Ok i have a 1996 ford F-150. Yesterday the 3rd tail light worked and today it does not, but the brake light works. I pulled the fixture out and the harness holding the bulb looks a little melted, but a question I have is that if the fixture was bad, wouldn't the brake light not work either? I checked the bulb and the filament was still connected on both sides of the bulb, which I assume indicates that the bulb is not the problem. Nor is the bulb harness( since the brake light works). Any imput? Also aside from the 3rd tail light how do you remove the **** that turns on the head lights, I tried pushing and pulling the small metal piece in the groove of the **** and no luck. Any help? Please help I do a majority of my driving at night and do not want a citation.

 

I'm assuming you mean the third brake light on the back of the cab is not working but your brake lights on the bed are correct? If any section is melted it evidently either shorted out which probably would have popped the fuse, or it was corroded enough to get hot thereby melting and lost connection. Use a test light or meter and check your wiring before and after the fixture with the brake pedal pushed down. That will tell you if you have power to the fixture. If so, the fixture is most likely bad.

 

you can always do what i did and upgrade the third break light to LED (LMC I know has the part for this there may be other places with LED CHMLs) but its pretty much plug and play into you existing harness and two screws and done, no need to worry about the sockets, bulbs or melting parts, plus the LEDs will last longer and seem brighter. but if your set on a bulb set up you should check your local pull a part (PAP) and grab a new harness off of another truck with a third break light, if you want i can show you pics of what i did, I went with one that had to be wired up the way i wanted but LMC i think sells them prewired so its just swap and play set up

 

Alright well i went to the junk yard and got another non-melted bulb harness and its no the problem because it wont light up for the tail light either but the brake light does work. Its not the bulb either because i got a new bulb and it does not work for the tail light. I'm guessing this indicates that the problem is within the wires.

 

Maybe I should just go to PAP and grab a whole new 3rd light assembly and wire-nut the 2 wires on to the existing ones?

 

Check for voltage at the wire for the tail light. I'm guessing you won't find any if you changed the socket and it still won't work. Trace the wire back and see where the problem is. I don't have a wiring diagram for a '96 but someone should chime in and help. The wire is brown on an '88

 

yup, check from the wires back to cab, your wires may be not getting power (or not enough), you may possibly have a bad ground some where.

do any other lights act odd or is it just the third break light? knowing this may help narrow things a bit faster.

should be a light green wire possibly black (or black/red with green stipe), will check my lamp but my diagram i have for Chassis wireing on a 1992-1996 F-series and Bronco says its a LT GRN so for now assue its a LT GRN wire...

 

I'm not sure if I understand what you are saying about the "tail" light.. BUT there is only BRAKE light and cargo light but NO tail light on the 3rd brake light. If you are expecting tail lights up there you will have a long wait.

 

What "white 97 xlt" said!


I think that the PO thinks that the third light on the cab is also a running light!

It sounds like your 96 F150 is working fine! The third light is ONLY a brake light!

To the PO: welcome to post model year 1994 trucks! All have the third brake light.

 

i have a third break light thats also a cargo light, only way to get your third break light to function as a third "tail light" you can run a wire from one of your tail lamps running light to the third break light (not suggested) and get the desired effect, but for the most part on any vehicle the third tail light is just a break light, nothing more...

 

or you can just eliminate it and put the full cargo light up there like the earlier trucks had.
if anyone is following you close enough that they can not see the tail lights in the bed, they deserve to hit you and get sued for everything they have.

 

honestly i agree with this and had this happen...they (there civic really) went under my truck and had the car torn by my hitch....

 

Sorry for the my misunderstanding, there is no tail light there. Ive only had the truck a few days. BUt thank you all for your help.