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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

No Tail Lights!

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Old Sep 19, 2010 | 03:31 PM
  #1  
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coolguy1419
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No Tail Lights!

I've got a little problem with my taillights. I think it could possibly be a ground but not sure. I noticed one day they werent working. So I wiggled the plug back in the frame and they came on and worked for awhile but now I'm having problems again. I thought it was in my trailer light connector took that out. When I turn on the turn signal both blink. If I have the lights on the tailights don't work. Turn the turn signals on when the lights are on and press the brake they won't flash. Front turn signals and everything work fine. I looked at the body ground out of the wiring harness and it looks good. Its got me confused!! I've cleaned the wiring harness plugs and made sure everything was connected and tight. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
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Old Sep 19, 2010 | 07:16 PM
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Assuming you've checked voltage at the bulb sockets, I would back-track through the wiring back to the fuse panel to see if/when there is a drop in voltage.
Worst case... replace the wiring with a bigger gauge(ie. use a 10/12gauge wire) corrosion might be there but it's inside the sheath.
 
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Old Sep 19, 2010 | 08:52 PM
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The taillights and the license plate lights are all fed by one common darkbrown wire.

If you are having trouble with the brake/turn function only when the headlight switch is pulled out, that is a bad ground indicator. You checked the ground where it bolted to the body, but have you checked the sockets? The ground is the little tab that touches the brass outside part of the bulb. If you are unsure of the grounds, take a scrap piece of wire and hook it to the good ground(battery -) and then take the other end and stripe away some insulation and stuff the bare wire into the socket between the bulb and the socket, and see if it starts working.
 
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Old Sep 20, 2010 | 06:45 PM
  #4  
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I figured it out. Used a test light on the plug coming from the fuse block and all the lights worked fine. Plugged the plug back in and same crap. So I knew it was in the tail light harness. Took it all out and untaped everything was looking and the ground plug the little one wire plug was cut almost in half. Spliced that and put it back together and worked perfect! Thanks for your guys help!
 
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