No tail lights after trailer

Reply Subscribe

Thread Tools

Search this Thread

Jul 1, 2008 | 11:59 PM

phampton428

Thread Starter

New User

Joined: Feb 2008

Posts: 24

Likes: 0

No tail lights after trailer

When I hooked up my car trailer to my 68 f250 I noticed erratic light behavior and I should have unplugged it but I left it plugged. When I turned the parking lights on the tail lights on the truck really dimmed so I am sure my trailer was shorting out. Now after unhooking the trailer I have no taillights. Everything else is fine. Brake lights, turn signals and front parking lights are all good. The bulbs look fine and I dont think taillights go through a fuse. Any ideas?????? thanks Paul

Jul 2, 2008 | 05:24 AM

jowilker

Fleet Owner

Joined: Jun 1999

Posts: 24,552

Likes: 74

From: Creedmoor, North Carolina

Paul, I suspect corrosion is causing the issue. Check all grounds as well as connection. Sometimes folk twist the wires together and tape them allowing gunk to build in.

John

Jul 2, 2008 | 10:22 AM

BradyCouchman

Post Fiend

Joined: Sep 2007

Posts: 6,221

Likes: 6

From: Cow Town, CA

i had a simaler problem i had the wires hooked up wrong and i blew a fuse every time i steped on the breaks....fix wireing and replace fuse problem gone....

Jul 2, 2008 | 11:13 AM

wildwes

Junior User

Joined: May 2008

Posts: 94

Likes: 0

the ground probably has a lot to do with it, one of my trucks blew the backup lights constantly because it wasn't grounded, once it got a ground wire hooked up it never gave a problem.

Jul 3, 2008 | 08:02 AM

blue68f100

Fleet Mechanic

Joined: Aug 2007

Posts: 1,828

Likes: 253

From: Piney Woods of East Texas

The wiring on these old truck are not very good. Ford used unsized wire which gives you a voltage drop at the lights. Added more load just makes it worst. Normally it can handle 2 lights, stop/turn/tail one each side. Any more than that may pop a fuse or burn something out.