Help REAR TAIL LIGHTS NOT WORKING, BUT BRAKE LIGHTS WORK.

[shihiran]

HEY can anyone tell me why my rear tail lights not coming on please. They come on when I hit the brake, and the blinkers work fine, the reverse lights work,. The front DRL lights work when i turn the headlight which, but the rear don't I changed the headlight which, the rear bulbs and the fuses that i thought correspond with the rear lights. So any suggestions an thanks

Its a 97 gp gt

 

[rynotheman]

Sounds like a parking light fuse - are the front parking lights coming on? If not, start looking for a different fuse than you did before.

 

[shihiran]

Yes sir the front lights work, when i turn the light switch on. Where is the tail light fuse at anyway?

 

[rynotheman]

Yes sir the front lights work, when i turn the light switch on. Where is the tail light fuse at anyway?

Not sure the number, but it's in the glove box fuse panel more than likely. If the fronts work, that rules out the fuse. I forgot - stock taillights are notorious for leaking moisture. Pop the bulbs out back there and see what kind of shape they and the bases are in - I'm betting corroded. Might as well test or just go ahead and replace the bulbs at this point and see what that does. Yes, bulbs won't go out at the same exact time, but I'm not sure if you've had one out and didn't know it and just now noticed both are out? If new bulbs don't fix it and the sockets look good/not corroded inside, start tracing the wiring harness coming down the side of the car.

 

[shihiran]

I have changed the bulbs and that wire harness for the tail lights.

 

[FordMan77]

Time to break out the voltmeter and see if you are getting voltage to the bulb sockets back there. If no voltage then start probing further back in the harness until you find it. Might be a chaffed wire grounding out somewhere else in the trunk area.

 

[shihiran]

Thanks for the help everyone, but I found the problem. I guess whomever put the new antenna in the back of the car accidentally cut the wire for the tail lights. So with just some tape, the problem was solved.

 

[Scottydoggs]

for a long term repair. go pick up some flux core solder, 3 bucks at the shack, and some shrink wrap tubes, another 5, then use a lighter if you dont want to spend money on a soldering iron, heat the wires touch the solder, it will flow over the bare wire, let it cool, slide the shrink tube over the solder, heat it up with a lighter to shrink it. it will be a strong weather tight connection that will last forever. put the shrink wrap tube on the wire first, when done soldering slide it over the splice. when its cold, if its warm still the tube will shrink and not fit right.

taping it will fail by next year.