# Brake/tail light HELP



## Thejudge 69GTO (Mar 22, 2012)

Ive been fighting with this for 2 weeks im hoping someone can give me some info.

My brake lights were a train wreck with old sockets,brittle ground straps, and the wires had multiple splices and elec trap hack jobs. the prev owner looked like he was just guessing.

i decided to tear it all out, and rewire from the harness back,i bought 6 1157 sockets and a few packs of bulbs then replaced the little cooper ground strap kits in the tail lights from opgi, added engine ground straps from engine to frame, engine to body, 2 frame to body, and checked batt to engine and batt to frame.

I also bought that $20 color diagram someone here mention from classic car wiring.com

thought i had it all covered...i but i am having issues so if anyone can tell me if i needed 1156 sockets and or bulbs instead and what lights are supposed to light up (like inner and outer and dim and bright).

right now i have this

brakes pushed/ no headlights - outerlights bright, inner dim.

headlights pulled/ no brakes - outerlights 1 dim 1 out, inner lights bright

brakes pushed/headlights on - all 4 light bright.

side markers are hit or miss.
reverse lights dont work but thats the next project.

thanks for the advice im just noit sure what hardware i should have started with and what sequence the lights are suppossed to light up in.

Scott
69 Gto


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## Thejudge 69GTO (Mar 22, 2012)

Im also wondering if the problems may be caused somewhere before the harness in the trunk. someone mentioned their is a "flasher" module under the dash that some of these lights are hooked to. my wiring diagram shows that the wires do run through another harness elsewhere in the car.

just not sure where under the dash to be looking.


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## jmt455 (Mar 26, 2012)

Those rear lamp circuits connect to the steering column harness, the turn signal/hazard flasher circuit, the headlight switch and the brake light switch.

I've got a 69 Service Manual; if you send me a PM with an email address, I can email you scans of all 4 pages of Tempest wiring diagrams.


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## bigrc2 (Mar 28, 2009)

Its your grounds! You are talking about 40+ years here! There will be carbon build up that you will have to scrape with a file or use a Dremal tool and bit of some kind till the connector and the surface is shinny clean! I too had very wierd things goin with the tail lights of my 69! I also dont think you should add any straps either! Just clean the ones that there! It worked before! Just my opinion!


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Sounds ground-ish to me also.....better to find it there than having to dig into the steering column. DO the easy checks FIRST!!! Eric


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## Thejudge 69GTO (Mar 22, 2012)

I think I got this thing beat 

Everything works as long as this is correct .

Of the 4 red tail lights 2 inner near the Lin plate and 2 outer near the bumper I have this.

With headlights on/ no brake pedal the 2 inner are bright the 2 outer are dim.

With headlights off / brake pedal pushed the inner 2 are dim and the outer 2 are bright.

With headlights on and brakes pushed all 4 light bright.

Turn signals work. Side markers only light up when headlights are on 

Is this all working correct?

Thx for the help guys.
Scott


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Hi Scott,
It's close. On my 69, all 4 rear lights are the same brightness in all modes --- there's never a situation where the inners and outers are different brightness.

Bear


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## bigrc2 (Mar 28, 2009)

Ya Bear is correct! Mine are the same also! I dont know if this will help


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## Thejudge 69GTO (Mar 22, 2012)

Thanks for the help guys. I got them right now.

All 4 dim with running lights,and all 4 bright with brakes pushed.

Reverse still not working but after the tranny swap was done I'm betting it wasn't hooked up .

But I can at least drive in now.

Scott


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