Tail light electrical problem ??

[Bill in NJ]

Finally putting my tudor back together after some mechanical work and a paint job. Took tail lights apart and polished the stainless steel shells. Installed new pig tails, bulbs etc. After installing to the rear fenders they do not work. The body is not bolted to the frame. Is that causing my problem or any thoughts ?? Thanks in advance.

[Charlie Stephens]

You are saying you mounted the fenders to the body but did not bolt the body to the frame? My guess would be that you don't have a good ground Also painted fenders and painted body without lock washers to cut through the paint would cause a bad ground. Try a temporary wire from the positive battery post to the tail light bucket and see what happens.

Charlie Stephens

[H. L. Chauvin]

Hi Bill,

Usually everybody verifies that current is being conducted to:

1. Trailer lights on modern & vintage trailers &,

2. Model A tail lights and Model A headlights.

However, my experience is that the "grounding' of the above items in approximately ninety percent, (90%) of the times are not always verified.

Poor "grounds" are usually caused by paint insulating metal to metal contact, or rust, or corrosion, or loose fittings, or a combination of all of the above.

As Mr. Stephens suggested above, try running a separate wire from the grounded side of the battery to the light fixture & see what happens.

On trailers, a separate ground wire is necessary; however, some try to use the trailer ball connection for a ground, which never works "all" of the time.

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Remember, your frame, body, fenders, etc are your second wire to complete your "CIRCUIT" back to the battery! (Circuit, from the root word "circle") Bill W.

[Bill in NJ]

Well I cleaned up my ten bolts, new lock washers and nuts and bolted the body down to the frame so I would have every thing grounded and have tail lights. Tail lights still don't work. lol

[stainless steve]

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check for contenuity if you have power then its still a ground issue new paint can cause many issues of this sort , If you have power run a dedicated ground from back of housing to frame magking sure not paint is under fasteners. Did you clean the frame area to bare metal where body bolts go?

[Brentwood Bob]

I used a plumbers wire brush to clean the inside of the bronze OEM sockets down to shiney metal. Then I took a light probe to check for current. Had to play with the solderless connectors for the crossover wire loom. Got good lights.
Bob

[BILL WILLIAMSON]

Originally Posted by Brentwood Bob

I used a plumbers wire brush to clean the inside of the bronze OEM sockets down to shiney metal. Then I took a light probe to check for current. Had to play with the solderless connectors for the crossover wire loom. Got good lights.
Bob

Great idea, Bob, I have a new terminal cleaner with that sort of a brush. I'll NOT use it on a battery & keep it just for socket cleaning!
TWINKIES to you, if I could only find some. Bill W.

[jrelliott]

Agree with others, that it is probably a bad ground. To eliminate this problem ran a seperate ground wire from the tail light housing inside the harness so it would not be seen to the metal body and used a star washer between terminal lug and body. Tail lights are bright with no problems. May not be according to Judging Standards, but they would have a hard time finding the extra wires unless taking tail light apart or looking very closely under the body.

[Brentwood Bob]

Star washers between the attachment screws that hold the stop lite body to the license plate bracket and the stop light bracket, are also a good idea.
Bob