Hello everyone! I am new here and I am really hoping to stick around these fourms 'cause there seem to be alot of knowledgable people here so maybe I can get some help for a lighting issue.

I have read alot of other post and tried to find one that matches mine but I can't seem to get a match...okay here we go! (deep breath)

1979 Ford (says f150 ranger on it) With some serious brake/direction lighting issues. This is what I have discovered so far via multimeter and test light..

WHEN I pull my switch for lights (the one next to washers) My right and left tail lights come on as usual....except they are bright as all get out..it seems my brakes are engaged the whole time. I disconnected the brake switch beside the break only to have the same results. Since my brake lights are on, of course my blinkers dont work. Now I've tried adjusting the break sensor to make sure it wasnt too lose or tight and that got me nowhere.

Now the twist. When I push my light switch back in, the brake light works on the RIGHT tail-light only. The left stays dead. My blinkers...work when they feel like it. Sometimes my dash lights (for the blinkers) come on, sometimes they dont. Now for another twist.. When my light switch is "off" (no headlights ect ect) my HAZARDS will work just fine...

Moving on, here is another twist.... On the left tail light... when I disconnect the ground, the tail light goes dim. It's only when I plug the ground back up, does it light up like a christmas tree.


ANY help would be awesome, I keep going back and forth between the switch (for the lights), my steering column switch (for blinkers) and the actual wiring itself and I can't make up my mind on where to actually start.

Oh and another thing, I don't know if this is suppose to happen but, My steering colum (where the switch plate is for my blinkers) is hot, all the time... I mean lots of sparks when I went to remove a screw in there... could that possibly be related to everything acting retarded?..


I know it's a lot of problems but maybe someone can see through what I'm talking about and find a solution. I am here all night and have nowhere to go and I have a whole MOTOR-T shop at my disposal so i've got the tools and time to try and crack this hell of a riddle. To me, it just seems like pulling the lights switch is engaging my brake lights to go hot but iono, I'm just stumped on this.

Thankyou again and Semper Fi-

Forgot to add this information, hopefully it will be of some help.

1979 Ford F150 4x4
4-speed w/ granny load
6.6 litre w/ a 400(M) Engine

 

it sounds like u have a positive wire that has burned to ground

 

Pull the tail lights and check to see that someone didn't jam the bulbs in backwards. They have little tangs on them and sometimes if the socket is worn it's possable to have the bulbs installed the wrong way. This would make the brake light filiment light when the running lights are turned on which would be brighter than just the regular marker light filiment.

 

The brake lights are wired through the TSS, a faulty TSS can cause some erratic lighting behavior with the brake/tail lights.

 

Hey guys thanks for the responces. SKido, I did check the bulbs, they are only in the correct way. But thankyou cause that was my first assumption. I'm also using 1157 bulbs for brake/directional lights and 1156 for backup (reverse) lights. As far as a hot going to ground... I honestly think that could be the problem... problem is ive chased that wire so much and I just can't seem to find a break in it. The wires are OEM and running a multimeter i come out at about 11.56 volts on the brown wire (hot) but my ground shows no voltage that was the only reason I didnt think it could be a "live-ground" wire. Unless it's shorted somewhere else. I also noticed I dont have a ground wire until I get to the actual tail-lights which looks correct according to the wiring diagrams. Also, my trailor lights are hooked up at all, when i looked under the bumper I saw they were just completly cut, same for my liscence plate light. But a bad ground does sound correct. Also on the TSS (sp?) I considered that too but it's kinda hard to look at w/o a flashlight and I don't feel like ripping out anything that doesnt need to be ripped out. Keep the help coming guys I really appriceate this.

 

Highboy's right. The TSS can play havoc with the lights, even if it looks fine it can still be f**ked. I always try the simpelest things first like the bulbs then move on from there.

How is the harness where the trlr lights were cut?

 

The harness is fine but all wires were cut. I could just slap them back together but I don't really have a need for it. About the TSS, like i said when I went to take it off the first time, My screwdriver lit up like the 4th of july.... now before you ask, no i didnt disconnect the battery but my question is, should it spark like that. Also, I hate to be a dumb@$$ but I can't get the steering column off where the TSS is.. I can get the back half of it to slide down but not the front half... the part where I need to look lol. Any advice on that? If I can attach pictures Ill go take one and maybe someone can help but I just dont see any more screws to take out and I dont want to force it and break something else lol. Hopefully the TSS is my problem, its sparky and hell and loose.

 

To get to the TSS (turn signal switch) you have to pull the wheel. Mark the wheel and the column with a whitness mark so you get the wheel aligned when you put it back on. Remove the 2 screws that hold the horn pad on (back side of wheel). Then remove the nut holding the wheel to the steering shaft. Use a steering wheel/harmonic balancer puller (available at harbor freight for about 15.00 bucks) to pull the wheel. There you'll find the TSS. You have to unscrew the TS lever and then unplug the column harness from under the dash. The TSS is held in place by two screws. I think a replacement one is around 45.00 bucks.

Hope this helps.

D

PS....disconect the bat...lol

 

haha thankyou so much for the guide. the steering wheel is after-market and i dont have a horn which is why all the diagrams threw me off but what you said made alot more sense. it's late here on Camp Lejeune (2308) so I wont be back on until tomorrow. But I really REALLY appriceate all the help guys. I'll get back with my findings tomorrow morning.

Semper Fi-

 

Good luck with it, thanks for your service.

 

Semper Fi-[/quote]


I'm Canadian and spent 7 years in the air force work'n on Helo's. As said before,

Thanks for yor service and to all those who serve.

Happy to help.

 

i think that theres a problem w the harness at the rear of the trk look under the rear where the main harness plugs to the tail light harness n star there ive had this problem on mine before not sayn that its not the (tss)but i would try this n make sure all wires go where they belong sounds like when the trailer plug was added they mixed up some wires

 

My thoughts too shookdaddy...........especially when some dumb a** starts trying to wire up their trailer lights. I grew up and currently live around a bunch of cowboys that all pull horse trailers.............most of those guys shouldnt be allowed to own a pair of wire cutters unless they sign a waiver stating that they will only use them to build fence..............LOL

 

Ha Ha,I agree,i live in Idaho too and see the same thing. Every time i buy a used truck,i never buy new, the wiring is all cut and patched in at the rear for those horse trailors. There are plenty of places they can get it done right,but most of them do it there way.

 

1978/79 F100/350, Bronco & Econoline: There are three different T/S switches:

(1) Use with tilt steering wheel only (D8TZ-13341-A) / (2) Use with A/T w/fixed column only (D8TZ-13341-B) / (3) Use with M/T w/fixed column only (D8TZ-13341-C).

Since the tilt wheel operates off the T/S handle, some peeps are unaware they have it. Press the handle forward, if a tilt wheel is present: BOING!

It wasn't until 1981 that FoMoCo vehicles had a separate lever to operate the tilt wheel...Escorts & Lynx's only initially.