Got a 72 Toronado on the 13th. I love it and it runs/drives but some things like #1 have to be fixed, other minor stuff too (#2 onward).

1. Brake lights don't work. Bulbs and fuse are okay. Switch is new. The upper tier didn't work until this loose orange wire was connected. The white wire to the turn signal switch was reconnected too with no results.
2. Maybe relates to item #1 but right turn signals don't work. Bulbs are okay, probably a bad or missing wire??
3. While crawling under, I see a pink and orange wire going to a connector under the dash midway but nothing going further, what is this?
4. Closer to the driver door to the left of the fusebox, there is a black wire with purple stripes hanging out. Is this supposed to be connected to something?
5. I don't think the defroster is working? Bad wires or is their a module somewhere?
6. Not important but I haven't dug behind the dash panels yet but radio (original radio) and clock are dead? Not important but dead wires or switches?
7. In the glovebox, there is a fat orange wire (probably over 16 gauge) and a smaller black with white stripes wire going to nowhere. Is that something of importance?
8. Finally (for now :P ) the under hood light is dead? Any connections to the points above. :P

Lots of points but I love this car and lot of this is probably petty and cheap fixes. It runs and drives but probably shouldn't be driven that much without #1 (brake light) fixed. Someone was attemping to rewire this thing I guess but lost interest or maybe lost their job and sold it with all this wiring stuff astray.

 

1 - So the high level ones work and the bottom ones do not?

3 - This is for the downshift switch for the TH400 tranny. I am not sure if the Toro uses this. If there is a switch above and attached to the gas pedal, then this is where it should go.

4 - This appears to be the "accessory block plug in" Look on the wiring diagram - it should be plugged into the fuse block bottom port.

5 - No modules here. Check the fuse under the hood that comes off of the horn relay junction box and also the other fuse for the control relay. Both of these are in free-hanging fuse holders. Does the light on the dash light up? I attached a wiring diag for it...

6 - If the original clock, it may be dead itself. However, you did say int he PM that the courtesy lights are dead. I assume you checked all the fuses already? Be sure to use a voltmeter on both sides of the fuses to see if a fuse is good. Sometimes they blow (or just open up)at the ends where you cannot see the break.
Do the courtesies turn on at the headlight switch?

7 - This should be for the glove box light. Do you have one?

8 - check for voltage a the connector to this light while the headlights are on. If it is there, then either the internal mercury switch or the bulb is bad.

Hopefully this will get you started.

PS - please post some pics of your car - we like pictures...

 

They all work now but the "brake lights are stuck on". I press the pin on the brake light switch with no results.

 

Do the hazzard flashers work? Does fiddling with that **** affect the turn signals or brake lights?
I heard of that causing issues before.

Since all the brake lights are stuck ON, that rules out wiring for the right turn signal issue. I am thinking the switch in the column might be a culprit...

 

Hazards are good. LH turn signal is good.

 

And if you pull off the orange and white wire connector, do the lights all go out?
If not, pull the hazzard flasher from the fuse block. If the lights do go out, then the turn signal switch in the column will be the most likely suspect.

 

Pulled the hazard flasher and orange white with no results. Pulled the other couple wires from the brake switch. Didn't help either. I'm lost. :P

 

Wow - we may need an exorist soon!

Does pulling the stop-haz fuse kill the brake lights? If so we know the source of their power and we can go from there. If this is the source, procede with the below...

The next thing I would look for are the relays for the upper stop lights and see if the previous owner did something unusual with them, like misconnecting (connectors backwards) or bypassing them. I am guessing the relays are inthe trunk. Look for yellow, green, and orange wires on them.
Also, look for the connector above the fuse block for the high level lights and disconnect it and see what happens. I think it is one orange wire coming off the stop light switch at the pedal.



The other two wires are for the cruise control and it has a totally independent switch controlling it. You can put that one back on.

 

there are also relays (at least on my 76) up in the trunk somewhere in the area of the upper brake lights. I have heard them click at night while the turnsignal (no brake lights, I was at the open trunk) was on

 

Will check that out next. Pulled the STOP HAZ fuse and lights are finally off.

 

got any pics yet?

 

I don't really know what relays look like, I saw a picture of the horn relay (for example) online but I don't see anything that looks like that under the trunk.
Someone before me patched a bunch of wires together under the trunk though. But I'm not sure why the lights will work (except for the side exterior lights in the back) but not the brake lights when the pin is pushed in on the brake light switch.
Courtesy lights are dead too, wonder if all these problems are all connected.

 

Another unrelated thing....probably good. Topped off the oil, was low. Put a can of Restore and some Seafoam into the oil. Put some more Seafoam into the gas tank. Sprayed the carb with carb cleaner. The car smoked today, maybe it's "cleaning" itself. Haha.
Coolant was low, refilled it. Tranny fluid is good, I think. Nice and clean red and not smelly. There was no air filter though, so I got a K&N.

