72 Tail light issue (on a daily driver)

[exmonkeypunk]

Recently, my driver side Tail light quit working. I changed the bulb and had no luck. All the wiring appeared to be decent, so i pulled the socket out and tried a new one. The new one required me to make a larger hole to fit into the housing. Well, i should've checked to see it it worked first. It didn't.
I cannot figure out why my driver light doesn't work. Anybody know of this?
I'm driving the truck daily, so i'm cruising without a left light. I need this taken care of quick like.

[stingray72]

Did you test the socket with a meter and make sure you have juice?

[exmonkeypunk]

Originally Posted by stingray72

Did you test the socket with a meter and make sure you have juice?

No. I don't think i have a tester.

[exmonkeypunk]

Originally Posted by exmonkeypunk

No. I don't think i have a tester.

nevermind. I found a test light and tried it out. Nothing on either wire.

[Classic Heartbeat]

Sounds like a break in the wire somewhere between the firewall and taillight itself. WES

[stingray72]

test it on the back side of the socket also where the wire goes in (could be the socket itself). then if you have nothing there follow the wires to the firewall and I believe you can test them there also. I remember something different when I did a painless install on my old 70

This is assuming it's not a fuse issue

[Longhorn Man]

if the brake light/blinker on that side work, then I'll agree 100% with wess.
Is there a trailer harness spliced in there? If so, that'd be the very first place I'd be looking... esp with your geographical location.

[exmonkeypunk]

Originally Posted by Classic Heartbeat

Sounds like a break in the wire somewhere between the firewall and taillight itself. WES

Classic parts has a harness for $35 plus shipping... Would that be the best route to take?

[exmonkeypunk]

The passenger side works fine. There's no trailer harness.
The blinker and the brake light worked but the tail light didn't.
Now i can't get the whole left rear to work at all.

[stingray72]

Originally Posted by exmonkeypunk

Classic parts has a harness for $35 plus shipping... Would that be the best route to take?

I'd do some more testing before I spent the money. Don't know anyone with a meter? and Andy is right. if there's a trailer harness in there the connections there could very well be the culprit

[exmonkeypunk]

after checking the website again, There's a rear and front section of wiring on this. I don't know if i need the front or rear section. I don't see why it couldn't be one piece? it's gonna be over 100 bucks to replace the whole thing. i'm not sure what's up with it. but i can't afford that.

[cdowns]

cheapest way is to go to a trailer dealer and buy the wire they sell the 4wire rirron wire by the foot

[exmonkeypunk]

Originally Posted by cdowns

cheapest way is to go to a trailer dealer and buy the wire they sell the 4wire rirron wire by the foot

would i need to reuse the ends, or could i find new ones at the trailer place?
Cheapest way is all i can afford.

[Longhorn Man]

try troubleshooting it... it could only cost a 75 cent butt connector.
Crawl under the truck at the back. On the drivers side frame rail, you'll see a plug. The problem can not, and will not be north of that. There is only one (brown) wire that brings the power for both tail lights from the cab, up to this point. So there is no need to look anywhere forward from this plug.
Now, follow that brown wire, it goes left, right, and lic plate lamp. I'm willing to bet it is cut up and patched together somewhere. If not, then just trace that brown wire untill you see a cut, or, green powdery stuff barfing out of a connector or the wire its self.

[gary2232]

Long Horn Man is right. I drove mine around with the same problem for 4 years. It was so easy to fix. Just in front of spare tire is a plug that connects to harness that comes from firewall start there to back of truck. Simple stuff take your time and you will narrow it down with a 5.00 dollar pin meter. Mine was a bad connection at socket.

[GREASEMONKEY72]

ground?

[Longhorn Man]

if it was a bad ground the brake light/turn signal wouldn't work. It requires more amos to burn the brighter side of the bulb so it requires a better ground to work them, so 99.9% odds, the ground is fine.
Plus more likely than not, there would be back feeding making the back up lamps or something else glow dimly.

[72lb4x4]

The tail lights and license plate light are all powered by the same wire in the harness from the front of the truck to the rear. There's a splice in the rear harness to power the left and right parking/tail light and the license plate light. I think the slice is about a foot past the connector in the cross member toward the rear.

To me, this means the problem is most likely between the splice and the tail light.

[Longhorn Man]

kewl... that's exactly what I said on post #14!