As we all marvel at technology, and its complicating the little things in life I'll let everyone in on an event I was put through, shop had my 99 E350, blew both front heater hoses, had to find a shop to fix it, one I used to call said now they can't work on it, as somehow now it wont go on their lift, off to Firestone, I get the call, is there something special we have to do to get it out of park, as if my hand controls affect it, I said yeah, mash the brake, well that wasn't working, they said we will figure it out. I got the call 2 days later, it was fixed, replaced my hoses, nothing said about the parking incident, I head off to pay my rent, get in my van, stuck in park, call Firestone, mechanic who fixed it wasn't there, no one knew anything, thinking the worst, wrecker driver drug it on the truck clicking, fear he broke my parking pawl, I abandon my van, get a ride home to do some research, learn about the shifter bushings going bad, and preventing that stupid locking solenoid from working, so plan to replace the bushings, and look for a work around to get it home, I recall while dad was in the van trying to get it in gear, it had no taillights, as in, no brake lights, go home mad and defeated. I watch youtube videos, and try to figure out how to get my van home and recall, the trailer light pigtail is hanging the the chain hole on my receiver hitch, my wire loom crumbled, dawned on my the insulation is shorting it out, sent dad back to my van, he calls, sure enough, the entire trailer light harness has no insulation on it, all 4 wires are bare, tape them up, replace the #11 fuse and drive it home. So to all of you with trailer light wires, you better check on them, the sun baked off all the insulation from mine, I cut them back, soldered on a new pigtail and used lost of shrink tubing over it, plan to put a thick layer of tape over it all and shove it back up over the top of the hitch where it sees no daylight until I need it. Ford ran the turn signals to a fuse under the hood in the big box, but they ran the brake light direct from inside, lucky it didn't burn up all my wiring grounding out, I thought the LEDs in my dash were failing, they kept flickering, they don't anymore. Just a little FYI for you, incase you are stuck in park, don't jump to the conclusion your shaft bushings are bad, and keep your trailer light wiring in the shade.

 

Good job young man, that’s thinking out of the box….careful with the utube videos…I try to watch at least 5 pertaining to my situation, where one will give you an Epiphany right down to the other end of the spectrum where you say, “ this guy shouldn’t even have a tool box”

 

My 89 Econoline, the previous owner should be banned from owning tools, I've spent a fortune fixing his stupidity, he screwed the chrome trim around the windshield to stop a leak, putting about 50 more holes around it and cracking the glass, his heater wiring was cutting a jumper wire into a test socket and running it through a toggle switch directly to the blower fan, burning it up, had he checked the relay by the battery he would have found it was bad, killing the fan inside, that was fun replacing, squirrel cage broke trying to remove it to put on the new motor, then replaced the resistor while I was at it, gotta pull the stupid battery and drop the wiring harness across the front to get this crap out. I put a pretty white loom on my trailer wiring and hung it in the hoop on the hitch for chains, never considered the constant rubbing would eventually eat through the wiring, and boy did it, cut several strands, its cable tied up on top of the hitch in the shade, never see the light of day unless its needed. Your turn signals route through a large fuse under the hood, I assumed the brake would too, nope, no extra protection for that, it goes and takes out the hazard lights with it, that is the hint when you are stuck in park, hit the hazards, if they don't work, time to pull fuse #11.

 

My advice
No LEDs (anywhere) for an old car or truck
The fact that they take so little juice means the circuit (if monitored) will show that the bulbs are not on