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Brake lights & turning signal have me in a rut

Mason

Mason

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I've finally got an account to hopefully figure out my problem I've been trying to solve for the past few days, as of now electrically I've got both high/low beams working as well as parking lights, turn signals for the front, rear tail lights work, dash lights work, indicators work, hazards for the front work, windshield wipers work. My problem I'm having is the brake lights do not work, and the only turn signal I can barely even notice is the drivers side, its such a weak signal you have to have your face right in front of it to see it. I tried the passengers side and I don't see any signal. Now what I have replaced are the turn signal relays as well as the hazards, thinking of putting a new brake light switch in to see if it will make a difference but I've also heard of turn signal switches going out in these B bodies but I don't think that's the case. Also I do remember the turn signals being stronger in the rear before but cant remember if the passenger side was out, also i do not have light bulbs in the reverse tail light housing if that makes a difference. Any help or suggestion is appreciated! Just a teen trying to get my first car running :)
 
Welcome to the classic cars number one issue. Poor electrical grounds. Disconnect, clean and seal with die-electric grease ALL electrical connections. Start at the firewall junction block and work your way forward and backward. No short cuts. Add ground wires to your tail light housings. Replace All bulbs with new, high quality, name brand bulbs. No off shore to the east stuff. USA, Canadian, German good. Replace the turn signal switch in the column with an OE switch if you can find one. This feeds the brake lights and turn signals.Take your time and be happy when you are finished. One of the best, low buck upgrades that you can do for you and your car.
 
Signal light switch is broken under the steering wheel, or contact wire bent out of shape.

Start with some good grounds, but I bet you have an NFG actuator.
 
MoparLeo said:
Welcome to the classic cars number one issue. Poor electrical grounds. Disconnect, clean and seal with die-electric grease ALL electrical connections. Start at the firewall junction block and work your way forward and backward. No short cuts. Add ground wires to your tail light housings. Replace All bulbs with new, high quality, name brand bulbs. No off shore to the east stuff. USA, Canadian, German good. Replace the turn signal switch in the column with an OE switch if you can find one. This feeds the brake lights and turn signals.Take your time and be happy when you are finished. One of the best, low buck upgrades that you can do for you and your car.
Click to expand...
Yeah I've got all bulbs replaced USA, I'll start off with adding some grounds to the tail lights first to see if i can still use the old turn signal switch, thanks for the info Leo :)
 
dadsbee said:
Signal light switch is broken under the steering wheel, or contact wire bent out of shape.

Start with some good grounds, but I bet you have an NFG actuator.
Click to expand...
I'll check the wires in case one is pinched because I recently had the steering column lowered, wouldn't the signal light switch still work if the indicators are working and a strong signal is apparent to the front turn signals? Thanks
 
Nope, front signals work and rears and brake lights go through the switch contacts so that you can have a brake light and signal light at the same time! I still think your signal switch is the culprit.. .but try the grounds first.
 
Different parts of the circuit. But the signal indicator in the dash will not flash until the problem has been corrected.
 
dadsbee said:
Nope, front signals work and rears and brake lights go through the switch contacts so that you can have a brake light and signal light at the same time! I still think your signal switch is the culprit.. .but try the grounds first.
Click to expand...
Alrighty, I appreciate the help, I've heard of the passenger side turning signals not working in b bodies which usually meant that switch, hoping thats not the case once i ground those wires but we'll see, just one more question, what's an NFG actuator?
 
mopar 3 B said:
Different parts of the circuit. But the signal indicator in the dash will not flash until the problem has been corrected.
Click to expand...
M turn indicators do work well in the dash so maybe It's something else going on, I'm leaning toward the grounds or turn switch
 
My 66 Charger was doing the same thing. The brake lights would not work and everything else did. I'm a former nuclear electrician and it was kicking my ***. Car was in the garage, I had the steering wheel off, was checking connections and voltage on turn signal switch, touched between two parts and saw an arc, when it arced I noticed red in the rear view mirror ---- walla-- brake lights. It ended up being a poor connection under the steering wheel in the turn signal switch assembly. Fixed it -- no problems ever since.
 
Do yourself a favor, and get a decent multi-meter w/ohms, if you don't have one. You can easily have a ground connection, but a poor ground, corrosion and the like.
Some of the light sockets, like turn signals, ground to the body, others have a separate ground wire.

Good to hear a youngster is getting his hands wet! Take a breath, take your time, and study the wiring diagrams. You'll get it...many answers are fairly simple, in the end. Many of the wiring circuits, are connected to each other, and you have to hunt down the problem spot.
 
Maxrat said:
My 66 Charger was doing the same thing. The brake lights would not work and everything else did. I'm a former nuclear electrician and it was kicking my ***. Car was in the garage, I had the steering wheel off, was checking connections and voltage on turn signal switch, touched between two parts and saw an arc, when it arced I noticed red in the rear view mirror ---- walla-- brake lights. It ended up being a poor connection under the steering wheel in the turn signal switch assembly. Fixed it -- no problems ever since.
Click to expand...
I'm hoping its as simple as that because i did have my steering column lowered and was messing around with the wires behind the steering wheel a couple weeks ago, maybe that has something to do with it, thanks for the help Max
 
miller said:
Do yourself a favor, and get a decent multi-meter w/ohms, if you don't have one. You can easily have a ground connection, but a poor ground, corrosion and the like.
Some of the light sockets, like turn signals, ground to the body, others have a separate ground wire.

Good to hear a youngster is getting his hands wet! Take a breath, take your time, and study the wiring diagrams. You'll get it...many answers are fairly simple, in the end. Many of the wiring circuits, are connected to each other, and you have to hunt down the problem spot.
Click to expand...
 
miller said:
Do yourself a favor, and get a decent multi-meter w/ohms, if you don't have one. You can easily have a ground connection, but a poor ground, corrosion and the like.
Some of the light sockets, like turn signals, ground to the body, others have a separate ground wire.

Good to hear a youngster is getting his hands wet! Take a breath, take your time, and study the wiring diagrams. You'll get it...many answers are fairly simple, in the end. Many of the wiring circuits, are connected to each other, and you have to hunt down the problem spot.
Click to expand...
Yeah I've actually got one in the garage just could never figure out how to use it lol, I'm almost done with her after some long nights over the past 2 years, thanks for the feedback miller :)
 
Frank Mopar said:
Power Probe 3 is what you want to troubleshoot electrical.
Click to expand...
New? Guess I'd better look that one up!

Mason said:
Yeah I've actually got one in the garage just could never figure out how to use it lol
Click to expand...
Me neither! Just get by with the volt, and ohms meters on it. Tells alot on the condition of a wiring circuit.
 
If you buy a Power Probe you can throw all your test lights and ohm meters in the garbage.

This is a must have tool for your tool box so when your significant other asks what you want for your birthday a Power Probe is the answer.
 
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