Still No Brake Lights...but narrowed down

[5150]

Okay, I got power coming from the switch, but still no power at the rear.

Pulled off the plug that goes into the firewall and checked power there and NO power.

So apparently it's somewhere between the switch and that plug.

Any ideas?

[LUV2XCLR8]

Man oh man, what a headache, no ideas but ttt for ya

PS - Hows the civic doing

[pjmoreland]

So you have power on the white wire that comes out of the switch and runs to the steering column curved connector? If so, I'm thinking there is something wrong with the turn signal assembly inside the column. Are the two halves of the curved column connector snapped tightly together?

[5150]

I got them real tight. I checked them when I didn't have any headlights. Then all of a sudden they started working.

[Longhorn Man]

Check the plug on the turn signal, if all looks good, replace turn signal witch.
Or go find a van tilt to install. It'll take about the same amount of time to swap the column as it would to replace the switch...but you'll still need a steering wheel puller to get the fugly van wheel off.
Of course, you'd want to kick me in the gut if you got a van column and it had a bad swithc too!

[5150]

Andy-Are you talking about the half moon plug out of the steering column? Or is the switch in the column.

Remember I also have no Wipers at all, don't know if that plays a part in all this.

[Longhorn Man]

Your wipers will be a seperate problem.
Yes, the 1/2 moon plug at the bottom of the column is the plug that goes up to the turn signal switch up in teh column.

[cdowns]

hmm i was under the impression that the white wire from the column connector carries voltage to the brakelight switch// hot all the time 24/7 ign on or off///so if the white wire is hot and when you step on the brake the power goes thru the orange wire to a connector near the fuse panel thru the brown wir down thru the harness to the lights located at the rear of the truck//// i personally don't see a reason for changinging a steering column /// but i've been wrong b-4

[Longhorn Man]

Well, the column part is a bit of sarcasm...plus the idea for an upgrade.
However...the white wire is hot ... the orange wire is switched from the brake pedal .. (I may have the colors backwards since I have no schematics here at the moment) Then that wire goes up to the turn signal switch. There is is seperated to a left and a right tail lights (Yellow and dark green) and this way, the turn signals can work while letting the brake light on the other side light up.

[purple gas]

well thanks a lot. I was ready to relax for the night,all comfy in my sweat pants with my socks off, now I gotta go out and look at my truck so I can follow this mystery

[5150]

Okay found a couple of wires under the dash. Hopefully someone can identify them so I can fix my BRAKE LIGHTS!!!!

The set on the right is one light green and a darker green. They come together into that male connector. Looks factory, no power to it at all. The wires go up into that big bundle that heads to the half moon shaped plug.

The other wires are going to some bulbs that went to a set of aftermarket gauges. The black wire goes to a ground and the other wire is spliced to the bulbs. When I turn on my headlights the bulbs DO come on so they are getting power. I thought this might have something to do with why I have no instrument panel lights.

By the way the orange wire there on the stoplight plug is the one with the power to it. The white wire has no power to it. Don't know if it matters which way you plug the switch in, but I've tried both.

Hope somebody can help.

[Longhorn Man]

WAY off topic..but that is the second time I have seen a 67 - 72 with that style (non original) brake pedal in it.
interesting.

[5150]

It looks like someone welded it up top to the original brake pedal rod.

[pjmoreland]

Make sure that when you are pressing your brake pedal, you have power on that white wire that connects to the brake light switch.

[5150]

I have power to the orange wire as it sits above. But no power to the white wire. I'm having a hard time getting the old broken(I broke it) stoplight switch out. I have the new one just plugged in and lying there until I can get the old one out.

The new one plugged in and lying there should mean the brake lights are on at all times.

I want to know what the green wires are and where the black wire that goes to those bulbs originally went.

[pjmoreland]

Do you have power to the white wire when the connecter is plugged into the new switch?

[5150]

I don't know. I'll try to find a spot on the wire to touch that will give me an opportunity to check it. The stoplight switch wires and the Neutral safety switch wires (aren't being used) go straight into the fuse box.

Give me a sec I'll be right back.

[5150]

Okay with the switch plugged in and lying there I have power to the white wire. When the top is depressed down I have power to the orange wire.

[pjmoreland]

The brake switch is working properly.

Please test these two things:

1) The white wire runs from the switch up to the half-moon column connector. Do you have power on the white wire up at the half-moon connector (brake switch plugged in, not depressed)?

2) Do you have power on the dark green and the yellow wires on the half-moon connector (right next to the white wire)?

[5150]

I have power at the white wire, but not at the dark green wire or the yellow wire. That's with the switch depressed and not depressed.

[LUV2XCLR8]

Jeez, this is a freak'n nightmare, I feel for ya Brian

[pjmoreland]

Ok, I'm 99% sure there's something wrong with your turn signal assembly inside your steering column. Those dark green and yellow wires are the power feeds for your brake lights depending on which position your turn signal lever is in.

[5150]

This is really making me mad. All this crap worked before it went the bodyshop. I don't understand why it won't now.

How the hell do you mess up the brake lights, wipers, instrument lights, and even the sidemarker lights. HOW??????

[5150]

I did change out the turn signal cam when I put my new steering wheel on is there anything I could have done when I put the cam in. I mean it goes in or it doesn't.

[pjmoreland]

Is there any chance those green wires popped out of the connector on your firewall that runs to the tail lights? If so, that might explain why your back up lights don't work, or do they?