Help no rear running lights

[Brocks GN]

I noticed a few days ago that the running lights were out and the dash lights were out as well. The fuse was blown. I replaced it and they worked for a bit. Now I have dash lights but no rear running lights. I checked the brown wire under the door sill and it is not getting voltage there, I checked both INST LPS and TAIL LP fuses and they are ok and have voltage at the fuse. I checked the silver wire under the shifter but nothing wrong with it. I am not sure what to do or what to look at next.

 

[QUIP'6']

you can try to look at the harness in the trunk in the driverside quarter panel pocket to see if a wire is grounding out or a loose connection

 

[Brocks GN]

I hooked up a 12volt source to the brown wire under the door sill and the lights turn on so it has to be something up front. I dunno if I should run a new wire and just bypass the old one?? Where would I hook the new wire up to?

 

[QUIP'6']

I hooked up a 12volt source to the brown wire under the door sill and the lights turn on so it has to be something up front. I dunno if I should run a new wire and just bypass the old one?? Where would I hook the new wire up to?

do you have brake and turn signals? if so you can run it to the parking light switch

 

[meanchicken]

Did you replace one of your bulbs (front or rear) recently?

If you did....make sure you installed it correctly.
It is possible to incorreclty key the bulb into the socket and with a little muscle... put a bulb in, incorrectly.
That bulb will still light, but any after it in the circuit won't and it may also cause the fuse to blow on ocassion, etc.

Please don't ask how I figured this out....:redface:
But it was not on my GN...it was on my 68 Camaro.....d
Drove me nanners for several weeks until I finally figured out what I'd ...er....um...uh....
....What had happened....

 

[Brocks GN]

Yes I have checked to see if bulbs are in the correct way, on the other hand I did noticed that my left blinker is blinking really slow and right is staying solid, but when I turn on hazards they blink normaly? Could it possibly be the turn signal lever??

 

[QUIP'6']

Yes I have checked to see if bulbs are in the correct way, on the other hand I did noticed that my left blinker is blinking really slow and right is staying solid, but when I turn on hazards they blink normaly? Could it possibly be the turn signal lever??

turn signal bulb in dash could be out

 

[scot w.]

I hooked up a 12volt source to the brown wire under the door sill and the lights turn on so it has to be something up front. I dunno if I should run a new wire and just bypass the old one?? Where would I hook the new wire up to?

YES, Replace the wire (by pass it with a new one). I have had to do this several times on other buicks so it looks like it's a common issue..

That brown wire goes into the trunk area on the drivers side, you want to splice the new wire to the brown wire as close to the conector as possible then go to the sil plate area and follow it towards the fuse box and splice it in as close as possible there as well and you should be fine..


Hope this helped.

Scot W.

 

[salvageV6]

There are two connector points and two splices between the fuse panel and the bulbs for the tailamps.

First connector is left hand side of the fuse panel C209 11 cavity connector maybe it's loose up there.

There is also a splice S376 after the headlight switch above the fuse block.

Second connector is out back in the drivers side of the trunk area C320 6 cavities under some cardboard panel I believe out back near the tailamp area.

S360 is a final splice in the rear lights harness below the LH (drivers) side tail lamps that sends the wires to the individual plugs.

 

[Brocks GN]

When you say c209 11 cavity and s376 what does this mean? Sorry don't understand.

There are two connector points and two splices between the fuse panel and the bulbs for the tailamps.

First connector is left hand side of the fuse panel C209 11 cavity connector maybe it's loose up there.

There is also a splice S376 after the headlight switch above the fuse block.

Second connector is out back in the drivers side of the trunk area C320 6 cavities under some cardboard panel I believe out back near the tailamp area.

S360 is a final splice in the rear lights harness below the LH (drivers) side tail lamps that sends the wires to the individual plugs.

 

[salvageV6]

Those are the numbers for the connector and splice.

In the service manual they are all labeled.

S for splices and C for connectors.

They also have pictures in the back of the service manual that shows the locations and what each connector looks like and approximately where each splice is located in the harness.

Easiest one to find is the 11 wire connector on the left of the fuse panel, check the wire there for power with the light switch on, obviously leave it plugged in and connected for the test.

Or you can check for power at the connector in the back of the car near the tail lamps in the trunk area, 6 hole/cavity connector.

The factory service manual in book form or CD would greatly help you in finding and tracing this wire.

