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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

Wires crossed at light switch or at tail light asy

Hey "Neighbor" - purdy car!

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!
Tom T
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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.
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.

Happy fishin'!

as it worked fine previously, telling you it's wired correctly. i'd suspect resistance. are there relays involved in the brake light curcuit?