Tail Lights Don't Work
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 372
Likes: 1
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Tail Lights Don't Work
I have replaced all the wiring in my truck and the tail lights worked prior to my painting the tail light housing with Por-15. I made sure to keep the hole that the light socket fits into bare metal and I have power in the wires right up to where they plug into the tail light socket but alas no flasher and no tail light. Could the Por-15 be preventing grounding of the light fixture or does anyone have another suggestion. The bulbs are good but after three hours of testing and still no light the bulb in my brain has gone out! Thanks for the advise.
Chris
Chris
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,005
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From: Santa Clarita
Chris, your application may be different. I purchased the light sockets from a local parts store. It came with a red (hot) and black wire. I drilled a hole on my housing to install this socket as a blinker (don't ask). The one side worked fine without the black wire grounded because the housing of the socket itself was grounding on the taillight housing. The other side had more epoxy on it and the socket didn't ground. Then I grounded the black wire to a screw and it worked. In your case I would check the area where the housing bolts up to the taillight arms. The POR 15 may be cutting off ground at that point and not the socket. Either way, it looks like you have a ground connection problem. Make sure its bare metal at all connections of the taillight housing and to frame.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 372
Likes: 1
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Just so you know for future reference, I contacted the manufacturer of Por-15 and they said that it will act as an insulator so your suspicions are correct. I will file off some of the nice paint work I have done and see if the lights work. How am I supposed to keep this area from rusting in the future though?
Chris
Chris
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Elder User
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Augusta, ME
This project seems to be testing my resolve and ingenuity at the same time.
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Seawulff, there are two ways to do this. The sockets you have must get their ground from making contact somewhere. There is usually a brass eyelet that a mounting screw goes through or something like that. In other words, there has to be some kind of conductor that makes contact with the clean metal. If you can attach a wire to that, and run it to a ground, then you could put a screw in the metal, hook the wire under it and then paint over that.
Or, you can get some good synthetic grease and smear it on the bare metal. When you mount the socket, the pressure will cause the metal to cut through the grease in that one place and the grease will surround the connection and help keep it from rusting.
Think about the grease you see in light sockets. It keeps the air out and still lets the bulbs make contact.
Or, you can get some good synthetic grease and smear it on the bare metal. When you mount the socket, the pressure will cause the metal to cut through the grease in that one place and the grease will surround the connection and help keep it from rusting.
Think about the grease you see in light sockets. It keeps the air out and still lets the bulbs make contact.
Thread Starter
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Tuned
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 372
Likes: 1
From: Walnut Creek, CA
Yahoo! I ran a ground wire from the bulb socket to the chassis and viola' I have lights. All I need now is camera and action! Thanks for all the help, once again the FTE boys come through.
Chris
Chris