The usual tail light complaints

[fast/cheap/right]

So, unless Ive missed something, I think I already have this figured out. But I feel the need to vent.

I have a new to me 71 longbed that I have been working to get road worthy. The bed is a sad mess and I went ahead and removed it for the time being with the intent of driving it to get a replacement when I find one.

To make it legal for the road I went ahead and attached trailer lights to the bumper, making sure to scrub the crud out of the grounding points before they became an issue. Turned on the park lamps, worked great. Tried the right blinker, just peachy. Left blinker, no joy. Took the lamp out of circuit and tried my trusty test lamp at the under bed connector, intermittent, ok, took said connector out of circuit, still intermittent. Went to the bulkhead connector under the dash, works fine. So, I may have to string a new wire from the firewall back, or find where its broken and tie in there, not so horrible.

Decide to try the brake lights while I'm folded up under the dash already. Right brake light is intermittent at the bulkhead connector, left is not there at all. Looks like I get to order a turn signal switch, my least favorite electrical job.

[rpmerf]

If it's been sitting a while, I might try flipping the turn signal back and forth a bunch of times to see if that cleans up the contacts enough to get the brake lights working consistently.

If your working on the cheap, you could use trailer wire for the wire that goes from the firewall to the rear lights. Just keep like 6" after the pigtail, then solder in the new wires to the back.

[fast/cheap/right]

Originally Posted by rpmerf

If it's been sitting a while, I might try flipping the turn signal back and forth a bunch of times to see if that cleans up the contacts enough to get the brake lights working consistently.

If your working on the cheap, you could use trailer wire for the wire that goes from the firewall to the rear lights. Just keep like 6" after the pigtail, then solder in the new wires to the back.

For the moment I think I will get out my deoxit and try that, I may also pull the bulkhead connector and try to clean up and tighten those connections and see if that fixes the blinker issue as well before rewiring. I've visually inspected the yeller wire from the firewall back and don't see any obvious burns or breaks, and as it is in the middle of the ribbon I don't really get how it could be damaged separately from the rest.

The hazard switch is broken off the switch that's there, so it may just be time to get it swapped. I noticed GMCPaul has the intermediate tail light harness for not too horrid a price as well, and I do need a wiper arm...just have to keep priorities and budget in line. I definitely need a replacement bed, exhaust, and tires too.