# 66 GTO Rear Tail Lights



## zavy70 (Feb 20, 2011)

Did a complete restoration on a 66 GTO...
Replaced the both front harnesses as well as the rear harness, kept the origional dash harness and the flat harness that runs front to back under the rug.
Problems incountered:
Rear tailights - left side - lights come on when you turn on the light switch..
but there's power going to the ground clip on the light sockets..
Right side: lights don't come on and there's power to the ground clip on the socket as well
Signals don't work on either side...
Front light harness - Headlights / high and low work as they should
Park lights - work when the switch is activated
Signals Lights - work when the lights are off - turn the lights on - signals don't work.
Have checked all new ground starps...clean and tight.

Any thoughts?


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## chuckha62 (Apr 5, 2010)

More than likely still a ground issue. The ground contacts on the light sockets tend to be an issue. Make sure they're making good contact in the light housing.


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## pjw1967 (Mar 10, 2014)

On my '67, I had a ground problem between the dash and the car. Up behind the steering column at the bottom of the dash there should be a screw that might have loosed or fallen out. Also, I had a problem with the main interior light. The spring clip on one side had worked its way out of the housing and was shorting out on the underside of the roof. Good luck.


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## zavy70 (Feb 20, 2011)

chuckha62 said:


> More than likely still a ground issue. The ground contacts on the light sockets tend to be an issue. Make sure they're making good contact in the light housing.


??? Something has to be sending power through the ground for the test light to be showing power on the ground clips of the tail light harness...
I'll start from scratch and disconnect the flat harness at the dash...see what I get at the dash harness, if its good I'll reattach the flat harness and see what I get where the tail light harness connects behind the seat, only thing left after that could be the new taillight harness is faulty.


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## chuckha62 (Apr 5, 2010)

zavy70 said:


> ??? Something has to be sending power through the ground for the test light to be showing power on the ground clips of the tail light harness...
> I'll start from scratch and disconnect the flat harness at the dash...see what I get at the dash harness, if its good I'll reattach the flat harness and see what I get where the tail light harness connects behind the seat, only thing left after that could be the new taillight harness is faulty.


Agreed, but while the clips create the path to ground, they have to complete the path at the interface with the housing. That's where mine seem to have an issue. I have had to scrape the contact surface of the housings in order to ensure contact with the clips.

Oh... Another thing I've had problems with is the contacts within the sockets themselves. The sockets are all Chinese made and the spring tension on the contacts doesn't maintain a good contact with the solder nubs on the bottom of the bulbs. I've improved the contacts by hooking them and pulling them up slightly. I've also added solder to the nubs on the bulbs.

Just a thought.


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## zavy70 (Feb 20, 2011)

chuckha62
Thanks, for your insight...I'll have a look at the sockets...maybe run a temp. ground wire to the sockets as well as look at contacts and spring tension.
I'll let you know how I make out.


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