Needle illumination & brake lights

[helfmann]

Cheers all together.
A battle currently two issues
1.) My needles don’t glow anymore, I guess (but it’s not more than that) that something is wrong with the plated wiring which connects the dash to the power and sender line. When I installed my face plates (speedhut) it was somehow cramped at the left side. Does one have a plan which one is feeding the needles with power when the light is on OR can this part purchased separately?
Btw the needles worked fine for over a year AFTER I installed the faceplates!

2.) My brake lights don’t work anymore. I run LED’s in the rear (ledtronics drop in replacement for 1157 bulbs) and since 4 weeks my brakelights don’t work anymore. Rear taillight and turn signal works, so the functions of the 1157 are present. Bought a new brakelight switch but …. no success. May alarm will lock the truck automatically on the first tipping of the brake pedal, this works and can be activated and deactivated but no brakelights. Questions: Does the second switch with the vacuum line attached (guess it’s for the cruise control) also triggers the light (there are some connectors on it) or just the CG.

I HATE car electrics!

Thanks
M@

 

[supersports10]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

check the chassis ground that goes to the frame on the drivers side framerail in the back.
MAKE SURE ITS CONNECTED.if it is, take it off, then take a wire brush to the frame in that area, and put a new ring terminal on there. make sure you see bare metal!!
ive had countless s-10 trucks, and blazers have a bad ground and do this.

if that doesnt work, take the left taillight out, stick a broom handle, or a screwdriver in the brake pedal , so it's depressed, then check the connector with the bulb out for power with a good test light. MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD GROUND ON THE TEST LIGHT!!

 

[helfmann]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

@supersports10
Can you be more specific on the chassis ground? Where is it exactly

Thanks

M@

 

[supersports10]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

ok, theres a main wiring harness that runs along side the laft framerail, till it gets to the rear bumper, then it splits, and goes to the laft tail lights, and the right tail lights.

right at this split is a black wire, with a ring terminal and a star washer with a self tapping bolt.

check for ground here, and check for corrosion. sometimes the wire will be so corroded that the end and 2-3 inches of the end of the wire will not conduct electricity

once you have a good ground, check your ground on the left side of the lower dash, it bolts to the dash, and to a bracket off the cab.

ss:tup:

 

[helfmann]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

Thanks! Will crawl underneath as soon as it is daylight.
Perhps I get rid of my stereo whine as well. Would it help to add addtional ground (battery ground strip)?

M@

 

[supersports10]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

Thanks! Will crawl underneath as soon as it is daylight.
Perhps I get rid of my stereo whine as well. Would it help to add addtional ground (battery ground strip)?

M@

put as many grounds on that truck as you can stand, you can never have too many.

 

[helfmann]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

One more...
Where is ground for the instrument panel? What can I do there?
Thx
M@

 

[supersports10]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

One more...
Where is ground for the instrument panel? What can I do there?
Thx
M@

the ground is on the drivers side, to the left of the hood release, and directly below the e-brake release. it should be a black 10mm bolt with a star washer and a large black wire coming off of it.

ss:tup:

 

[kentuc]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

If your turn signals work and brake lights don`t, it`s usually the block connector on the steering colume.Where the harness attaches to the turn switch. The white wire in the connector is bad.You will know what`s wrong when you see it..

 

[helfmann]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

@kentuc
Inside the column (pull steering wheel etc.) or at the end?

Thx
M@

 

[bezerk]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

@kentuc
Inside the column (pull steering wheel etc.) or at the end?

Thx
M@

Sorry to steal your topic, but wassup helfmann???
it''s been a long time since we heard annything from you.
i wish you alot of fun tracking this problem down, and you don''t have somekind of trailer hitch there do ya?
another thing in teh rear fog light, if you still have european spec. lights.

 

[kentuc]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

Under the dash above the brake pedal.It is on the side of the column. it is a black connector [flat] about one eighth of an inch by four inches. It has about nine wires on it! The white wire goes from the brake light switch to the connector and up inside to the turn switch. You don`t have to take anything off, usually to get to it.

 

[helfmann]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

@supersports10
quote: right at this split is a black wire, with a ring terminal and a star washer with a self tapping bolt.
/endquote:

Didn't find this one but found the ground from the frame going up to the gas filler (THERE you need ground!). Took it off, (was corroded) and dremeled the crap out of the stuff. Add an additional ground strap to the frame, stereo whine got better... LOL at least one thing.
Will check
@kentuc
Quote: Under the dash above the brake pedal.It is on the side of the column. it is a black connector [flat] about one eighth of an inch by four inches. It has about nine wires on it! The white wire goes from the brake light switch to the connector and up inside to the turn switch. You don`t have to take anything off, usually to get to it.
/Endquote:
So what do I do with the white wire.... or do you expect that it is melted --> Replace it or burn the whole brick with a gal. of gas?

M@

 

[helfmann]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

another thing in the rear fog light, if you still have european spec. lights.

Nope, never had a european fog light in the rear and can get euro headlights here - trailer hitch ... who the heck wants a trailer hitch at a Ty????

M@

 

[bezerk]

Re: Needle illumination & brake lights

Nope, never had a european fog light in the rear and can get euro headlights here - trailer hitch ... who the heck wants a trailer hitch at a Ty????

M@

don''t know where you german poeple like to put trailer hitches, maybe even on a syty?

those 7pole connecters can do some weird stuff to your car light system when the connectors starts to rot.