1971 cutlass convertible with no brake lights one taillight and no turn signals all the lights in the front and side markers work fine helpppppp

 

First step is to check the bulbs to ensure they are good.

 

The spring loaded contacts tend to corrode and bind. Also the wire gets hard and brittle and sometimes the bends before the sockets do not allow the contacts to come out all the way.

 

All bulbs are new replaced with lenses and bumpers

 

Are the light sockets grounded?

Are the connections in the body harness plug clean and tight?

- Eric

 

The brake lights and rear turn signals use the same filaments in the 1157 bulbs (the tail lights use the other filament). The rear turn and brake light circuits are common from the turn signal back. Sounds like that problem might be caused by the turn signal switch. The contacts for the front and rear turn signals are separate in the switch due to the brake light circuit.

If you have tail lights on one side, the problem is either in the rear socket, the ground, or the wiring in the trunk. A single wire runs back from the headlight switch, goes to the LH side tail light sockets first, then over to the RH side. Again, since the front park lights work, the headlight switch is fine.

Note that a bad ground could also cause the brake/turn light problem, but if one side has a working taillight, that side has a good ground, so the brake/turn would also work on that side.

 

You did not tell your level of experience with automotive electrical problems so don't take these simple questions as anything but first stage troubleshooting. Did you put the right bulbs in the right sockets? The park/turn signal bulbs in the front and tail/turn signal lights in the rear all get the 1157 bulbs which are dual element/dual contact. Make sure the bulbs are in the sockets right, and in the right sockets. They have a high/low alignment pins on the base that is supposed to make sure they will not fit in the wrong sockets. They will! 1156 single element/contact bulbs will fit in the sockets if you try hard enough and cause all kinds of problems! Do the turn signal lights on the dash light up when you apply the brakes?

 

Wow. I'd take it back to the store and get one that has all the lights.

 

Did you paint the bumper brackets when you replaced the bumper? I had to add a ground wire to mine because I sprayed the inside of my bumper with clear coat and re- painted my bumper brackets causing my lights to fail.