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Old Dec 7, 2004 | 10:28 PM
  #1  
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highboy
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From: duluth
Wiring problems!

I've got a 78 or 79 cab on my 75 highboy, and i need to get the taillights wired up. all the lights on the front of the truck seem to work properly, but i cant figure out what wires are for tail and stop/turn lights. i've got the plug that connects to the cab wiring (i'm assuming i got the right one for taillights) but ive got 2 wires that when you put the test light on them it blinks, the rest seem to do nothing. the light switch seems to work right, and the truck i took the colum out of all the lights worked right in that. ( the colum is outta a 73) if anyone has a good wiring diagram of the 78-79 trucks that would help imensely, or if someone has delt with this problem befor can tell me what i'm doing wrong, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Thanks, curt
 
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Old Dec 7, 2004 | 10:46 PM
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Colo79Ford
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From: Colorado
Try this link here ,it should give you a selection of wiring diagrams there, just pick the one you need. That link will help you get your truck so you can safely and legally drive it. Since your cab, and wiring doesnt match the rest of the truck because it is a swap, i would recommend looking into buying a good shop manual which includes wiring diagrams from one of the site sponsors, that way when something like this happens in the future, you can have a hard copy of the diagrams there aswell. Good luck, and keep us posted

--John
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 10:25 AM
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There's your problem.
The wiring changed a little at a time though all those years.73-9
The 73 column wiring won't work with the 78-9.
You need a column from a 78-9,in fact, if it was me,I would out all 78/9 wiring in it .
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 11:52 AM
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From: duluth
so the colum wiring is different in the 73 colum even though it plugged right in?
I have the colum out of the cab, but its shot, will the turn signal stuff swap?? I don't wanna have to switch the colum again since i had to make this one work
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 11:52 AM
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From: SD
There is a good tech article about troubleshooting and repairing rear lights. Check it out, link at top right of page.

Marty
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 12:30 PM
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I've done similar swaps before. The trick is to be patient, dig out your light testor, and pull the wheel off so you can trace the wires back to their respective switches inside the column. You may have to remove the wires from the plug, and move them around a bit until they are in the right hole to match up with the truck's wiring. This is, assuming your truck's wiring is working properly. Likely the colors are similar, for the same functions, but the plug configuration is likely to be different.
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 01:03 PM
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The wiring from the 78/9 had the hazard light switch on the column as opposed to on the dash in earlier trucks.

This is built into the complete main harness wiring.
The pre-74 wiring had all sorts of nuances compared with late years.

I would suggest to go with One year (unless it's the 78/9 which of course covers 2 years)
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 04:08 PM
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My '73 came with a column mounted hazard light switch. I recently installed a used blinker switch from a '76 and it all worked great. So the '73 -'76 worked for me... Like RR4E said, look over the plug at the base of the column and make sure the wiring colors match on both sides.

Marty
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 04:25 PM
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Yeah, both of my 77's are also on the column.
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 06:23 PM
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From: okc
on 76-78 trucks, the wires running to the back are like this, tail lights license lights and side marker lights:brown wire, left turn signal:light blue/black, right turn signal: green, and the brake lights and hazard lights run through the blinkers, this is whats in my chilton wiring diagram for 76-86 ford trucks, i dont know about whats in the 73 column.

BTW my 76 has its on the column.....



Sig snipped by FTE
 
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Old Dec 8, 2004 | 08:30 PM
  #11  
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From: duluth
Talking

UPDATE! I got the lights working, thanks to the wiring diagrams that were provided,the turn signals didn't work cause the flasher was missing. once i found the right flasher plug they work, except now when you turn on the left turn signals, the highbeams blink. but i think thats in the gauge cluster. and the wires that would make the test light blink, when grounded, make the gas gauge go up. and the colum does have the hazard switch on it. Thanks for all of your help, i didn't think checkin the turn signal wiring under the dash, it all maches but i wasn't getting power to it till i found the missing flasher.
 
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Old Feb 9, 2007 | 02:50 AM
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Angry headlights not working

I have a ? i have a 78 f-250 and low beams quit working but my high beams worked but they just stoped working so i have checked for fuses and all my wiring appears fine and the headlights are not blown so i am stumped
 
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Old Feb 9, 2007 | 08:44 AM
  #13  
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Check your dimmer switch. They go bad over time and I had one give me this exact same problem.
 
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Old Feb 14, 2007 | 04:26 PM
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WEll i have checked my dimmer switch and it is still good any other suggestions (you mean the floor switch for the low and high beam or the dash light dimmer?) cause i checked the floor dimmer.
 

Last edited by mac9814; Feb 14, 2007 at 04:29 PM.
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Old Feb 14, 2007 | 04:52 PM
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So you have power coming out to both the high beam & Low beam circucits of the dimmer switch then ?

Next would be to check the wiring for the low beam between the dimmer switch and the headlights themselves
 
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