Tail light out first, now the entire left side is out
11-13-2014, 03:47 PM
#1
Racer
Thread Starter
Tail light out first, now the entire left side is out
As the topic title states. I had an issue with the center brake light not working on the drivers side. While the lights were on, the middle light would not come on, until you would press the brake pedal and then it would come on. I changed out this bulb socket to see if this was the case, and it worked...... for a lil bit. I discovered the PO had soldered a bulb into the socket of the furthest left tail light on drivers side. It wasn't working. While turning the tail light upside down the middle light would come on. I cut the wire that was connected to the non working furthest left light. Now I don't know what happened, but none of the drivers side lights work including sidemarkers. (Headlights work.) Is this a relay issue? The fuses I checked.
What the heck did I do? Is there anyone in MD that knows electrical that can assist? Or know of a shop that can work on the car. I'm so not in the electric realm. Having working lights is kinda important these days.
What the heck did I do? Is there anyone in MD that knows electrical that can assist? Or know of a shop that can work on the car. I'm so not in the electric realm. Having working lights is kinda important these days.
11-13-2014, 04:41 PM
#4
Rennlist Member
Last brake light problem I had was on an '86.5. Symptoms sound the same but on passenger side. Brake light first, then side marker and center light. On mine I found the flat ribbon wire to the center brake light had shorted. To check you need to remove trim for interior light (carefully to no pull out tabs from trim) This wiring runs along top down passenger rear quarter panel (near speaker) Here is a plug you can test from for current. This wiring junctions into the main wiring for rear taillight, and can be traced behind quarterpanel to ground point and exit to tailight. Other way goes to fuse panel.
As noted this is on an '86.5. I do not know if this wiring is on passenger side on later cars. If it is then there is a place to start. I have no idea why bulb would be soldered other that really bad corrosion to sockets to the point of failure. To check I believe you will need to remove complete assembly and check.
You can do this yourself (even I can with more than a few hiccups) with an ohm meter. Hope this helps some (I hate electrical gremlins)
As noted this is on an '86.5. I do not know if this wiring is on passenger side on later cars. If it is then there is a place to start. I have no idea why bulb would be soldered other that really bad corrosion to sockets to the point of failure. To check I believe you will need to remove complete assembly and check.
You can do this yourself (even I can with more than a few hiccups) with an ohm meter. Hope this helps some (I hate electrical gremlins)
11-13-2014, 05:07 PM
#5
Rennlist Member
I guess what I'm getting at is: did cutting the wire cause a short which might have blown a fuse (even though you think they are okay at this point)?
I'm trying to visualize the wire you cut. Was it an "extra" wire run by the PO directly to the far left bulb rather than the bulb getting its feed through the socket via the harness wires?
If so, then you need to see where the PO's wire was run from for a power source. That might tell you what has shorted (and likely blown a fuse from the power source).
The regular tail light wiring harness will illuminate all the appropriate bulbs in the tail light assembly. The fact that you turned the tail light assembly upside down and the middle bulb worked would seem to indicate that you had a bad (insufficient) connection at the bulb socket, within the harness wire, or at/within the harness plug socket with the male pins and female pin sockets.
That was before cutting the "add on" wire, which likely caused your other "lights out" problem, after it "sounded like a short." If you knew the power source for that "add on" wire you could go directly to the fuse for that circuit and check it.
You might just want to check fuses once again to be sure that none are blown. In any event, please keep us posted and let us know what you find.
I've been down this tail light saga myself a few times, and finding the root cause can be a little tricky/frustrating, but you have to keep at it in a logical step-by-step fashion.
The last time all of my lights on one side went out (as you are describing), it was a blown fuse.
I'm trying to visualize the wire you cut. Was it an "extra" wire run by the PO directly to the far left bulb rather than the bulb getting its feed through the socket via the harness wires?
If so, then you need to see where the PO's wire was run from for a power source. That might tell you what has shorted (and likely blown a fuse from the power source).
The regular tail light wiring harness will illuminate all the appropriate bulbs in the tail light assembly. The fact that you turned the tail light assembly upside down and the middle bulb worked would seem to indicate that you had a bad (insufficient) connection at the bulb socket, within the harness wire, or at/within the harness plug socket with the male pins and female pin sockets.
That was before cutting the "add on" wire, which likely caused your other "lights out" problem, after it "sounded like a short." If you knew the power source for that "add on" wire you could go directly to the fuse for that circuit and check it.
You might just want to check fuses once again to be sure that none are blown. In any event, please keep us posted and let us know what you find.
I've been down this tail light saga myself a few times, and finding the root cause can be a little tricky/frustrating, but you have to keep at it in a logical step-by-step fashion.
