Had to stop working on my car's cosmetics because the tail lights stopped working a few weeks ago. Radio, headlights, and brake lights all work.
10A fuse blows when I turn the headlights on. Tail relay is good. Bulbs and bulb sockets look good. Ground is good. I purchased an ECT2000 by Power Probe to diagnose the issue, but it's running me all over the car.
Mechanic couldn't find the issue. What should I try next?
Problem with my '86 Celica's charging system. Car has about 135,000 miles and original alternator and belt. It is usually driven once or twice a week, but after sitting about 10 days, the tail light, brake, and battery warning lights came on when I started it. The lights went out after a minute. This same sequence of events happened the next three times I started the car that day. The fourth time, the lights went out but came back on as I drove. I found that revving the engine to between two and three thousand RPM made the light go off, but it sometimes came back on. And the engine revving isn't a sure thing now. Hit and miss. My wife and I have been trying to diagnose the problem.
When the warning lights are on, the dash voltmeter is near the bottom of the operating range. After revving and the lights going off, the voltmeter jumps up near the top of the normal operating range indicating the battery is charging.
The belt is checkered on the inside but not frayed. It deflected about 7/16ths inch midway between two pulleys about 17" apart. The Haynes manual said 1/2 inch was maximum deflection for that span. No unusual noises from the alternator.
We ran a checklist from my Haynes manual but I think it has an error in it. Here are the two steps that don't make sense. I marked the parts that seem to contradict with asterisks.
h) Disconnect the battery cables (negative first, then positive). Inspect the battery posts and the cable clamps for corrosion. Clean them thoroughly if necessary. Reconnect the cable to the negative terminal.
i) With the key off, insert a test light between the negative battery post and the disconnected negative cable clamp.
1) If the test light does not come on, reattach the clamp and proceed to the next step.
2) If the test light comes on, there is a short in the electrical system of the vehicle. The short must be repaired before the charging system can be checked.
3) Disconnect the alternator wiring harness.
(a) If the light goes out, the alternator is bad.
(b) If the light stays on, pull each fuse until the light goes out (this will tell you which component is shorted)."
Well, we decided that the last instruction in Step h should be to reconnect the POSITIVE cable (but could be wrong). I did this and we did Step i as written. The light came ON (Step 2). Disconnect the alternator wires at two points. Light stayed ON. Pulled every fuse under the hood and on the kick panel by the clutch. Light stayed ON.
The battery is near the end of its warranty period--about two-year old DieHard. Voltage at the terminals is about 12.4V with key out, about the same with ignition on but not running, the same with engine running and the dash lights showing, and about 14.5V after I get the dash lights to go off and the battery starts charging.
So, we're at a standstill. Tests say the tension on the belt is okay. The test light testing indicates the alternator is okay and the test light stayed on as fuses were pulled. The key was out of the ignition during the testing, but there are circuits that work without the key (brakes, hazard, headlights, etc.). Is the belt maybe slipping even though it is within specs on tension? What about the contradiction in the Haynes testing?
I found out last night that all 3 of my brake lights are out. However, my tail lights work, and my turn-signals work. So obviously its not a big wiring deal. I was looking for the brake switch but i don't know where its at because i looked underneath. What fuse is the brake lights cause my manual doesn't have it listed. I drive a 04 Elantra GLS.
View 6 RepliesThe stop lights and the tail light of my Elantra GT 2001 (automatic transmission)won't shut off, unless the fuse is removed from its place. Is this something easy to fix? I imagine it can only be some kind of switch on the break pedal/clutch.
View 5 Replies2001 Ford Windstar, select tail lights will not function. All lights serviced by Fuse #7 have ceased to function (left rear turn lamp, right backup lamp, right stop lamp, right rear park lamp, right license lamp, left license lamp, and left backup lamp). Checked all bulbs and replaced any that were questionable but to no avail.
View 2 RepliesNot sure what the deal is. I checked the fuses and they all look fine. I've changed out the bulbs and still nothing. Is there anything other than the fog lamp fuse by the shifter that could affect the fog lights? I've gone through every fuse (2 boxes under the hood and the one by the shifter) box and I just don't know where to go after those two easy things failed.
