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Hard to tell, but it looks like the Tan/White wire is missing off the connector.....
Which I think is supposed to go in the yellow box (as per the connector's drawing in the Component Testing section of the EVTM here, thank you for that, Vince )
Correct! You gents are amazing. I found the brown/white wire that had broken off the connector in the yellow box in cutubis' post. Now, how do I get the metal part of the connector out of the plastic housing without doing damage to either part? I was able to get a little breathing room by removing some tape on the plug wires then pulling the plug through a hole in the plastic housing where i had removed the speedometer. But I am trying to be careful not to break something else as I make the repair. Any tips on getting the metal connector out of the plastic housing? And again, thank you.
This happens so often and is such a problem, the aftermarket has stepped in to make a little money. You can go to the store and buy a whole new plug with short wire pigtails. You just splice it in and you have a new plug. The old will will have overheated and made the connections loose. Loose connections get hot and aggravate the problem. So a whole new plug is best. A new switch is not a bad idea also.
Now, how do I get the metal part of the connector out of the plastic housing without doing damage to either part?
Here's a good video showing the general concept. This is on a GM harness, but the principles are the same on a Ford. The location of the locking tabs may be different, so look carefully:
This happens so often and is such a problem, the aftermarket has stepped in to make a little money. You can go to the store and buy a whole new plug with short wire pigtails. You just splice it in and you have a new plug. The old will will have overheated and made the connections loose. Loose connections get hot and aggravate the problem. So a whole new plug is best. A new switch is not a bad idea also.
I said this, but now I am having trouble finding the connector. I found them for my 89, but not the 86 yet.
Franklin2 -
Summit Racing has a Standard Motor Products HP3820 which looks similar to mine but they cannot ship it until 10/13/17.
KR98664 - I did see that video but I need to find a connector with the locking tab. The connectors I have do not have the locking tab though the ones I have should work if I push in on the back of the connector when I insert the switch into the plug.
Thanks to you both.
The wires can be removed from most of those Ford connectors I've seen, I use a dental pick or tiny screwdriver to move a little, plastic retainer tab out of the way, those tabs lock the wire (and its connector) into the plastic, multi-wire plug. Don't think I've ever done this with the headlight switch connector but it looks like it might be doable....
Yes sir, I think I can get the old connector out. Just trying to find a replacement that has the little locking tab. The BWD CT663 says its OEM Ford but they have to be "ordered" from the places I found so far. Thanks for the insight.
Yes sir, I think I can get the old connector out. Just trying to find a replacement that has the little locking tab.
Take the metal piece to any good auto parts store or any automotive electrical shop. They typically have a kit with replacement contacts. This is pretty common stuff, so it should be easy to match up something.
The kid at AutoZone may look at you funny, but if you can find an old-timer at an old establishment, you should be all set.
OK. Got to remove the bad one then will start searching for something similar. Thank you.
Edit: Got the old one out by inserting a very small flat blade screwdriver from the front and pushing it far enough to flatten the retaining tab on the back of the connector. A helpful parts man at NAPA found a #725147 connector that looks very much like the old one and has the retaining tab on the back of the connector. Below are photos of the front and back of the old/new connectors. Hope it works.
Try your new connector on the switch female spade before you install into the connector, just to be sure the width is correct and that it fits snug on the switch spade lug.
Installed the new connector and now have left front parking and marker lights, right front parking and marker lights, and left rear tail light. No lights at the right rear. When I turn on the left turn signal, I get a solid turn signal light at the left front and a solid turn signal light at the left rear, both blink once about every 4-5 seconds. When I turn on the right turn signals, I get a rapidly flashing turn signal light at the right front and rapidly flashing backup lights (both sides) at the rear. When I turn on the emergency flashers, the fronts and backs (including the backups), flash in what appears to be a normal sequence. While I was searching for the problem originally, I did find an unplugged connector under the dash beside the wiper switch. It had three wires (red/yellow, yellow/black, and black). The unplugged connector matched the connector on a small black box mounted to a metal support beside the steering wheel column so I plugged the unplugged three wire connector into the small black box. When I first tried the lights after installing the new connector, the turn signal behavior was even more erratic than described above so I unplugged the three wire connector and now have what I described above. Could the headlamp switch be the wrong one? It seemed to match the old one perfectly. I am lost. Help please.
Don't panic! You're making progress. You've already fixed one fault. Unfortunately it wasn't the only one. So we keep plugging away.
A bit more history on the truck, please. How long have you owned it? Was this an abandoned vehicle dragged out of a field, cobbled together from three wrecks by a junior high shop class at a school for colorblind dyslexics? Or was it bought new by your grandfather, a retired Ford electrical engineer, and lovingly maintained to factory standards? Or maybe something in between, but with the lights working okay until suddenly just now?
One good possibility is a bad dual-filament bulb, such as for the rear brake/marker lights. Sometimes a filament breaks loose at one end and welds itself to the other filament. Strange stuff results when that happens. So for right now, please remove any dual-filament bulbs and carefully inspect them. I know the back is like that, not positive about the front.
More rambling advice to come later, but check that for now. Also look for any add-on stuff like a trailer connector. Remember the lights worked fine at some point in the truck's life. We can get it back like that.
You have a serious wiring problem somewhere, I would start looking at the rear of the truck. The backup lights flashing is what I am talking about. That is a totally separate unrelated circuit to the brake/turn lights. There are some wires crossed somewhere, if there has been any trailer plug wiring done at some time, that is where I would start.
The flasher works on bulb load. That is why it is flashing so fast on the one side, because you have the extra bulb load of the backup lights on the flasher.
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