Tail lights out
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Cudahy, WI
Tail lights out
I was made aware this morning that my tail lights and license plate lights were out on my '98 F-150. I find this unusual as the LED light bar plugged into my trailer harness is still working. Any ideas??
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Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Southeast FLA
Trailer harnesses sometimes are plugged in by unplugging the rear wiring harness, plugging the trailer connector in (that has both male and female ends), and then re-plugging the rear harness into the new end of the trailer lights' electrical connector. That could have got pulled out a little when you installed the light bar.
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Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: Cudahy, WI
Thanks
Thanks for the response. The light bar on my truck uses the connector which would normally connect to the trailer. It has been in place for over 2 years and I don't think this would solve the problem, as nothing has been disturbed for a while.
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From: Southeast FLA
Doubting and checking are two different things. I'd still check that area.
You don't say that your third brake light isn't working, so we're left to assume that the problem is from the mid-point of the truck, back, if that light still gets the signal to light up when you hit the brakes.
Actually, you say your tail-lights are out, but don't specify that your brake lights don't work... Driving lights such as the tail lights and the license plate lights could be further up the truck; but if it ALL doesn't work, yet the third brake light does, the problem is most likely back there.
You don't say that your third brake light isn't working, so we're left to assume that the problem is from the mid-point of the truck, back, if that light still gets the signal to light up when you hit the brakes.
Actually, you say your tail-lights are out, but don't specify that your brake lights don't work... Driving lights such as the tail lights and the license plate lights could be further up the truck; but if it ALL doesn't work, yet the third brake light does, the problem is most likely back there.
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Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Southeast FLA
Ugh.
Then it could be almost anywhere.
I'm not sure if that would be a fuse, as the same switch should put the front parking lights on as well (not the headlights), but you didn't mention that those weren't working.
If the front is working, then it's probably somewhere in the single wire that takes 12 volts back to the rear section.
Then it could be almost anywhere.
I'm not sure if that would be a fuse, as the same switch should put the front parking lights on as well (not the headlights), but you didn't mention that those weren't working.
If the front is working, then it's probably somewhere in the single wire that takes 12 volts back to the rear section.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2004
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From: St Louis
On the 98, the take-off for the trailer running lamp relay is at the front of the truck at the same point where the front parking lamps also connect to the circuit. The rear parking lamps are fed from the same junction via a brown wire that goes all the way to the rear of the truck where it feeds the license plate lamps and the tail lights. There are several connectors along the path down the frame rail and at the rear of the truck. Easiest to start with unplugging them and do an exam for corrosion or other damage. If that doesn't catch the problem, you'll need to get the schematic and a test meter/lamp out and run the circuit. There are no fuses in the circuit for just the rear lamps. The rears are in parallel with the front lamps and the trailer relay. Since the trailer lamps work, we know it's a distribution problem between the common circuit junction and the rear of the truck.
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From: Cudahy, WI
Took some time today and checked the coupling from the harness along the frame to the rear harness. I found the coupling on the frame harness had been cut off at some time prior to my owning the truck and had been reattached using scotch connectors. The brown wire(tail lights) was broken next to the connector. I removed the scotch connector and soldered in a splice. Problem solved.
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Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2001
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From: Southeast FLA
Took some time today and checked the coupling from the harness along the frame to the rear harness. I found the coupling on the frame harness had been cut off at some time prior to my owning the truck and had been reattached using scotch connectors. The brown wire(tail lights) was broken next to the connector. I removed the scotch connector and soldered in a splice. Problem solved.
(Thanks for the update)
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