If the bulb housings are that rusty, I'd start by replacing them. Get
a digital meter to check the wires and make sure they are good. Start
at the taillights and work your way forwrd inspectin the wire harness.
Any cracks in the wire insulation is bad and will allow in corrosion
which will destroy the wires from the inside out.
----- Original Message -----
From: Don Rey <radon220@gmail.com>
Date: Tuesday, September 4, 2007 11:24 am
Subject: DML: Ground problem
To: dakota-truck@dakota-truck.net
>
> I've got an electrical ground problem related to the rear lights
> on my
> Dak. I looked around for a loose ground wire, shaked and shimmied some
> connectors, checked bulbs, and when my bulb housings started flaking
> apart (rust) I got frustrated and gave up. Are there any specific
> places I should look... maybe based on symptoms?
>
> When I brake, the left light lights, but the right light doesn't. With
> running lights on, the left brake filament lights, but both right
> filaments go out (meaning the signal filament goes out and the brake
> filament just doesn't light). The bulbs are fine. My reverse lights
> don't light, but I'm not sure whether it's related or the tranny
> switch is bad. When I hook up a trailer, it becomes a light show back
> there... and if I remember right, the reverse lights start lighting
> when I hit the brakes (my dad tells me this, I haven't seen it for
> myself).
>
> Any ideas? I haven't taken out the wiring schematics yet... I should
> have dug into it more, but I got frustrated w/ the dern rust.
>
> Thanks!
> Don in CT
> 89 DakVert 318 NV3500 4x4
> 74 Dart Sport 340
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Tue Oct 02 2007 - 15:23:17 EDT