Rear signals and back up lights not working

[Andreagassiz]

Hey there,
I’m taking out the stock rear lights and replacing them with smaller units from Princess Auto - both 12v incandescent. I replaced the break/signal lights and they worked properly but when I wired up the back up lights everything stopped Working. No quick blinking to indicate a fault, just nothing when I signal, break, back up. Any ideas what could cause this? I checked the fuse and it seems fine. Thanks!

 

[Curious Hound]

So if you remove the backup lights, do the other lights work normally again?

Its hard to tell exactly what you did wrong without knowing how you wired it. The backup lights are a separate circuit and should not affect the others unless you maybe left a ground connection loose.

 

[Andreagassiz]

So if you remove the backup lights, do the other lights work normally again?

Its hard to tell exactly what you did wrong without knowing how you wired it. The backup lights are a separate circuit and should not affect the others unless you maybe left a ground connection loose.

Hey thanks for the reply. I think it might be the ground. The light I got for the back up only has a lead wire so I’m trying to Attach ground Wire from the truck to the mounting screws on the light, maybe it doesn’t work for a ground.

 

[Uncle Gump]

You definitely need a ground on the back up lamp... shouldn't affect to other lamp though.

 

[Andreagassiz]

You definitely need a ground on the back up lamp... shouldn't affect to other lamp though.

I hooked everything back up to the original wires and still nothing when I signal, break , put in in R. Any ideas where a fault could be?

 

[cbxer55]

It's brake. Break is to break something apart. Anyhow, have you checked the fuses. The brake circuit is powered whether the key is in or not, so you may have shorted something while playing with wires. I would just check the fuses for grins and giggles. Ya never know!

 

[Uncle Gump]

Honestly... when you lose all (or anything really) in the rear... the first place to inspect is where the taillamp harness plugs into the vehicle harness under the rear bumper. Things tend to corrode in that connector. Also inspect the area where any trailer harness plug is tied in.

 

[cbxer55]

Honestly... when you lose all (or anything really) in the rear... the first place to inspect is where the taillamp harness plugs into the vehicle harness under the rear bumper. Things tend to corrode in that connector. Also inspect the area where any trailer harness plug is tied in.

Yeah. I had to throw away my aftermarket trailer harness when I started having tail light difficulties. I just forgot about that, been a bunch of years since I done so.

 

[Andreagassiz]

I figured it out! It was just the reverse light fuse, I had checked out the signal fuse but not that one. Thanks for your help all!