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More Electric Gremlins

2K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  MixedUp 
#1 ·
Help. I searched and can't find anyone with a similar problem.

Hit the brakes, both brake lights work but also a back up light comes on. Then if you hit a turn signal the same brake light goes off and no blink. It has been blowing fuses lately as well. All the electrical problems I read about were bad grounds so I assume that's me too? Tail lights ground near the frame I assume?

Thanks in Advance.
 
#2 ·
What year is your Elky?

I suspect you have some wires shorted out in a tail light fixture. Do the easy things first. Remove the entire tail light fixture that contains the offending back up light and take a close look at all the fittings, lamp holders and wiring. Look for frayed, cracked or broken insulation that allows the two wires to touch. Using an ohm meter, touch one test lead to the brake light wire and the other lead to the back up light wire to see if you get continuity. If yes, the two wires are making contact somewhere (shorted) and the condition will need to be cleared. If you do get continuity, remove the lamps and test again. That would identify whether the trouble is in the lamp holders, lamp mountings, etc.

Good luck and let us know what you find.
 
#3 ·
MixedUp said:
Hit the brakes, both brake lights work but also a back up light comes on.
Do all lights come on at full brightness? If so this would suggest a short from stop light power to back up light power. If they are dim then you have a series type of undesired connection.

Mixedup said:
Then if you hit a turn signal the same brake light goes off and no blink.
That is a function of the turn signal switch. If you think about what has to happen it makes some sense. Each tail light is really just two bulbs: a dim one for tail light and a bright one that is shared between brake, turn, and hazard. It can only do one thing at a time, so it does the most important. Which means that the turn signal switch disconnects the brake input in favor of the turn input.

Did the backup light also go off in turn mode? If not, that would send you looking in the steering column or behind the dash where the signal is "pure" brake. If it does then you need to look downstream where the signal is combined.

Mixedup said:
It has been blowing fuses lately as well. All the electrical problems I read about were bad grounds so I assume that's me too? Tail lights ground near the frame I assume?
Does not really sound like a bad ground, they are more associated with stuff not working at all rather than weird combinations or blown fuses. Blown fuses suggest a *good* ground but with the wrong wire :lol:
You may have a ground wire running to the tail lights, or not... the older cars are interesting that way. I need to do some similiar turn signal hunting on my '68 which also has the blown fuse symptom. I just have not gotten there yet.

Steve
 
#4 ·
Thanks for all the advice. I am off work tomorrow so I'm going to tear into it. Today the fuel gauge started acting up. Goes to way over full when you hit the brakes and then way below E when you are off the brake. Pretty exciting drive, let me tell you!!
 
#5 ·
Well I replaced all the bulbs and flashers, checked all the connections, redid all the grounds etc. Never got better. Before I went upstream I thought I would take a time out and throw a wheel cylinder on the left rear. Pull the wheel off and look at all those frayed wires that were rubbing on the tire and are all touching each other. Splice 6 wires. Done. It's my birthday so luck must be on my side!!
 
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