However, there's a couple wires that go to nowhere near the temp sensor. One is blue, have to check the color on the other, think it was two greens.
A couple loose hoses too. The air filter assembly had two loose hoses. I reconnected one to (what I think is a) Air flow sensor. Not sure where the other hose goes.
The coolant overflow tank has a hose that goes to nowhere too. One goes to the radiator near the cap. The other is just hanging. Not sure if it goes to this item under the hood between the overflow and the brake fluid. Couldn't identify this thing, brown and black wires go to it and part number says on it 409597 and it looks like it's missing a hose.
Throwing alot of thing at you guys eh? All I have for now is a Haynes manual and it's fairly useless unless for duh maintenance lol. My service manual probably won't be here for a week or slightly less.

I will take pictures tonight probably of the car itself (hope to put a temporary coat of primer on tonight to hold me to the spring real paint job) and the problems, the loose wires and hoses.
Paint on it was sanded over or spray painted over in random spots. Looks like a war vehicle almost and I don't want to get "eye sore" complaints. Cops are bored in my neiborhood. They can't solve the theft crimes but love writing traffic/parking violations.

 

Some pictures uploaded. Descriptions within the pic. Exterior pics when the exterior paint is done.

 

the loose hose is for the bottle overflow, supposed to just hang down. the courtesy lights and clock should be on a fuse marked BODY if you have strange things happening (like courtesy lights on with key on and door closed) it is BODY fuse

the relays in the trunk may be behind the cardboard trunk trim

the loose wires under the hood, if I recall correctly the green may be A/C high idle solenoid

 

Nope, no relays under the trunk.
Starting to think its the turn signal switch that is causing the brake issues. The right turn signal doesnt work, so it may be all connected.

 

when you say it does not work, does it light up and not flash? If that's the case, it may be a bulb, that would cause it to light and not flash, usually the front signal bulb believe it or not

I had a phantom issue with my 75 88, turned out to be the wire to the r/f t/signal socket

 

doesn't light up at all in front and with the brake lights "stuck on", the right light goes off in the back when the right turn signal is on. Those bulbs are good.

 

yes, that is how the rear is affected when the front is out. it may be a front bulb or socket or wiring problem. 1st fix that, it may fix the rear all by itself. the brake lights are also affected by the front turn signal, believe it or not.

I am not an expert but I have been around Oldsmobiles since I was born and I have played with all the lights in a lot of models including 72s and I have found some real quirks

 

Front right turn signal bulb is ok.

I did have a dead headlamp, one of the ones closest to center. (highbeams?)

 

I thought the front did not work at all?

 

correct

 

okay find out why if the bulb is good, maybe a socket or bad wire or connection, that should fix the rear

 

Front socket has red goo in it. Not sure if thats normal?

 

no, should be clean and dry, get power to that bulb and it may fix the rear

 

Front driver side has that goo too.

 

hmm not familiar with that but if it's not getting power.....

 

I am thinking the cobbled wires inthe back might be part of the problem.

Look for the connector above the fuse block for the high level lights and disconnect it and see what happens. I think it is one orange wire coming off the stop light switch at the pedal. Put the fuse in and hopefully the lights will stay off.
I am wondering if someone tried bypassing the relays.

 

The blue wire with the bell on it is for the oil pressure switch.

 

Dude, the first picture shows the relays being bypassed the wrong way. This is your problem!

 

I didn't even see any relays in there? lol

Wonder how to correct the problem.

 

Cut the yellow and green wires off of the orange and tape them securely. Then you need to find some relays! This will disable the upper lights but make the lower lights work.

I hate when the clueless just start hacking wires and shorting them to everywhere.

Maybe you can find out where the relays were mounted. Common A/C relays can be used if they are gone.

The circuit is in the upper right of the wiring diagram.

 

Relays like this (for example):
this
I didnt see any on another glance. It seems parts stores (on the net anyway) don't sell tail light relays. Just horn and air condition.

 

I cut the yellow and green off. Upper tier is dead.
BRAKE LIGHTS WORK AS THEY SHOULD.
However, killed my turn signals on the left side now, in addition to the right ones which were already "dead". When I hit left with the headlamps off, the left rear light just dims, not blinks. If I do have the headlights on, then the front one works but doesn't blink, just stays constant on.


I made a wire diagram of the hack job and is attached. Updated to cutting those two wires.

 

PROGRESS!!

