No rear lights
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Tuned
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 399
Likes: 1
From: Winnipeg Canada
No rear lights
I recently replaced my box with a newer one and ran my existing harnesses back to the tail light locations and grounded both sets of rear lights. The backup lights work and the turn, flasher and brake lights work but the bulbs don't light up when I put the lights on i.e. I have no red rear lights at night. Anyone have an idea what's going on? I have zero knowledge of auto electrical. The PO did have a trailer light plug spliced into the existing set-up but I've never messed with it.
Freshman User
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
From: Blueridge
Hard to say but I would look at:
Light switch itself... could be bad.
Blown fuse? I know the blinker circuit and the taillight circuit are different and have separate fuses.
Generally, you need to trace back from the lights at the rear of the truck up to the front until you find power.
If you don't have a 12V test light, you need to get one. They are about $5-$10.
Light switch itself... could be bad.
Blown fuse? I know the blinker circuit and the taillight circuit are different and have separate fuses.
Generally, you need to trace back from the lights at the rear of the truck up to the front until you find power.
If you don't have a 12V test light, you need to get one. They are about $5-$10.
Moderator
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 22,415
Likes: 92
From: Denver Metro Area, CO
I'm assuming you're referring to the bed...
Most sudden failures like this are directly related to something that recently
changed. The ideal scenario is to undo your recent change - put it back the way
it was. That's obviously pretty hard to do here.
As has been stated the tail lights are a different circuit than the stop lamps/turn
signals; not only are they different circuits (implying separate wires), they're
also different filaments in the bulbs.
The tail lamps are part of the circuit that also feeds the front running lamps
(orange bulbs beneath the headlamps). If a blown fuse is the cause, the front
running lamps won't illuminate when pulling out the headlamp switch (at least
halfway).
Assuming your wiring harness is in decent shape and you didn't ground out the
wrong circuit, my first suspicion is gonna be the trailer harness wiring. Many
people do crappy jobs at splicing wires, the eventual result the connections
corrode and stop passing electricity through them. I suggest you look into your
add-on trailer wiring and correctly fix any issues you encounter; all of the
recent movement of the hiring may have disconnected something that was held
together with duct tape.
Most sudden failures like this are directly related to something that recently
changed. The ideal scenario is to undo your recent change - put it back the way
it was. That's obviously pretty hard to do here.
As has been stated the tail lights are a different circuit than the stop lamps/turn
signals; not only are they different circuits (implying separate wires), they're
also different filaments in the bulbs.
The tail lamps are part of the circuit that also feeds the front running lamps
(orange bulbs beneath the headlamps). If a blown fuse is the cause, the front
running lamps won't illuminate when pulling out the headlamp switch (at least
halfway).
Assuming your wiring harness is in decent shape and you didn't ground out the
wrong circuit, my first suspicion is gonna be the trailer harness wiring. Many
people do crappy jobs at splicing wires, the eventual result the connections
corrode and stop passing electricity through them. I suggest you look into your
add-on trailer wiring and correctly fix any issues you encounter; all of the
recent movement of the hiring may have disconnected something that was held
together with duct tape.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,786
Likes: 28
From: Northern California
The parking lamp circut is the Brown Wire.
It supplies power to all running lamps, including the License plate lamps, side marker lamps, taillamps, front parking lamps, roof marker lamps etc...
The Brown wire is protected by the circut breaker in the headlamp switch. There is no fuse in the fuse panel.
As Ctubutis suggested, check to see if other lamps are working on the same circut. If none are working, the headlamp switch is suspect. If only the rear lamps fail to illuminate, go over the trailer wiring and rear harness.
It supplies power to all running lamps, including the License plate lamps, side marker lamps, taillamps, front parking lamps, roof marker lamps etc...
The Brown wire is protected by the circut breaker in the headlamp switch. There is no fuse in the fuse panel.
As Ctubutis suggested, check to see if other lamps are working on the same circut. If none are working, the headlamp switch is suspect. If only the rear lamps fail to illuminate, go over the trailer wiring and rear harness.