 

[LITLV6]

Yes I have checked to see if bulbs are in the correct way, on the other hand I did noticed that my left blinker is blinking really slow and right is staying solid, but when I turn on hazards they blink normaly? Could it possibly be the turn signal lever??

just a thought but before i ran a wire i would also check whether your turn, brake bulb doesnt have a filament that has broken and then it reconnects with the other circuit. i have seen this many times and will do all kinds of strange stuff depending on which side of the circuit it fell onto. the 1157 dual filament bulbs which are your turn, brake bulbs are the ones that do it. you have symptoms of this since your turn signals are flashing slow and none. if you have an open circuit on one side, (i.e. a bulb thats blown, or bad wire then the thermal flasher cannot work properly) then the flasher wont make the bulb flash at all. you can also have this be part of your problem on the combo running light, turn bulb on the front of the car. you had best check all bulbs before cutting on the harness good luck, i hope you find the little gremlin lol

 

[scot w.]

just a thought but before i ran a wire i would also check whether your turn, brake bulb doesnt have a filament that has broken and then it reconnects with the other circuit. i have seen this many times and will do all kinds of strange stuff depending on which side of the circuit it fell onto. the 1157 dual filament bulbs which are your turn, brake bulbs are the ones that do it. you have symptoms of this since your turn signals are flashing slow and none. if you have an open circuit on one side, (i.e. a bulb thats blown, or bad wire then the thermal flasher cannot work properly) then the flasher wont make the bulb flash at all. you can also have this be part of your problem on the combo running light, turn bulb on the front of the car. you had best check all bulbs before cutting on the harness good luck, i hope you find the little gremlin lol

First of all guy's if it blew a fuse already that means something shorted out and a filiment wouldn't cause that! Secondly if he already applied 12v to the brown wire and the lights came on it leaves out the filiment suggestion. Judging on where he touched the wire with 12v, I would guess the problem is Before that area!!

Like I said before, I already seen this before and had to do it myself on my last GN. Splicing in a new wire Properly is the a good fix and will more than likely fix your issue and work fine for the rest of the time you own the car.

Scot W.

 

[Brocks GN]

Thanks Litlv6 I am going to change all the bulbs before I run a new wire. I will also have to get a service manual on cd soon.

 

[scot w.]

Thanks Litlv6 I am going to change all the bulbs before I run a new wire. I will also have to get a service manual on cd soon.

Brocks GN Why would you go out and buy new bulbs when you said before that when you supplied 12v to the wire and the lights worked? Because right there tells you the bulbs are fine!

Take a glance at our website, We deal with taillights ALL the time!

And if you want to buy a whole new Service manual completly still in the GM wraping we have one that was never opened we will sell ya!

SW.

 

[Brocks GN]

Well I noticed that one of the lights was blown so i figured why not replacing them all cheap insurance?? I will probably end up getting the manual on cd less $$. I am going to try and look more into the fuse area but it is so cramped in there and hard to work. I will post my findings.

 

[LITLV6]

Well I noticed that one of the lights was blown so i figured why not replacing them all cheap insurance?? I will probably end up getting the manual on cd less $$. I am going to try and look more into the fuse area but it is so cramped in there and hard to work. I will post my findings.

so ya know i was talking about just looking at them. you should be able to see when a filament is broken and laying across the other. it most certainly can blow a fuse as it can put the load of the circuit it crossed added to that same circuit. just look at them close and put your meter on it if it looks funny. if your like me its no biggie to replace a few bulbs. (cheap insurance is what i call it too)

oh and if it worked when you applied voltage to that wire, all you confirmed is the circuit completed from that point. that doesn't mean that the filament isn't crossed from one circuit to the other.

my creds here is 10 years as a low voltage specialist. security, fire, cameras, ect. and have been buildin g-body's since the mid 90's :wink:

 

[84TXGN]

I've had this problem twice on my car and both times it turned out to be my headlight/parking light switch. Removed the switch, take it apart and look for corrosion. Sometimes you can clean it and put it back, but it may be too far gone and you'll need a new switch.

 

[Brocks GN]

Yea I actually replaced the switches a year ago. The ones I have now "look" good with no corrosion or anything. I will check that out too. I am waiting on my service manual right now.

 

[LITLV6]

Yea I actually replaced the switches a year ago. The ones I have now "look" good with no corrosion or anything. I will check that out too. I am waiting on my service manual right now.

yeah thats one that happened to me too. my grand prix almost caught fire from that damn switch. lol i actually had to cut away the square harness and put my own connectors on the end of the wires to rewire it. stupid g-bodies lol lol.

i reread the post again, have you by chance been taking the door sill plate of and on? or for that matter removed the back seat at all? i'm almost wonderin if it was gettin pinched and now has worn it in two...... just an extra thought.

i hope you have some luck with it soon.