 Electrical Gremlins w/ Brake Lights, What's going on here... |
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| Kargeek |
 Mar 8 2010, 01:31 PM
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#1
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Senior Member  Group: Members Posts: 555 Joined: 14-March 03 From: Orange, CA Member No.: 430  |
 I know things once worked properly since I built this car…Saturday I fire up my car- it’s been since last fall I’ve driven it and I discovered I have no brake lights. I have the lights on- no brake lights. I turn off the lights and I now have brake lights. This I discovered after removing the pedal board and checking the brake light switch, fuses and anything else I can think of. So, I’m thinking relay, current flow, ground problem or the notorious Porsche Gremlin. Before I whip out my electrical diagrams and squint through electrical current flows- does anyone have any suggestions to look for? DH |
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Replies(1 - 5)
| TheCabinetmaker |
Mar 8 2010, 01:37 PM
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I drive my car everyday Group: Members Posts: 8,300 Joined: 8-May 03 From: Tulsa, Ok. Member No.: 666 |
Wires crossed at light switch or at tail light asy
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| Tom_T |
Mar 8 2010, 01:51 PM
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#3
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TMI.... Group: Members Posts: 8,318 Joined: 19-March 09 From: Orange, CA Member No.: 10,181 Region Association: Southern California 
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QUOTE(Kargeek @ Mar 8 2010, 11:31 AM)  I know things once worked properly since I built this car…Saturday I fire up my car- it’s been since last fall I’ve driven it and I discovered I have no brake lights. I have the lights on- no brake lights. I turn off the lights and I now have brake lights. This I discovered after removing the pedal board and checking the brake light switch, fuses and anything else I can think of. So, I’m thinking relay, current flow, ground problem or the notorious Porsche Gremlin. Before I whip out my electrical diagrams and squint through electrical current flows- does anyone have any suggestions to look for? DH Hey "Neighbor" - purdy car! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Recheck your leads for tail-lights & brake -lights to see if you're getting a fault across them, as well as checking in the housing for a fault across. You may also have a weak/semi-corroded connection at one/both brake-light bulbs/sockets that gets overpowered with the tail-lights coming on (my 85 BMW 325e whacks out every so often with turn signals at the rear like that), which can usually be remedied by cleaning with steel wool & Wurth Contact Oil or similar product. Could also be a bad or going-bad relay, if none of those. Otherwise, since it once worked properly after you built it, chances are that you've developed a short somewhere in the harness/wiring leads - unless you replaced a new harness with the rebuild. The old insulation just gets brittle, cracks then shorts across - which was also typical in old VW's & other imports & domestics of that day. Where in Orange are you? I'm by OHS on Shaffer! BTW - had mine since 75! Cheers! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Tom T /////// |
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| Kargeek |
Mar 8 2010, 02:01 PM
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#4
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 555 Joined: 14-March 03 From: Orange, CA Member No.: 430 |
Tom,
I live off glassell and Riverdale near the 91 and the Santa Ana River. The wiring harness is new...Maybe I do have some wire connections crossed -I built the car over 20 years ago! But, I believe things checked out prior. Time to go fishing... |
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| Tom_T |
Mar 8 2010, 02:16 PM
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#5
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TMI.... Group: Members Posts: 8,318 Joined: 19-March 09 From: Orange, CA Member No.: 10,181 Region Association: Southern California
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QUOTE(Kargeek @ Mar 8 2010, 12:01 PM) Tom, I live off glassell and Riverdale near the 91 and the Santa Ana River. The wiring harness is new...Maybe I do have some wire connections crossed -I built the car over 20 years ago! But, I believe things checked out prior. Time to go fishing... Start with the wiring & sockets at the buckets - easy & obvious stuff 1st! Could just be a worn/cracked wire or the socket crud? Your 20 year old resto's "new" harness is most probably okay still today. I need to do my harness new/NOS in the resto of my 73 2L now, since it's still OE. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/dry.gif) I did a $6500 "rolling resto & engine/trans/mechs overhauls" in 80-83 as well, but didn't do a strip to shell since it was still my DD then, but it's been on blocks in my garage since 5/85 when a gal hit it. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) Happy fishin'! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) |
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| orange914 |
Mar 8 2010, 07:11 PM
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#6
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http://5starmediaworks.com/index.html Group: Members Posts: 3,371 Joined: 26-March 05 From: Ceres, California Member No.: 3,818 Region Association: Northern California |
QUOTE(Tom_T @ Mar 8 2010, 11:51 AM) You may also have a weak/semi-corroded connection at one/both brake-light bulbs/sockets that gets overpowered with the tail-lights coming on (my 85 BMW 325e whacks out every so often with turn signals at the rear like that), which can usually be remedied by cleaning with steel wool & Wurth Contact Oil or similar product. Could also be a bad or going-bad relay, if none of those. Tom T /////// (IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) as it worked fine previously, telling you it's wired correctly. i'd suspect resistance. are there relays involved in the brake light curcuit? |
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