No brake lights.... or turn signals 74’ 620

[Soundline]

Ok, so... I had blinkers and brake lights, and they vanished. I have a new turn signal module and the fuses are still all solid.

 

I recently wired in a new license plate light, but I just used a green wire from the old one and ran the new black lead to a new ground I ran to the frame holder.

 

Suggestions?

 

Comments?

 

Trash talk?

 

No wrong answers....

[datzenmike]

Swap the 4 way and the turn signal flasher unit.... any change? If yes then the new flasher unit is bad.

 

 

Hold a quarter across each of the fuse contacts and see if one will get your brake lights and signals going. Then get a new fuse..

[flatcat19]

Never trust a glass fuse to be good when you have a circuit problem.

[Soundline]

Cool, I’ll try those both tomorrow. Thanks guys.

[Soundline]

This is both a test to see if this works, and relevant to the topic.

 

 

It looks like the license plate light is supposed to go directly to ground off the GL wire, which is the wire I used. So, unless I’m retarded and ran it wrong (always possible) then I have yet another gremlin in my electrical system

[flatcat19]

So, none of the lights on that GL circuit don't work, right?

 

Did they work before you fucked with stuff? Did your new license plate work when you installed it? Even for just a second?

[datsunaholic]

Turn signals and brake lights are on separate fuses, BUT are the same bulbs in the rear.  They combine in the turn signal switch.  So, if it gets unplugged/loose at the steering column, you lose both.

 

Horn is same fuse as brake lights.  Horn works, brake fuse is good.

 

Hazards bypass the turn signal switch- do they work?  If they do, but stepping on the brake pedal does nothing, that's a good indication the problem is at the switch.  If stepping on the brake pedal makes the hazards turn on SOLID (stop blinking, or turn on solid when they weren't working at all) then I'd look at the hazard switch wiring.

[Soundline]

So, yep, they worked before and after I installed the license plate light.

 

They stopped working after a fairly mild pothole. I pulled my steering wheel off and cleaned all the contacts on the column switch. Then replaced all the fuses, and cleaned the corrosion off the contacts there. I traced it out and checked the tail lights. The wiring is good back to the buckets which... were fucked.

 

So I ended up replacing them with the Thai buckets I bought in Jan.

 

Yeah, they’re ugly compared to the stock ones, but they’re not corroded through.

 

Thanks for the tips guys. I’m back on the road again

[datzenmike]

Spray them with silver rust paint.

[Soundline]

The old buckets? They’re too far gone for paint... they look like a vampire that met Blade in a dark alley.

 

I’ll just have to cruise Canaby next year and see if I can find some.

[datzenmike]

The new ones. The 'plating' used on them is probably just enough to get them to you and installed. To keep them longer, spray with layers of silver or black rust paint. It won't show, and as they get hit with debris from the rear wheels, it will make them last longer.