# Another electrical ?????



## 68gtohawk8369 (Oct 26, 2009)

When the light are on the taillights are dim , when applying the brakes only one side works , it gets very bright . I did paint under the hood so im going to start there with the ground straps sanding the contact area . Not sure where to start on the other issue.


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

I believe your on the right track with the grounds. Pay particular attention to the specific areas you are having problems with. The taillights and brake lights will have thier own ground wires on that end of the harness.

Do you have a schematic?

Good Luck! :cheers


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## 68gtohawk8369 (Oct 26, 2009)

*schematic*

No I do not have one . Electrical issues are not my thing I have put this off long enough , every time I take the car out im reminded one of my brake lights don't work its embarrassing!!!


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

I went to the library and got mine out of one of those big Haynes manuals, there might be a free one somewhere on the Net but I have'nt found it. You really need one, you kinda searching in the dark if you don't have one.

Grounds are the best thing to check though.


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

+1 on the grounds. Also what year car are you working on?

I'm in the midst of re-assembling the electrical system on my 69 right now so I'm probably "in for it" also. I bought a photocopy of the original factory assembly manual on-line and so far, even though the copy isn't great and hard to read sometimes, it has already proven to be worth its weight in gold. Not only does it have a complete wiring schematic that shows all the original wiring color codes, but it also shows "exploded" drawings of how things fit together. If you can find one for your car, I highly recommend getting one.

Bear


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

I also would do grounds. Just take the bulbs out, clean the sockets with a battery post brush. Disconnect the grounds, sand them and the mounting area and it should work. Some are grounded through the light housing, so sand where the bulb installs.


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

68gtohawk8369 said:


> No I do not have one . Electrical issues are not my thing I have put this off long enough , every time I take the car out im reminded one of my brake lights don't work its embarrassing!!!


Try here: http://www.gtoforum.com/f50/gto-wiring-diagram-scans-22042/


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

try this.....Classic Car Wiring . Com : Home of the original color laminated car wiring diagram you will get a 11"x17" color diagram, lamenated for your car mode/year for around $20.....very nice. Eric P.S. Your problem sounds most likely to be a grounding issue.


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

^^^^^^^^^^ Still think those are pretty cool........


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## BearGFR (Aug 25, 2008)

Eric Animal said:


> try this.....Classic Car Wiring . Com : Home of the original color laminated car wiring diagram you will get a 11"x17" color diagram, lamenated for your car mode/year for around $20.....very nice. Eric P.S. Your problem sounds most likely to be a grounding issue.


Awesome!! I just ordered me a set for my 69. These old eyes are having a tough time with the photo copies...

Bear


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## 68greengoat (Sep 15, 2005)

I know on the photo copied thumbnails, if you click on the pic each time it comes up(total of 3) it's large enough so even Bear should be able to read them...:lol:


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## ALKYGTO (Mar 29, 2010)

Eric Animal said:


> try this.....Classic Car Wiring . Com : Home of the original color laminated car wiring diagram you will get a 11"x17" color diagram, lamenated for your car mode/year for around $20.....very nice. Eric P.S. Your problem sounds most likely to be a grounding issue.




Yup, just got a set too.

Thanks E! :cheers


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Pretty nice diagram...EVERYONE here should own one!:lol:


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

Eric Animal said:


> Pretty nice diagram...EVERYONE here should own one!:lol:


Or an entrepenuer on here could buy one, take it to Kinkos, copy and laminate it and sell it for $5 to forum members, and $20 on Ebay.. Wonder what the originator would think of someone stealing his stuff..:cheers


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

Stealing is a sin,Jet!.....and copyright infringment is "a whole nother" story!:rofl:


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## bigrc2 (Mar 28, 2009)

This is off my 69! I was having a lot of different problems with my tail lights! I just cleaned every ground connection and every light bulb socket till they shined! It fixed every thing and works perfect! This is factory! Hope it helps!


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

bigrc2 said:


> This is off my 69! I was having a lot of different problemes with my tial lights! I just cleaned every ground connection and every light bulb socket till they shined! It fix every thing and works perfect! This is factory! Hope it helps!


Wow, those grounds are crazy, glad you got it working. I spent many hours rewiring my 66 after the PO hacked on the harness, or days. Probe the plug for voltage with the offending light actuated, ie. blinkers, if your probe is blinking it has voltage, or solid on with brake lights, then it's a ground issue. I've put wire into the terminal touching the SIDE of the bulb, then hook it to a good ground, works like a champ.


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## 68gtohawk8369 (Oct 26, 2009)

*brake lights*

I quickly determined when the car isnt running and the key is off both brake lights work properly. When the car is running with foot on the brakes only one side lights up I thought this might narrow down the cause of the problem any advi:confusedse or suggestions


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

OK, the browns are your running lights, green and orange are the blinkers/brakes. So, since the brakes work with the key off, then the brake light switch and wiring is fine, but is wired through the blinker flasher unit. When you turn power on, you power the blinker flasher unit and lose the brake light. Replace the blinker flasher unit. 
Turn the flashers on and see if you have brake lights, flasher powers it with key off, but it's from a dif power feed. It's something with the power to the flasher unit for the blinkers.
Very odd, good luck.


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## bigrc2 (Mar 28, 2009)

68gtohawk8369 said:


> I quickly determined when the car isnt running and the key is off both brake lights work properly. When the car is running with foot on the brakes only one side lights up I thought this might narrow down the cause of the problem any advi:confusedse or suggestions


The exact same thing was happening to me! Did you clean your grounds around your tial lights? After I cleaned the bulbs! The sockets!But not until I cleaned the grounds and I mean make them shine! Did everything worked perfectly! My ground had a black cardon biuldup on them! So I the dremer out with a small wire bush and a pair of pliers!


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