[19bonneville66]

my brake lights stopped working, the running lights work and the turn signals work tho? i replaced the brake light switch but still nothing, the wiring is old when you barely touch one of the wirers going in the socket they flicker, should i replace all the light sockets would that help, what am i missing? the last thing i need is someone running into the back of her

[redhook98]

Sounds like a classic bad ground. Buy the new sockets for your tail lights that have the three wires. The third is for a ground. Your original light fixtures were self-grounding to your assembly. That is why when you touch or wiggle it, it will make momentary contact.
Or you could McGyver it and solder a ground wire into the socket and then connect it to your bracket holding the lamp assembly.

[pfilean]

If you have a system that uses the same bulb filament for both brake and turn light functions then the problem should be ahead of the turn signal switch in the steering column. Bad sockets may need to be replaced but they should have the same problem for both the brake and turn functions.
So if you have already replaced the brake light switch then start following those wires both ways and look for breaks or open circuits. Will need some test light or volt meter to follow along and see where the break occurs. And I presume you have already checked the fuse as the brake lights usually have their own fuse.
Good luck. I hope you don't mind working with your head under the dash.

[Deadhead]

There is a recent thread on this exact topic. I think it ended w/ the neutral safety switch. search archives to have a look.

[redhook98]

Originally Posted by pfilean

If you have a system that uses the same bulb filament for both brake and turn light functions then the problem should be ahead of the turn signal switch in the steering column. Bad sockets may need to be replaced but they should have the same problem for both the brake and turn functions.
So if you have already replaced the brake light switch then start following those wires both ways and look for breaks or open circuits. Will need some test light or volt meter to follow along and see where the break occurs. And I presume you have already checked the fuse as the brake lights usually have their own fuse.
Good luck. I hope you don't mind working with your head under the dash.

Damn. Your right. I read the original post as the front running lights/turn signals work and not the back. I would still replace the connectors anyway and use the 3-wire system for a better ground.

One of mine has a bad ground like I described and the entire lamp goes dead at times (until I wiggle it). I need to upgrade mine as well.

[mike nixon]

If the sockets are bad use 73 Ford Torino sockets, Spring retained steel sockets, GM hole is slightly smaller so it's an awesome fit.

[19bonneville66]

i bought all new 3 wire sockets from ames, i installed them this weekend, running lights work fine turn signals work fine, still no brake lights, the brake light switch is new, i checked for power to the switch, one wire has 12v an the other wire has no power, theres two wire red an white, red has power white doesnt, looks like it goes to back of the fuse box is that where the problem would be?

[pfilean]

If one wire at the switch has power but the other doesn't then the fuse would be good. Not sure of your colors as they did change some over the years. And I presume you did check for power at each terminal with the pedal depressed. The second wire will only be hot when the pedal is depressed. If not then either the new switch is bad or it is not adjusted right to make contact. I presume you have a mechanical switch and not a pressure switch. I think GM always used some type of mechanical switch and yours is probably mounted on the pedal mechanism but there is adjustment and the switch won't work if the pedal doesn't move the button or arm enough to make contact. If the switch is good then the power goes to the turn signal switch where the switch decides if one or both brake light bulbs get power. If the turn signal is on then one brake light will get power and the other will get flashing power from the flasher. It is possible that the switch is not making contact for the brake lights but only makes contact to the turn signals. Try jumping around the turn signal switch and see if you can get a brake light to work. Good luck finding a new switch if it is bad. There is also a body wire terminal plug somewhere but I doubt that it is bad if other wires going through it still make contact. And as either turn signal will work but not the brake lights I think the problem is either in the brake switch or turn signal switch and not in the wiring back the rear of the car.

[19bonneville66]

i fixed my brake lights, the wire running to the back was bad somewhere, so i ran a new wire through the car wired it in an everything worked fine, i have brake lights turn signal lights and parking light, but now when i turn my parking lights on an push the brake pedal the dash lights go on an off? i didnt touch the dash lights.. it eventually stays on like supposed to

[Heybuck]

That's sounding like a classic ground problem to me.

I had a long running and very difficult to trace lighting problem which was all solved by simply installing a good ground wire directly from the back of the speedo unit to the car body.

Try it. You have NOTHING to lose and it may well solve your problem as it did mine

Let us know how you get on

Ian

[Deadhead]

X2 on Ian.

Most common and you have to go through all the body ground points. The other thing that happens is that the wires that go through the steering column get worn. Sometimes all you have to do is tape them until you can replace the harness in the column.

Running extra wires is not going to solve the problem if there is a short. It is just going to shift it to another area.

[LASJayhawk]

Your turn signals use the same element in the bulb as the brake light...

Try wiggling the turn signal switch while on the brake and see if they light up or flicker. Your problem may be in the turn signal switch.

[19bonneville66]

i tryed messing with it this weekend an still couldnt get it, so i dropped my car off at a buddys house that works on it an he fixed everything. he said there was a bad ground issue behind the dash, an the turn signal switch was bad, replaced everything an it all good now

[mkoser]

It doesn't really help here, but I chased and chased and chased and chased a "brake light issue" in my car....

Little did I know, that the brake light circuit was only hot when the key was in run.. DOH!