a ground too.

wrong. the park lights ground through the brake switch wire, so do the flashers. when you step on the brakes though, that wire that was resting at ground becomes a hot, and without a ground at the bulb the lights go out.

how many connections are there on a stop/park bulb? if you said two, you are wrong, there are THREE, the two dots (one is the first filament for the park lights, the second is the second filament for the brake/turn) and the OUTER CASE. the outer case is your ground. when you turn on a park lamp the current goes to the first dot, to the park filament, to the case. since there is no ground here it keeps searching, current goes from the case to the second filament, and out the second dot to the brake light switch, which is resting at ground. light. step on the brakes though, and it all goes out.


your comments make me absolutely certain that you should reground your taillights to the frame, and make sure you have a ground going from the battery to the frame AND the body AND a ground from the engine to the body. Here is a good rule of thumb about taillight problems, its ALWAYS the ground. always.

[ABX131]

I thinks we spent almost a month chasing down electrical issues. This is our 2nd old GM product and they are all the same. Bad grounds. We took out every light and scuffed the sockets and added the extra ground wire to the frame from the sockets and resolved most of our issues. It seems like a right of passage but we always start with that.

[luvbowties]

Originally Posted by climberman

I need to get my 1966 C10 inspected I have been working on my electrical for 3 days now. There were problems with everything but the brake lights they worked just fine. For my other troubles I thought there was a problem in the steering wheel switch so I ordered another one it isn't here yet maybe today.

However after it set in my garage for a few days the signals started to work so I decided to just get things working. Remember my brakes lights worked the whole time. There was a bunch of things I needed to fix.

Like my tale lights only work in the back and while I was working on that they started to work in the front and not in the back. I never figured it out so I run wires to the dash and wired them to a toggle switch. I first changed the light switch but that didn't fix it.

Everything working I went to get it inspected but forgot to check my brake lights I got there and they didn't work. I don't know what I did.

I am getting power to the brake petal switch and the switch works the electricity is going though it.

Could it be in the steering wheel or are there any other ideas that I should look for at this point I am lost.

I was recently surprised to read that on our '66's the back taillights/parklamps burn when headlites are on, BUT the front parklamps do NOT. Also, when light switch is pulled to 1st position out, both front AND rear parklites burn.
sam