• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

rear light wiring

Share this page

Woodie

Woodie

Jedi Warrior
Offline
Ok I tried to reconnect the wires in the trunk, the PO had disconnected them all. After 1 hr I had the drivers tail light (top Bulb) lit. The passenger side bulb wouldnot light, yet this is thefeeder wire to the drivers side. I found an extra double connector and a male male jumber and ran an extra wire from the drivers side to the passenger side. The passenger side now lights up. I cannot get the brake or turn signal lights to work. About the turn signal lights, does the emergency flasher switch need to be connected (correctly) I do not get a click out of either flasher unit. On the brake lights, what does the brake light switch look like and where is it ??
 
Brakes light switch is on the pedal box. Flasher switch must be connected and working.
 
Yes, the hazzard light switch must be hooked up or correctly bypassed since the flashers are routed through the hazard light. There's a single pair of cables one one side of the harness that you can jump together to bypass the hazard light switch and test the rest of the circuit.

I can check the color of those wires tonight if it'll help, though it sounds like you have multiple issues....
 
Ok I think I know the brake switch, in the box at the front end, two wires from it, it is pressure or magnetic switch.

Now, I bought a test light, and when I alligator clip it to the frame and put the probe into the wire for the tail light, which is lit I get no testor light. WHat am I doing wrong. If I cannot get a testor light figured out, the wiring is gonna take me for ever
 
The Brake switch is a plunger type mechanical switch of the normally closed style (NC) the switch is set by the amount the switch is screwed into the pedal box. It should be set so that the contacts are just open. when you activate the brake pedal it comes off the switch allowing it to close the contacts, and turn on the brake lights. Some times if they have been screwed in to far the brake pedal uses the switch as a pedal stop, this is not good, aftar a bit of this treatment the plunger can stick down and you will have no brake lights.

test lights: if you clip to ground and then touch a "hot" lead it should light. Our Good friend Lucas uses two wires to each light. A hot and a ground. if you are checking the ground wire with a test light it will not light. Try the other wire. and it should light. Always check your test light by going across the battery.

Relax, the wiring in these cars is pretty simple. And all the help you will need is right here on the Board. Some fellas here have the diagrams memorized.

mark
 
Ok lets say this, the single red light for the tail light is I assume hot and the ground for the tail light is through theframe, Hence only 1 wire. That is why I don't understand the troule light not lighting.

Rob, The hazard switch was disconnected by th DPO and the wiring diagram is not the same configuration as my switch (6 vs 8 conntacts) I had a thread about this a week or so ago. Please let me know about how to bypass.

Multiple issues yeah I know, But at least it is only three things, brakelights, turn signals and hazards. ALl in the back of the car
 
I'll check that connection when I get home. My hazard light switch failed so I just bypassed it....I'll note the wire colors and post on the board this evening.
 
Woodie - on my 75, it's green wire (w/ no stripe) to green wire (w/ no stripe). They're adjacent to each other on one side of the harness plug.

Hope that helps!
 
Check all the plug in connectors to the rear end of the car at the junction on the right side under the dash.
Test the wires there to make sure you have power, if so, go back to the tail lamps.
The key must be on for the brake and signal lamps to light.
Red wires are parking/tail
Green/white & green/red are signals
green/purple is brake light.
Jump the brake light switch wires, unplug the switch and join the 2 ends together, switch on the key, you shouyld have brake lights. If you do, the switch is bad. You can take it apart and clean it out, 99% of the time it's just a spot of corrosion on the contact inside.
To jump the 4 way hazard switch, behind the radio console, look for a solid green wire and another solid green with a black band around it, not a black stripe. connect those 2 together to bypass the hazard switch. Not turn on the key and check the lamps or wires. There is also 2 fuses for the tail lamps up behind the glove box. (inline on red wires)
 
WOW lots of good info, printing out these posts, cause I am back at the car tonight. I will check brake lights first. I do need to drive the car tomorrow or thursday to the paint shop, about 10 miles, and brake lights would be nice, Thanks, and oh I did not know about the fuses behind the glove box, and since one side works and the other doesn't, maybe one fuse is gone.....
 
Back
Top