Help on Tail Lights

[Chryco Psycho]

the connecter behind the kick panel & park brake may be corroded the tail harness is new but the connector from the main harness may be a problem still , a stated above check with a test light to see where you do have power

[ChallengerHK]

I am having the same sort of problems with my wiring. When I bought my car every light worked except the dome light which I will assume has something to do with the previous owners changing the headliner from white to black. I have changed engines several times and I am thinking I have issues with the bulkhead connector. Could this be the case with your car as well? Bad connection there maybe?

It may well be. A long time ago (like the first year I owned the car) I had some problem that melted the main power feed at the steering column. As part of checking for a solution (and after pulling that circuit from the connector and installing a fusible link) I had disconnected the bulkhead connector. As I recall, it didn't want to go back together properly, but I think at the time my attitude was "Everything works, so big deal."

the connecter behind the kick panel & park brake may be corroded the tail harness is new but the connector from the main harness may be a problem still , a stated above check with a test light to see where you do have power

I thought about that last night. We're do for pretty bad rain tonight, but I'm going to check that first chance I get, as well testing power to the socket with a meter.

[ChallengerHK]

Well, I think I have things solved. One solution was very simple, and two were very weird.

For the reverse lights, taking apart the connector at the kick panel, spraying some dielectric and re-installing did the trick.

For the brake lights, the connector on the switch had rotated around the switch housing so that the plunger couldn't depress. Realigned the plunger, and the left brake light started to work.

That last remaining tail light was really weird. I finally got to the point of dusassembling and studying the socket. Sure enough, there's a little tab on the plastic piece that's supposed to locate the terminals properly, but it was about 90 degrees out. I guess I must have man-handled it when I put it in. Realigned that little plastic piece (shown below), and the right tail light and brake are functional.

[ChallengerHK]

One more thing. the extra terminal I had asked about (shown below) appears to be a supplemental ground as I had thought. Once all the lights were working I could pull the socket from the housing and they would still burn. Not stock, but a neat idea.

[Challenger6pak]

The extra terminal was on alot of aftermarket sockets to help solve the grounding problems.  Also some of these sockets were used in cars that had the ground wire only as a ground.  I believe these were GM'S.

[Bullitt-]

Great problem solving HK 

[PlumCrazy]

The extra terminal was on alot of aftermarket sockets to help solve the grounding problems.  Also some of these sockets were used in cars that had the ground wire only as a ground.  I believe these were GM'S.

That terminal lug was used in later model Mopars when they went to plastic tail light housings.  You can break them off it you don't want them.  I had my harness modified by M&H and had another wire set added to the harness that brough a ground wire from the kick panel back to the lights.  You don't even see it and provides a rock solid ground.

[ChallengerHK]

That terminal lug was used in later model Mopars when they went to plastic tail light housings.  You can break them off it you don't want them.  I had my harness modified by M&H and had another wire set added to the harness that brough a ground wire from the kick panel back to the lights.  You don't even see it and provides a rock solid ground.

I'm perfectly happy with it, but stock has little value to me. My question, though, is where does this ground actually ground at? The only two things I can think of is that it's either grounding through the tag light or through the fuel sender. Anybody know?

[Chryco Psycho]

My question, though, is where does this ground actually ground at? The only two things I can think of is that it's either grounding through the tag light or through the fuel sender. Anybody know?

where does What ground at ?

[ChallengerHK]

If you look backstream in this topic I posted a pic with a socket from my Year One rear light harness that has an extra terminal to ensure ground. I'm wondering where those terminals actually ground to the body, since the stock harness itself has no provision for a grounding conductor.

[Challenger6pak]

The sockets ground when they attach to the taillight housing.  The housing is bolted to the body taillight panel which is part of the body.  You can see why with age the grounds get corroded and hard to complete.  At that time you begin to have the problems you did.  I like using the extra ground wire. In the old days we would wrap a wire around the one the prongs and attach it to a nut that held the taillights in the body to get a ground. This was especially necessary in rusty cars.  LOL.

[ChallengerHK]

So what you're saying is that all the grounds are tied together, so that if any socket has a ground to a tail light housing that they'll all be able to use that ground contact?

[Challenger6pak]

Each individual socket needs it's own ground.  We used to wire each one as needed to the housing. 

[ChallengerHK]

That's the way the stock system works, yes. But with this harness with the extra terminals, I can pull the socket and the bulb stays lit, so those extra terminals are grounding somewhere, I'm assuming. Doesn't really matter, 'cause they all work and I'm happy, but I'm just curious about how it's working.