All Rear Lights out on 67 Barracuda

[cudajareav]

Hi all, another electrical issue has come to my attention.

All of my rear lights have quit working, breaks, indicator, running and backup.

the first thing I did was check the fuse (which was bad) and replaced it with a new on. tried the lights, No work.

Checked the fuse again and it was broken. meaning I have a short somewhere?

I have checked to see if there is any exposed wire where I can (by the tail lights, near the plug at the front, and along the bottom of the door, and nothing that I could see that was obvious.

I have an ohms reader, but i'm not exactly sure how to read it and if that is something I need to use to find the solution.


Any information is appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

 

[snate66]

just a first thought, If ya take all the bulbs out, does the fuse blow? Could put them back in one at a time and maybe narrow it down. If ya don't have a manual for electrical drawing this is a good source they even have the 67 Barracuda Supplemental.
MyMopar - Mopar Forums & Information - Service Manuals

 

[Crazy73]

Do you have front running/signal lights? How is the connector at your steering column? The signal switch feeds the taillights as well as the signals IIRC.

 

[RedFish]

Tail lights we'll call park lamps. These and the tag lamp are all on brown wire, same as front park lamps, and that park lamp fuse. Turn signals are a green and a yellow for left and right and on a different fuse. Brake lamps do use those same green and yellow wires but that power comes from a different fuse. The turn signal switch in the steering column selects which green/yellow wire(s) is connected to which circuit and fuse.
Then reverse lamps use purple wires. Aint no way just 1 blown fuse disables all the rear lamps. A wrong type bulb, faulty bulb socket, other short circuit in rear lamps could blow multiple fuses.

 

[cudajareav]

Do you have front running/signal lights? How is the connector at your steering column? The signal switch feeds the taillights as well as the signals IIRC.

I just checked this afternoon. I have no running lights or signal lights.

 

[cudajareav]

Do you have front running/signal lights? How is the connector at your steering column? The signal switch feeds the taillights as well as the signals IIRC.

I do not have running lights or signal lights in the front.

 

[cudajareav]

Tail lights we'll call park lamps. These and the tag lamp are all on brown wire, same as front park lamps, and that park lamp fuse. Turn signals are a green and a yellow for left and right and on a different fuse. Brake lamps do use those same green and yellow wires but that power comes from a different fuse. The turn signal switch in the steering column selects which green/yellow wire(s) is connected to which circuit and fuse.
Then reverse lamps use purple wires. Aint no way just 1 blown fuse disables all the rear lamps. A wrong type bulb, faulty bulb socket, other short circuit in rear lamps could blow multiple fuses.

I haven't touched the electrical EVER since it was purchased in 2007, all electrical worked until one day i was trying to find out why my neutral safety switch wasn't working and then i realized my backup lights weren't working... and 4 weeks later... No tail lights and i have now come to realize the front running/indicator lights aren't working.


I will check the bulbs in the morning, maybe one of them went out and that will effect it?

 

[rumblefish360]

I JUST had to be same thing happen in the wife's '67 Cuda and then the came back on just as I got onto my street. The only thing I know right now is the fuse box is NOT secure!

Loose connection somewhere near I think!

Subscribed!!!!!

 

[RedFish]

The fuse clips can get crusty and/or loose, causing on/off condition but that wouldn't blow a fuse or disable all lights at once. Brake lamp fuse is hot at all times via one wire going into the fuse box. Turn signals hot only at ign' switch on via a different wire into the fuse box.
I'll suggest that separate issues took all these lights out over a period of time.
First the reverse lamp switch. For 67 model this switch is shifter mounted, low on the column or under the console. Typical culprit.
A separate fault disables park lamps.
A faulty turn signal switch could disable both brake and turn.
Reverse lamps are not as critical so I would postpone that troubleshoot to focus on others. I would pull every bulb and start at the tag lamp. A simple test lamp will check that the brown to be hot with headlight switch pulled to first position. Once it works we know brown wire is good to rear of car. Then check that one of 2 contacts at only rear 2 or all 4 1157 type bulb sockets. I wouldn't run round and round the car yet. All good? If so insert the 2 rear 1157 bulbs. You'll need to poke the bulb socket back into the fixture for its chassis ground. Center the turn signal switch and check brake lamp operation ( a jumper at the pedal mounted brake lamp switch is useful here ). All good? With or without the park lamps turned on? If so move on to rear turn signals. Even with the ign' switch remained off, turn signal switch should work interrupting one or the other brake lamp. so turn ign' switch on to power turn signals. We understand that the flasher wouldn't work while the front bulbs are still removed but the rear bulb and dash indicators should stand on when selected with the turn signal switch. Rear appears to be fine? If so, move on to the front. When you find a "not good" at any of the above, that will lead us toward a fault location.

 

[cudajareav]

I JUST had to be same thing happen in the wife's '67 Cuda and then the came back on just as I got onto my street. The only thing I know right now is the fuse box is NOT secure!

Loose connection somewhere near I think!

Subscribed!!!!!

weird. I'll have a look at that tonight!