The last time all of my lights on one side went out (as you are describing), it was a blown fuse.
11-13-2014, 05:16 PM
#6
Racer
Thread Starter
I checked fuses 12 & 13 and replaced them. Still no lights. I also read that fuse 40 could be blown, possibly an issue. That was changed with no success.
Is there relay of some sort that needs to be changed as well? I hate electrics. Thanks again for the help.
Is there relay of some sort that needs to be changed as well? I hate electrics. Thanks again for the help.
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11-13-2014, 05:42 PM
#8
Racer
Thread Starter
There were no add on wires. All oem lines.
If facing the drivers side tail light. The furthest bulb to the left, not the blinker, on the bottom. PO had hard wired a bulb to the green line(oem) going into the socket. It had worked in the past. I cut the green then the brown as I was going to find a replacement socket, since the PO gutted the OEM socket. That's when something went out. Did I cross lines or something? I don't mind not having the furthest lights out, but you need brake lights/running lights!! The oem did a hack job on the other side as well. SMH.......
ps. I still hate electrics.
If facing the drivers side tail light. The furthest bulb to the left, not the blinker, on the bottom. PO had hard wired a bulb to the green line(oem) going into the socket. It had worked in the past. I cut the green then the brown as I was going to find a replacement socket, since the PO gutted the OEM socket. That's when something went out. Did I cross lines or something? I don't mind not having the furthest lights out, but you need brake lights/running lights!! The oem did a hack job on the other side as well. SMH.......
ps. I still hate electrics.
11-13-2014, 06:03 PM
#9
Rennlist Member
Pictures would help a lot. Just a suggestion for helping others diagnose your problem and to clearly visualize what you did.
11-13-2014, 06:06 PM
#10
Rennlist Member
Okay, that's good to know (no extra wires). Have to say, your response ("I hate electronics") made me chuckle a little even though it's no laughing matter. I can certainly identify with that.
I'm assuming that you cut the wire while the battery was still connected and the light switch was on and that's when you heard the "short" sound.
If you can put the stock harness wires back in their original spot/connection points and verify that none of the wires in the harness are burned or shorted, then you are in the best position to find what the problem is now with the lights. That might not be so easy since you described the socket (or sockets) as being in pretty bad shape.
I don't have a magical answer here (Alan most likely will when he reads this thread though), but you are going to need a working tail light assembly anyway to get this fully sorted out.
Maybe because of the "short," you now have a relay issue, a burned wire, or a bad fuse. The fuses are there to keep the first two from happening under normal circumstances. That's why I keep going back to the fuses, but there could be a burned or shorted wire somewhere in the circuit. A volt meter is your friend in that respect to check continuity, etc.
I can't add anything else at this point, although I'd be very interested in what you find though as you make progress in finding the source of the problem.
I'm assuming that you cut the wire while the battery was still connected and the light switch was on and that's when you heard the "short" sound.
If you can put the stock harness wires back in their original spot/connection points and verify that none of the wires in the harness are burned or shorted, then you are in the best position to find what the problem is now with the lights. That might not be so easy since you described the socket (or sockets) as being in pretty bad shape.
I don't have a magical answer here (Alan most likely will when he reads this thread though), but you are going to need a working tail light assembly anyway to get this fully sorted out.
Maybe because of the "short," you now have a relay issue, a burned wire, or a bad fuse. The fuses are there to keep the first two from happening under normal circumstances. That's why I keep going back to the fuses, but there could be a burned or shorted wire somewhere in the circuit. A volt meter is your friend in that respect to check continuity, etc.
I can't add anything else at this point, although I'd be very interested in what you find though as you make progress in finding the source of the problem.
11-13-2014, 08:18 PM
#12
Rennlist Member
If memory serves me correctly I am not too far away. I am not an electrical wizard, but I do OK and have many tools. PM me if you would like to bring the car over. I have to buy a new truck for She Who Must Be Obeyed this weekend, but I might find some time to give it some attention.
11-13-2014, 08:33 PM
#13
Racer
Thread Starter
I may have to take you up on that. You are walking distance from me. Lol
What's funny is your lady, actually stopped me one day because I was driving a 928s4. I will pm you. Thanks!
What's funny is your lady, actually stopped me one day because I was driving a 928s4. I will pm you. Thanks!
11-14-2014, 09:26 AM
#14
Rennlist Member
11-14-2014, 01:25 PM
#15
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Site Sponsor
When you cut the brown wire, you removed the ground for the entire light assembly. Hook the cut brown wire to the brown wire that runs to the body.