another tail light question

[forestb]

So a couple of months ago the lights on my gauges stopped working. Then a little while later they started working and then stopped again. Also my front running lights don't stay on but they do work as blinkers. Now here comes the tail lights. The rear blinkers work. The break lights work but the tail lights don't stay on when the headlights are on. I only realized last night that the tail lights were not working. But I am kind of thinking they they are all related sense they should all turn on at the same time. To make things a little confusing it is an aftermarket wiring harness. I have checked my gauge fuse but have not gotten a chance to check my tail light fuse.

[Clyde65]

Get a wiring diagram and start tracing!

I bet yours is like almost everyone’s truck, rats nest and PO cut stuff up.

Good luck!!

[forestb]

It’s actually a new harness that was installed in the last 2 years.

[PGSigns]

Check your grounds. I went through the tail light issue a couple of years ago. What U did was put a ground wire from the bed to the frame and added ground wires from the tail light housing to the bed. Made a world of improvement in the way they worked. On the hood I added a ground from the back of the hood to the body. I get ground straps from newer vehicles at the junk yard and use them for a factory look. Now on you front lights if it is a stock harness the marker lights only work in the first position on the switch and go out when the head lights are on. There is a fix to keep them on when the head lights are on and I did that to mine. Requires a jumper between two wires on te back of the switch. It is covered here on the forum just need to do a search for it.
Jimmy

[MikeN]

Originally Posted by PGSigns

Check your grounds. I went through the tail light issue a couple of years ago. What U did was put a ground wire from the bed to the frame and added ground wires from the tail light housing to the bed. Made a world of improvement in the way they worked. On the hood I added a ground from the back of the hood to the body. I get ground straps from newer vehicles at the junk yard and use them for a factory look. Now on you front lights if it is a stock harness the marker lights only work in the first position on the switch and go out when the head lights are on. There is a fix to keep them on when the head lights are on and I did that to mine. Requires a jumper between two wires on te back of the switch. It is covered here on the forum just need to do a search for it.
Jimmy

THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

It's almost always the grounds.........

[forestb]

I will look at the grounds but I know that the tail lights are vary well grounded. The lights on the hood don't turn on even when the switch is in the half position. I know that the buckets are well grounded to the hood but I don't have a ground from the hood to the cab. They work just fine as blinkers.

[forestb]

So just to follow up I finally got a chance to take a look at my tail lights and guades. After several frustrating hours of surching my dad recamended that I check all the fuses. Even the ones that don't apply. So I didn't and bingo. My horn fuse was burnt out. I checked my horn which I had recently got working and it was not. I changed the fuse and the tail lights and the horn started working. I have to ask the guy that rewired the truck if he knows what's going on. If he wired the tail lights to the horn fuse or if some wire's got crossed. I did get shocked once when honking my horn once.

[Indian113]

You just might have something going on inside your steering column. All of the things that you brought up are controlled inside it.

[forestb]

Originally Posted by Indian113

You just might have something going on inside your steering column. All of the things that you brought up are controlled inside it.

My tail lights not working when the horn wire fuse is out could have to do with something in my steering column? Are you thinking a crossed wire or something wrong with the turn signal switch. My blinkers and break lights were working fine. If that is any help.

If this is any help I connected the power wire that goes into my headlight switch to the wire that goes to the break lights and the break lights worked before I found the burn fuse.

[forestb]

I talked to the guy that installed the harness and he said it is common for companies to use another fuse to run the tail lights sense they draw so little power. That there is no other place on the block that is marked for the running lights. He said if the fuse keeps blowing out then I probably have a problem but if that does not happen I should not worry about it.