Electrical Mystery

[Dddaviso7]

So, About a month ago, I started getting a weird problem with my rear taillights. When I used my blinkers the front would flash accordingly but the rear blinkers would flash together (Hazards). Then, about a week after that started, Every time I applied my brake, my blinkers would light up with the brake lights, they wouldn't flash, just illuminate with the brakes. THEN! Yesterday my brake lights, reverse lights, rear blinkers, 3rd brake light (but not cargo lights), gauge lights (but not the gauges, just the back lights), and My heating/cooling control panel/ash tray lights went out.......

I went to a buddy's garage and we traced some wires and checked all the sockets for corrosion, but we didn't find anything. Since we were both limited on time, we couldn't start tearing things apart to get to other wires....

Someone suggest the blinker/control switch and another person said the trailer hook up went bad. If anyone has experienced something similar or has any idea as to what it could be, please let me know. Thank you.

-Davis

 

[Earl43P]

All those tie to Ground 103.

Driver side fenderwell, closest ground point to the hinge, IIRC.

Clean that up.

 

[RobbieD]

^ Good suggestion. If that's good, look at the multifunction switch (AKA the blinker/control switch).

 

[Dddaviso7]

Turns out it was the Tow package module. It was intermittent so the first time we checked it, it was fine. But I got it to test out bad, removed it, and Everything is back to normal. It did end up frying my hazard relay, and a few fuses, including the dash lights fuse......

Thanks guys! And I did clean up my ground anyway, It was a little messy.

 

[navery]

Similar Crazyness

My blinkers and brake lights are off the wall right now.
95 XLT 2.3L

When I use:
Blinkers-- blink very fast
Blinkers and Brakes-- front still blinks, rear just lights up
Brakes and Reverse gear--FRONT blinkers light up!
Brakes-- the amber blinkers, front and rear light up dimly.
With headlights on , the timing is different

It seems like the brakes are not grounded?
The truck did have a wiring harness for a trailer, the autozone guys told me to rip it out, and I did. However no change.
All my fuses are fine.

I am considering splicing in a new ground to the frame.
I have a testing light and multi meter, not too sure how to test if the ground is working.

any help is appreciated thanks guys

 

[Earl43P]

A lot of times, it is simply a bad rear brake lamp.

The parking light or brake lamp filamment severs.

The loose filament welds itself to the the other intact filament and makes the circuit berzerk.

If you still suspect the ground, it is on the DS fenderwell, under the hood. There are two, I can't recall which is which, but I THINK it the on furthest aft.

 

[navery]

dead end?

I cleaned the front ground up nicely, put new brake light bulbs in the back. Still no cigar.

Does anyone think that the multifunction switch or the brake light switch might have failed?

I'm looking at $75 just to diagnose it, and that's not even a dealer price.

I think i might re-splice the tail lights, because, rain could go through the bed rail holes and maybe screw something up. who knows?

 

[navery]

fixed it

as my LAST resort, I spliced in another ground wire from the left brake light to the screw that holds it in! so there must be a ground discrepantcy somewhere, but this works for now.