No tail lights

[yodaddy4200]

Hey all im having some tail light trouble. They both suddenly went out and i cant figure out why. Ive tested all the fuses even #30 by switching it with the wiper fluid relay and still nothing. Yes i tested the fuses and ports with a Meter.

Ive tested the tail light harness with a test light and the passenger side wiring looked totally stock. The driver side looked like this.View attachment 28517

The passenger side all tested ok except the running light. I didnt test the ground because i am a noob at this shit and dont know how to!!

The driver side has been rewired with the new harness it looks like with all white wires. I was only able to get back probe with my paper clip the turn signal because there was no room in any of the other pins. Im assuming that power still isnt getting there.

i also have sonar brand black alteeza tails. With spider lights in my running/brake and turn signals, cree 7w with 12 smd base for reverse.

i dont know where to look or what to do next guys any help would be greatly appreciated!! Oh brake lights, turns, reverse, everything works except the tail lights..

 

[The_Roadie]

If any light works, the ground is good. Use a sharp pin to go through the insulation if a paper clip is too big. Do you have voltage at fuses 14 and 17 when the running/park lights should be on? Do your license plate lights work?

 

[yodaddy4200]

Yes the licence plate lights work. My friend checked both of those yesterday and said they were working properly (14, 17) i just got my meter today so i didnt want to do to much poking and prodding just yet. Thanks for the quick reply by the way.

 

[The_Roadie]

License plate lights work off the left parking/running lamp circuit. Smells like connector or lamp problems.

 

[yodaddy4200]

Im sorry but i dont have a clue of which "connector" To check/replace. By lamps do you mean bulbs? Im sorry for all the stupid questions.

Im about ready to drive this mother fucker off a cliff!!!!!

 

[dmanns67]

Im about ready to drive this mother fucker off a cliff!!!!!

You should sell me your wheels and tires first!

 

[The_Roadie]

Lamps = bulbs.

The connector is also called the socket, and it's what the bulb plugs into. And there's a circuit board that the vehicle's harness plugs into.

Say, you didn't miss this fantastic tutorial, did you? I sort of assume EVERYBODY knows about these.

[video=youtube;oKalk-uRwrI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKalk-uRwrI[/video]

 

[yodaddy4200]

Lamps = bulbs.

The connector is also called the socket, and it's what the bulb plugs into. And there's a circuit board that the vehicle's harness plugs into.

Say, you didn't miss this fantastic tutorial, did you? I sort of assume EVERYBODY knows about these.

[video=youtube;oKalk-uRwrI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKalk-uRwrI[/video]

Yes sir, thats the exact video i watched.

A little update: My battery was dying after about 10 mins of having my lights on so i went and had it tested. It only had 100 crank amps. I had it replaced at les schwab eith a 75/35 optima red top. The thing looks tiny. its about an inch shorter than the AC delco that was in there. I hope they didnt fuck me again.

Anyways what makes you suspect the lamp/connector is bad if there isnt even power getting that far? I really didnt want to remove my spider lights cause they will be a royal bitch getting back in But if you think it will help i can give it a shot. i just dont see the running light function going out on both simultaneously.

If one of the connectors was bad would that affect both tail lights?

 

[yodaddy4200]

You should sell me your wheels and tires first!

Ima be flossin on them in hell dog!!

 

[The_Roadie]

You have two problems. One on each side. You need to confirm that the power isn't getting to the connectors on the back of the PC boards, assuming you already checked the lamp sockets. Don't at all know what you mean by spider lights.

 

[yodaddy4200]

i have Sonar brand alteeza tail lights. They dont use the stock boards. They have there own socket for each lights. These are the lights i have in them...


2pc 3157 5 Spoke Arm Spider Lite Red 40 SMD LED Tail Brake Signal Light Bulb 12V | eBay

 

[The_Roadie]

So how does the vehicle harness connect to the lamp sockets? The stock boards are usually the interface. Whatever these tails have for an interface, it's on my suspect list.

 

[yodaddy4200]

ill see if i can get a good pick of the back of the tail light for ya... ill do it right now.

 

[yodaddy4200]

View attachment 28544

View attachment 28545

this is the passenger side. i hope this helps.

 

[yodaddy4200]

in the first pic you can see all the wires going to just basically a plug.

 

[The_Roadie]

That's perfect. All the wires are available for testing. I don't see where the confusion is? The color code from the vehicle is that ground is black, and the park light signal is a brown/white wire on the right and brown on the left. Poke a pin through the insulation on the signal wire into the center conductor (so you can check the voltage without disconnecting the connector) and see if the vehicle is putting 12V on the brown/white and the brown wires when the parking lights should be on. If not, you have a problem in the vehicle wiring from the fuse to the rear connector. If you have power at the pin you just poked through the wire insulation, then the problem is between that point and the lamp. Could be in the connector on the vehicle side, the wiring from there to the lamp socket, or the the connection INSIDE the lamp socket to the lamp, or the lamp. You're so close to finding the problem I can't see why it isn't jumping right out and screaming - FIND ME!

 

[yodaddy4200]

Oh im sure it is im just not SEEING it lol ill see if i can get it in the garage to look at some more... Thanks for your help Rodie

 

[Short Bus]

Sometimes with the LED bulbs you need to bend the wire contact a little to make good contact in the socket.

Also, in your pic the boot on the brake/tail socket looks a little loose, go ahead and putt that out to check the connections there. The wires have male spade connecters at the end.

 

[yodaddy4200]

View attachment 28574
View attachment 28575



Well i ended up ripping out the spider lights... They were fucked... The LEDs are like rusted? it just baffles me that the tail function went out on both? And i swear i didnt get a power signal on the tail light wire? A good learning experience!! Thanks for the help Roadie. I appreciate it greatly!!


View attachment 28576