AAM

I just noticed a problem with my tail lights on my 56 olds 88. Two weeks ago, while driving my car a night, someone told me that my tail lights were out but my brake lights were working fine. I checked the fuse and noticed that it had blown. I replaced the fuse and the tail lights were working just fine.

Tonight, the same thing happened, no tail lights. I put in another fuse and the tail lights were working again. When I started the car and turned on my headlights, the fuse had blown again and I had no tail lights.

Has anyone had this problem before? I'm not sure what keeps causing my tail light fuses to blow. AAM

Allan R

It sounds like you have an intermittent short (broken wire) somewhere in the tail light circuit.

Highwayman

AAM,

There are a few more things in the tail light circuit besides the tail lights. So you might have to look at all of these and the wires. This is from my 56 shop manual. I also show a 9 amp fuse.


Tail lights
Trunk lamb
License lamp
Key hole lamp
Under hood lamp
Glove box lamp
Spot lamp

AAM

thanks for the information

Highwayman

You're welcome. BTW, the wire you are chasing is black. Sorry that I forgot that.

AAM

I'm about to search for the broken wire right now!

AAM

You guys were right on the money! The wire connected to the bulb underneath the hood was broken. That was causing the fuse for my tail lights to keep blowing. I simply reconnected the wire, replaced the tail light fuse, and my tail light have been working just fine!

Thanks for the information. I'm sure if I had taken my car to the shop, they would have charged me at least two hours labor to diagnose the problem.

Thanks Again,

AAM

Highwayman

That's great AAM! I love a happy ending!

Without a wiring diagram who would have thought to look under the hood for a tail light problem? I picked up my shop manual at a swap meet many years ago and it was money well spent.

AAM

I agree......picking up the shop manual was money well spent!!

Allan R

It feels good to have done it yourself too, doesn't it? Glad you solved the problem. Enjoy driving your ride at night now!!

AAM

Thanks!

Theo's '67

Here's another conundrum. On my 67 Delta 88 My tail light work, my hazards work, my reverse lights work and my brake light work on the left side only but no on the right side. I checked the lines and on the left side i have two brown wires going into each socket separately but on the right there is only one brown wire that goes into both sockets. Is that normal or should it mirror the left side.

Allan R

Before you go into any major electrical troubleshooting, check the right side bulbs. Also is it the upper or lower or both RS signal lights that don't work? The bulb is an 1157. (2 filaments) One could be broken. Put in a new 1157 and see if that makes any difference first. I looked at the 67 electrical schematic and it shows there are 8 tail lights in the circuit. It also shows the double and single wires you describe, but they are not for the tail light/brake lights.

I'm betting one of your right side lamps has a burnt out filament.

3816835820_468fb26441_b.jpg

Look on page 12-5 of this link. It's not the clearest, but it will give you the start you're looking for. http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/membe...ection_12A.pdf

Theo's '67

Thanks for the response. It is for the upper. My lower ones are no even connected at all. That's the next project. I replaced the bulbs and still nothing when the brake is pressed.

Theo's '67

Nice looking car by the way!

Allan R

This is a strange problem. Your hazards work, but brake lights don't? I'd be tempted to start at the brake light switch and see if you're getting 12v there. Then check the back harness and see what your voltage is on both sides. You could have a bad ground on one side.

BTW, that pic of the 67 is one I used for illustration only. It's not mine, but boy do I wish it was! When I was learning to drive though, it was on a 67 Cutlass - the smaller bro to your car. Loved that thing! 330 and a Jetaway. Not a chick car - a 4 door pillared sedan. Dad used to say I'd wash the paint off the cars. It was my job to see that the stable was kept neat and there were 3 Olds' to feed, water and excercise....

Highwayman

Here's what I can make of it. When you say the hazards work, I assume you mean both sides. Then you have brake lights on just one side. But you also have the lower lights not hooked up.

If I assume that the lowers are not the part of the problem, there is only one brake light switch so if some brakes lights work the switch should be good. Given that the brake lights and hazard lights are the same bulbs, if one side the hazards work and the brake lights don't, there is one place that separates the the two and that is the turn signal switch.

You didn't say what the turn signals are doing but if hazard goes in and comes out fine and brake lights go in and don't come out to both sides, I'll take a shot at the turn signal switch being the problem.

Allan R

What you say makes sense. Didn't think of the signal switch. Isn't the turn signal and the emergency flasher on the same circuit in 67 though?

Highwayman

Allan, all circuits are merely branches of the same 12V source. On these cars the turn signals, the 4-ways and the brake lights all share the same filaments of the same bulbs. The only difference is the path the current takes to get there. A turn signal is nothing more than the brake light being turned off and on. If you have the 4-ways on and step on the brake, the flashing stops because the brake light overrides the 4-ways. All of this switching happens in the turn signal switch.

Theo's '67

Highwayman- thank you for the advice. My turn signal do work at all. So i guess it is related to the switch.

On replcing the switch do you have to pull the steering column out completely to replacr the switch?

Theo's '67

Sorry***my tailight does not work at all** it was i meant to say.

Allan R

Turn signal Switch for 67-68 is available from Fusicks, but they are not cheap (53.00)

Diagnosis of the signal and lights circuit starts here on this link page 12-52. http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/membe...ection_12B.pdf

This section shows how to access the signal switch (starts on 9A-12) http://wildaboutcarsonline.com/membe...Section_9A.pdf