So I just noticed today that my tailights are not only very dim but that they only work well when the car is off.
When I turn on the engine only the passenger tail light works. And it all blink at once (brake, turn signal everything) no matter what I press: left, right turn signal, hazard signal. The drivers side tail lamp doesn't work when the engine is running. But when the engine is off everything works the way it should. Very strange. Why would all the pass. side lights blink together and nothing from the driver's side.
I went through and cleaned all the connections and fuses. I know the bulbs are still fine since they work when the engine is off. The ground seem to also be fine.
I have been rewiring the radio to stock since the PO customized it. I am also wiring in the cig. lighter and courtesy lamp exactly to the original since the PO took them out. I don't think that I could have done anything to mess up the tail lights. I can't find any connection to the console from the tail lights.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
dbr
Tail lights aren't working properly when engine is running.
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dbr
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:05 pm
- Your car is a: 1981 fiat spider
- Location: St. Charles, IL area
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aj81spider
- Patron 2020
- Posts: 1526
- Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2011 9:04 am
- Your car is a: 1974 Fiat 124 Spider
- Location: Chelmsford, MA
Re: Tail lights aren't working properly when engine is running.
I would check two things. The most likely (although you say you checked it) would be the grounds for the tail lights. I'm not sure what year you have, but on mine they are grounded together through a harness that then goes to a ground in the trunk. The fact that all of them are misbehaving could be related to that.
The other thing I would check is that you have a solid ground between the engine and your chassis. There should be a ground strap from the transmission bell housing to the chassis and I added one from the head to the chassis as well.
The symptoms sound like classic grounding issues, so I would start there.
The other thing I would check is that you have a solid ground between the engine and your chassis. There should be a ground strap from the transmission bell housing to the chassis and I added one from the head to the chassis as well.
The symptoms sound like classic grounding issues, so I would start there.
A.J.
1974 Fiat 124 Spider
2006 Corvette
1981 Spider 2000 (sold 2013 - never should have sold that car)
1974 Fiat 124 Spider
2006 Corvette
1981 Spider 2000 (sold 2013 - never should have sold that car)
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dbr
- Posts: 113
- Joined: Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:05 pm
- Your car is a: 1981 fiat spider
- Location: St. Charles, IL area
Re: Tail lights aren't working properly when engine is running.
Thanks so much aj81spider.
It didn't dong on me that I had paint in-between the ground and the body of the car. After I had scratched off a little of the paint everything worked and twice as bright!! Only thing is my driver's rear brake light doesn't work, ever. I think it might be the bulbs.
Thanks again!
It didn't dong on me that I had paint in-between the ground and the body of the car. After I had scratched off a little of the paint everything worked and twice as bright!! Only thing is my driver's rear brake light doesn't work, ever. I think it might be the bulbs.
Thanks again!