Ok this is getting on my last nerve! I think I posted this once before and no response, Ive tried everything my mechanic tells me to do, another friend a diesel mechanic has no idea and a chevy mechanic thinks its the switch... I agree with him. But ive changed all the bulbs pulled the assemblies out and cleaned all connections and still no change.i have the drivers side tail light but no brake light or turn signal. and the passenger side has no tail light but does have the brake light and turn signal. Could somebody please tell me what in the world is goin on before i push my original condintion straght body no rust baby into the trees... PLEASE!!

 

do you get signals in the front

 

yup but its the same in front as in the back

 

How about the turn signal indicators? I'm leaning towards the turn signal switch being bad, but if the dash indicator lights up it's probably a harness issue.
Also, is this the 69 or the 70 in your sig?

 

I had a weird problem like that on a 76 chev years ago. It turned out that some wires had gotten melted and fused together. My muffler was close and heated them up over the years.
My only recourse was to poke my test light along the way until I found it.

darrell

 

If you've looked over the wires then it's probably the switch like everyone else is saying, reminds me of a '77 Nova me and my dad were working on just last year, the wiring on that thing was all pieced together by the prior owner and we didn't know what to expect. Good luck with your repairs.

 

Ford_six its the 70. The dash light does light up for the right side that does have turn signals, but not the drivers side.

 

A faulty turn signal switch will not cause the tail lights to not work. They are on completely different circuits. I would suspect poor ground and/or shorting of wires/circuits/socket pins to each other or to ground. Are you sure that all of the bulbs are actually 1157 and and NOT some other number (not sure of the number) that has the pins 90 degrees off from the 1157? This other bulb will short between the 2 contacts and cause you a nightmare (oh, wait, you're already having one). Also, if the bulbs came from AUTO ZOMBIE they are likely those horrible @#$%*^$@$& "Sylvania" packaged bulbs that barely even have locating/locking/ground pins off the sides. These bulbs (at least recently) are absolute junk and can ruin your sockets and/or allow the bulbs to either not be aligned correctly or simply fall out and not give a good ground. Believe it or not, it could be a shorted bulb or socket in the front causing the issues. Clean the fronts and replace the bulbs also. If all else fails, remove all front and rear bulbs and use a test light (non powered) connected to a good ground ( a long wire attached to the negative side of the battery is pretty good) and test each contact in each socket starting with one circuit at a time I.E. parking lights on and nothing else with key off and turn signal handle in center position, then turn off parking lights and turn the key and left signal on and then right signal. If still no satisfaction, take 2 (or more) beers (or similar medication) and call me in the morning.
Good Luck
Gene

 

not sure what the number is but the local napa store matched em right in front of me same exact number as the factory 1s i took em. I guess ill pull the assemblies back out n pull the ground wires out again. I did notice that a previous owner had put a 7 pin trailer harness on and some wires are rotted and exposed. Please tell me thats the whole problem beyond the shadow of a doubt.

 

Ds7776,
If you can, try to carefully "disect" out that P.O.S. without damaging the original wire too badly. That could easily be at least one source of your woes. Even if you have to cut the wires it shouldn't be too bad to fix if you are reasonably adept with a test light and wire splicing. cut only one at a time and splice back together and if too short, splice in a new piece of wire.
Gene

 

Buddy me and wires do not get along, Im some good at motors but wires elude me.I dont need the harness so I think im gonna just cut the wires from it and throw it away. cuz I dont tow anything with my baby!

 

If the local NAPA store "matched them to the factory ones you took them", the PO could have put the wrong ones in the sockets and you could still have a bulb problem.

Make SURE you have 1157 bulbs before you go any further.

That is the correct bulb, and anything else will produce problems like you've never seen.

The 1157 is correct for both front and rear lights.

For example, an 1156, which is a single-contact, single-filament bulb will come on when you turn on the parking lights and will use the same filament when you turn on the turn signals or step on the brake. Stepping on the brake will feed back through the wiring and make your turn signal indicators and dash lights come on.

See what I mean?????

 

Bulbs are right number. dash lights dont come on except the right turn signal cuz thats the only signal that works!