So I purchased a 1962 c10. Past owner had installed LED hood marker lights, tail lights. the head lamps are original. Here's the issues. Passenger Headlamp when on is dimmer then drivers. Rear taillights : The passenger is brighter then drivers. when turn signal is activated the passenger flash is brighter then drivers sides flash. Both hood marker lights are fine. (Both Bright) Could this be grounds? Truck still has stock wiring besides what might have been spliced to attach the marker lights an tail lights.
Find each ground. Clean off the contact areas, re-attach, and put a little grease over the connection, to prevent oxidization (rust, etc.) If you still have troubles, report back.
Keep in mind that "ground" includes the sheet metal parts that the lights are mounted to, as well as the sockets, and how they are attached to the metal housings. The headlights have a ground wire that is held under a screw somewhere, and where that screw attaches, needs good electrical conductivity to the rest of the body. The tail light sockets themselves act as the ground, so there needs to be good electrical conductivity between the metal part that the bulb fits into, to the metal housing it's snapped or crimped into, and from that housing to the bed, and from the bed to the frame of the truck. this shit can drive you crazy fixing it
Squirrel is right it can drive you nuts tracking down a ground circuit. Remember the lights in the hood will complete there groung through the hood hinges if there is no ground strap from the hood to firewall. Hook a long wire to the ground post of the battery and touch the other end to the bulb housing and watch it get brighter. Sent from my SM-A102U using Tapatalk
Thanks guys for the tips... I'll start there an get back. Might be a few days before I get the chance to go at it again.
Update haven't had time to dig in...but went to start up the truck to let it run a bit since purchased ...an noticed now i don't have any tail lights.. ill be posting as i get into it more..
Fuse(s) But for now (before you change any fuses) make sure the taillight sockets are grounded. The only way I could solve a bad socket ground (socket loose) was to drill a small hole in the socket, screw a ring terminal to it, and run the wire to a good ground. The ground is just the most likely cause. There could be resistance in a switch, wire connection, etc. If it had a bad ground, it would cause increased resistance to the flow of electricity, and that would blow the fuse.
Actually increased resistance would cause the bulb to be dimmer but will not blow the fuse, fuses blow because of too much amperage, which is caused by less resistance than the circuit was designed for. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
This isn't an "argument", just a question. Resistance causes heat. If I have a bad connection in a circuit, (+or -), and it is heating up enough that a wire is smoking, won't a fuse blow to protect the circuit?
Not necessarily, if there is enough heat that the fuse melts from the heat but it will not blow in the sense of how a fuse is supposed to work. Quite often wires will melt and the fuse is perfectly fine. Less resistance or a short causes increased amperage flow which is what will cause the fuse to blow Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
So the wires would have to melt into (acting as a fuse) and then ground out (increasing amperage) to blow the fuse. That's not too reassuring.
Basically however in most of our systems a high resistance won’t melt wires because we don’t deal with tons of amperage, generally speaking, usually a high resistance causes things not to work properly, like dim lights etc. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
I understand it's all a "relative" thing. It's relative to how "bad" the connection is. Like if there were only two or three strands of wire holding together, then even a low current would melt it.
The bulkhead connections through the firewall can get corroded and cause issues. The early c10 turn signal switch can be a problem as well, very basic brass contact springs and re pop replacements are often worse. Here’s the 3rd switch (BRAND NEW) I’ve had in my truck both before and after I tweaked the contacts. Habitually procrastinating
9 times out of 10 its grounds. when ever i get ready to rewire a car or truck, i put new grounds on every thing. body to frame, frame to bed, hood to body, what ever. you always have good grounds to make any of it work. other wise you will always loose something while driving, a tail lite, a headlite etc. like squirrel said, those parking lites ground threw hood, if not a good ground at hood, your going to loose your lite sooner or later. if you can ad a ground off the socket and run it to the body, and body is grounded good, you will be good. thats why you see alot of these restored cars running around with one brake lite out, usually no ground.
These trucks when well used exhibit this issue a lot. Poor grounds in the hood due to worn hinges, aluminum housings, and corrosion. Clean everything and run a separate ground strap from hood to body. Run additional ground strap from body to frame as well as bed to frame. I have experienced the same on the turn signal switch, drove me nuts.
Sounds easy enough to install 1157 tail bulbs to see if that helps. The suggestion to use a long jumper wire from battery negative to bulb socket is a handy trouble shooting tip. Use dielectric grease at each point where a wire attached to sheet metal after cleaning contact point thoroughly. Phil
You may have something there. I know that LEDs don't draw enough current to flash a flasher. I have front LEDs, but they are in the same circuit as the rear signals. (Or actually wired to the same side of the switch)
I have a aftermarket accessory turn signal switch that mounts to the column post. My original turn signal had been removed by previous owner. I have no idea why
I'm almost to that point... There very cool an bright when working but right now I have shitty lights. An no taillights brake lights or rear turn signals
I have a different approach than a lot of people. Kind of "When in doubt, put in a switch and wire around the problem." Like when my key got so worn that it wouldn't start the car, no problem, I put in a button for the starter and a switch for the ignition. You might want to start from step one. (Might) Cut the wires at the rear lights and strip an inch of insulation. Run a hot wire to each one and see if they light. Label them B or D. Bright or dim. *"...to each one..." (One at a time) * 1/2"
Yes. It powers the headlights, taillights, (dim element), license plate light, front parking lights, and instrument lights. I'm not an "electric guru" (wish one would show up), but I'm guessing that the problem started with the installation of the turn signal switch. I don't know how a car is wired so that the brake lights and turn signals (same bright element) function independently. That is why I wired my car so that the original rear lights are tail/brake lights and I have marble-size LEDs inside the lower corners of the rear window that are wired as flashers.
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