View 4 RepliesI have a 2001 f250 v10 lariat ext cab. i was going to get wood the other day down a muddy road. My radio went out and all my running lights. i replaced the fuse radio and now the switch. Still nothing. Could it be a bad ground? i ran a jumper wire on my old switch and they worked then just stopped again. if it is a bad ground where would it be located.
View 3 RepliesMy girlfriend has a 2000 Toyota Celica, and one of her tail light covers broke a while back. I'm pretty sure I can replace it myself, but with the age of the part, is there any source for a used replacement? At the moment, I can't remember which one it is, but I could replace them both if I could find a matched pair.
View 4 RepliesIs their anyway to get the tail lights to come on with the Daytime driving lights ....
View 1 RepliesIs it possible if Lexus can make it so when the Daytime running lights are on that the tail lights come on? It appears MASS has just passed a law when it is raining and you have your windshield wipers on you have to have your lights on...I leave mine on Auto and have auto windshield wipers so kinda takes away the purpose if I have to turn my lights all the way on each time.
View 5 RepliesI have a 1988 Jeep comanche I lost my tail lights, front marker lights and dash lights today I have checked all the fuses under the dash and havent found any blown I hooked a trailer up to it today and I think this is the cause some how it caused a short Can you tell me where to look for additional fuses
View 2 RepliesThe rear tail lights on my truck have been out for a while now. I wasn't doing much driving at night so it wasn't much of a bother but the new job is getting me home a little later and having to drive with my hazards on is getting old fast.
My radio wasn't working either and I disconnected it a while back hoping maybe it had something to do with my lights shorting out but no luck. It remains disconnected. Just in the past few days my front running lights have went out as well.
I've tested all fuses multiple times (and replaced a couple of them) and checked and replaced bulbs. My brake lights, headlights, dash lights and hazards all work fine. I have the trailer light hook up on the rear bumper and disconnected it at the wiring harness as well hoping it was the problem but it wasn't.
Remove or replace the tail lights on a B6 wagon? I'm changing mine out tomorrow with the new smoked tail lights and was wondering if there's anything I should know ahead of time. Or even a step by step order to removing them.
View 4 RepliesI have a 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 Pickup. My left brake light, both my rear tail lights and my front parking lights don't seem to be coming on. The 'Lamp Out' message was lit up.
I opened up the back covers and found the center brake bulb in the left tail light was bad. I replaced that. Now the brake light works, and the lamp out reading on the dash has went away. However, the tail lights are still not coming on, and we have noticed that when we turn the tail lights on, the front parking lights don't light up either.
We checked all the rear bulbs, as well as all the fuses that have anything to do with tail or parking lamps in the fuse panel with a meter. All fuses seem to be good.
Is it possible that one of the parking lights in the front could be defective causing the tail lights not to light up? Signals also work fine on front and rear, as well as the reverse lights & high beams.
So I go install my led tails and only one damn tail light up. Any problem when installing these tails? I followed the steps and also the ghetto harness made.
View 9 RepliesHaving issues with leaking OEM LED tail lights? I bought them through ECS Tuning but they only come with a year warranty, it's just the passenger right but just stinks paying $700+ for them to start leaking [URL]....
View 4 RepliesExperiencing water in the top of there tail lights? The dealer says this is normal. It's been like this for a week now.
View 24 RepliesI just bought OEM R32 tinted tail lights. How do you remove the OEM stock tails. I've been trying to find some info on this subject but, only found this,
I'm pretty sure that he is working on a GTI. Is it the same as a R32 because mine doesn't really look the same. my interior trim doesn't seem to peal that easy or at all. Do I need to cut the trim with a blade or remove any plastic trim pieces to access the lights?
While I washing my C today I found this water/fogginess in my lights should I be worried?
View 3 RepliesOK I think my 2004 Prius is haunted.
Last week both brake lights (just the upper, red part) stopped working.
A day later the right/passenger side light came back on.
Then the next day, the left/driver side light resumed working too.
Today both went out again.
Then the right side came back on.
2005 Jetta. I have to replace my tail light bulbs seemingly every 5 months or so. Getting pulled over for this foolishness is getting very annoyIng.
View 2 Replies