If you do not care about the original look, then get two A/C blower motor relays. They will look similar to factory anyway.
Rockauto has the STANDARD MOTOR PRODUCTS Part # RY13 for 2.40 each. An ohm meter and come 1/4" female spade crimp on connectors will get this all fixed up.
The yellow and green wires that were cut off the orange would each go to a relay coil.
The orange would connect to one of the switch terminals to each relay and the wires hanging from the high lights will go to the other switch terminal of the relays. YEllow and yellow on one relay, green and green on other relay. Orange on both.

Now how many wires come from each high light? I think one should have one yellow, the other one green. I am a little confused with that last diagram.

However, i would concentrate on the rest of the blinker circuit so you can get the car drivable.

Now the highlights are removed from the circuit, try the hazzard flashers. Verify every bulb is working. The high lights were relay controlled, so them not being there anymore will not make a difference.
If all flash normal at normal brightness, step on the brake. All 4 should stay on. If so, then we verified the connection of the bulbs. Make sure the dash indicator lights are working, too.

 

I can not stress the importance of the effect the front signals have on the rear signals and brake lights. The fronts must be working correctly.

 

Did the blinker circuit test. Hazards worked (except for the dead bulb or socket on the right front corner). Brakes cut them off. Turn signals don't blink, neither of them do.
I will replace the bulbs and sockets in the front corners. Don't know if that would help. They are both gooey as hell with red gunk under the bulb.
One of the headlamps is out too, passenger middle (brights?).

As for your question about the highlights. Might as well get new sockets for those too. They each have different color wires hanging from them. And highlight #2 has two wires hanging from it, per the drawing. One yellow and one black.

I feel I am getting close to the trunk being done, some stuff just needs to be rewired. Each side back light has two black wires going to it too, that don't seem right and they're inoperable. :P

 

Okay, we are rolling along.

I think each rear tail lamp of the Toro has 3 bulbs. If I am right, are all working? (Just have to ask.)
Change right front TS bulb. If no worky, leave hazzards on then check for (pulsing) voltage at that same dark blue at the forward firewall connector. Of course it might be easier to check it at the turn signal switch connector under the column (the 'harmonica' one).
If no voltage anywhere, then turn signal switch may be faulty. If voltage is found, then there is an open wire or defective socket forward.

The GOO that is in the sockets may be dielectric grease to prevent corrosion. Usually only a small amount is used, but some people live by "bigger the blob, better the job"...

You might also spring for a new turn signal flasher, if the one you have is marked heavy duty or trailer towing. Given the hack job that was done, to PO might have put in the wrong flasher, too.

As for the high stop lights - the blacks might be the grounds. One should have yellow, one green. The yellow for the left one might go up into a hole and exit at the other right lamp. Recon?? Removing the lamps can confirm that - i bet the sockets are fine since they lit up before. And if they lit up without the black wires connected, then the do not need the blacks now.

The side lights should each have one black (ground) and one brown (lights voltage) going to it. Look for a butchered / taped brown wire and black wire in the trunk somewhere.

What was the previous owner on when he hacked this all up (and why)???
Is there evidence of a trailer hitch on this thing??

I emailed you the body wiring diagram - that might help you locate certain things.
Note there are two #24s. One points to the high level relays and one points to the trailer harness near the hitch area. Now what were THEY thinking?

 

Tested front right corner bulb socket, got a + reading and small spark. But then the STOP HAZ fuse blew. Not sure if that's bad or I tested wrong. I gotta spare 1157 bulb and fuse. Will see if it works now.

Edit:

Both corner bulbs in front work.
However, hazards don't blink up in front. Back lights just go dim.
Turn signals dim back lights too, no blinking. On front, turn signals only come on when headlights are on and they don't blink, they just stay on.
Hazard fuse says "552 12V Wagner DOT".
Pulled the turn signal "blinker", also says "552 DOT Tridon 32CP" and 69291 on back.

 

A bunch of bulbs were dead and must of replaced the right ones. All looked ok but looks can be deceiving.
Well, the flood lights, the ashtray lights, map light, and one courtesy light (investigating other) work.
Quarter lamps and a dummy trunk lamp (while I'm awaiting to get a real trunk light) and door lights only work when the headlamp switch is turned all the way up (dimmer), doors open or not. Chassis manual says look for kinks in the white ground and orange live between the trunk connector and the front. First glance is ok. Found the junctions of the orange wires and the white wires. Looked okay. Didn't look under the "tunnel" between the hood release and the trunk yet. We'll see.
Most everything is operable though. Some of the wiring up front under the dash could be better organized but is not the culprit.

Highlamp relays (waiting on Rockauto), door solenoid (waiting), and trunk/hood lamp next.

Passenger door doesn't shut all the way but I'm sure it's probably a quick and/or cheap fix like everything else.

edit: Door jamb switches look kinda ugly but I don't think they're failing but I could be wrong.