1967 brake lights, blinkers, hazards not working

[John R.]

Need help with figuring out what type of electrical problem I have with the brake lights, blinkers and hazards on my 67 L36, 4sp w/AC. Would like to trouble shoot these and would like to know where the best place to start is. Few things I found so far that may be factors:

1. the headlight switch to move the lights up and down is missing. I have the part, but found out some yahoo cut the connector/plug off the harness behind the cluster.

2. the AIM looks like it calls for a flasher up on the top right of the fuse box, it is missing.

3. there are two wires, one orange and one white that are not plugged into anything over by the fuse box, LH kick panel.

I have already cleaned the harness connection that connects the rear harness with the under dash harness. The connection over by the light switch.

Just looking for a systematic way to trouble shoot. Never have done this before. Any help would be much appreciated!

[John R.]

Re: 1967 brake lights, blinkers, hazards not working

Forgot to add what is working and what is not: the headlights do work, the right hand blinker works, left does not, the hazards do not work at all, the running lights both front and rear do work, brake lights do not work at all.

Thanks.

[Edward J.]

Re: 1967 brake lights, blinkers, hazards not working

John, Ill See If Maybe I Can Help You, The Flasher Is Likely The Reason The 4 Ways Not Working,orange And White Wires Sounds Like The Interior Lights By The Kick Panel Area. The Directional Problem Maybe A Connector Problem Where The Harness Leaves The Column Under The Dash Area,do The Wireharness And Connector Wiggle Test With The Directional On.or Maybe Even The Movement Of The Directional Arm To See If That Helps, Some Times The Switch In The Column Is A Problem. Last The Brake Lamps At The Switch See If Theres Power At The Switch W/test Lamp. Also Theres A Possiable The Turn Signal Switch May Be The Problem With The Brake Lamps,as The Switch Does Route Through The Brake Lights For Turn Signal Operation. Hope This Helps Ya In Someway Ed (49497)

[Jack H.]

Re: 1967 brake lights, blinkers, hazards not working

1. the headlight switch to move the lights up and down is missing. I have the part, but found out some yahoo cut the connector/plug off the harness behind the cluster.

All that should do is disable your HL motors from operating...

2. the AIM looks like it calls for a flasher up on the top right of the fuse box, it is missing.

Yes, the hazard flasher went into the fuse panel and the TS flasher went into the extension wire that ran to the LH side of the center console where the flasher can mounted into a clip. You'll want both flashers installed to verify functionality...

3. there are two wires, one orange and one white that are not plugged into anything over by the fuse box, LH kick panel.

Your copy of the wiring diagram should tell you the orange and white wires service unswitched circuits including the clock, cig lighter, GB lamp, courtesy lamps, dome light, brake lights, Etc.

Sometimes, when a car has been 'cobbled up' electrically by prior owners, it's actually easier to simply buy and install a factory fresh harness assy than it is to make repair(s), one circuit at a time... There's what you can see (cuts, disconnects) and there's what you can't see (what's been changed/modified INSIDE the harness wrap tape)!

I know it seems like a BIG and unnecessary expense to buy a new dash harness assy, but consider the pro/con issues.

You get fresh wiring that's guaranteed good. What's produced today is actually better than the factory original (flame retardancy, Etc.). Mating connector contact surfaces are fresh without 40-50 years of oxidation.

From a restoration contractor's perspective, it doesn't take much in terms of labor hours to off set the cost of a reproduction wiring harness! Now, that doesn't apply if you're doing the job yourself...

BUT, if you're going to tackle the job yourself, then you HAVE to roll up your sleeves and read/understand the wiring diagram to get from here to there!

[Gerard F.]

Re: 1967 brake lights, blinkers, hazards not working

Forgot to add what is working and what is not: the headlights do work, the right hand blinker works, left does not, the hazards do not work at all, the running lights both front and rear do work, brake lights do not work at all.

Thanks.

John,

Here is how I would start troubleshooting:

1. Check all your fuses in the fusebox.
2. Install a correct hazard flasher in the fuse box.
3. Check to see that your cigar lighter works, it is on the same circuit as the hazard flasher.
4. Push on the hazard flasher on the steering column with the signal switch lever in a neutral position. Check for flash on the front (2) bulbs, and rear (4) bulbs.
a. If all 6 bulbs flash, the hazard circuit is OK, and probably your signal switch.
b. If any bulbs on one side do not flash and the other side does, check the particular bulb and harness connection to it, replace until all 6 flash.
c. If all rear bulbs do not flash, and the front flash, you have a problem in the signal switch or rear light harness. If you have directional lights in the rear without hazard flash, the harness is OK.
d. If you get no hazard flash, the signal switch is totally out, or there is a problem in the harness feeding the hazard and brake (same circuit) lines to the signal signal switch.

5. Brake Switch. Check for power at the orange wire at the brake switch at the brake pedal. If you have power there, jump across to the white wire, see if you have brake lights on the rear. If not, you have a problem with the signal switch in the steering column, or the harness going to the steering column.

On the signal switch, there are three power circuit going up the column: the directional signal circuit (purple), brake switch (white), and the hazard flasher (brown). The signal switch distributes the power to the individual bulbs in the front and rear signal light. All three circuits use the same element of the 1157 bulb, which is independent of your headlights or parking lights through the headlight switch.

Check in the archives or recent thread on the signal switch. There is a schematic of the signal switch.

As Ed said, the connector by the left hand kick panel is probably the courtesy light which is on the same curcuit as the hazard and brake light.

Hope this helps,

[John R.]

Re: 1967 brake lights, blinkers, hazards not working

Gerard, we have done as you suggested and have brake lights when jumping the orange and white. We then tested the brake switch and it works. We do see where the capacitor has black wires coming from each end and those wires are not connected to anything. Are they suppose to be plugged into the brake switch as well? We see the leads are long and flat. Brake lights still work without the black capacitor wires connected to anything. What should we do with them? Thanks to all of you!! Blinkers are working too!

[Gerard F.]

Re: 1967 brake lights, blinkers, hazards not working

Gerard, we have done as you suggested and have brake lights when jumping the orange and white. We then tested the brake switch and it works. We do see where the capacitor has black wires coming from each end and those wires are not connected to anything. Are they suppose to be plugged into the brake switch as well? We see the leads are long and flat. Brake lights still work without the black capacitor wires connected to anything. What should we do with them? Thanks to all of you!! Blinkers are working too!

John,

Looks like you are back in business and it was only the missing hazard flasher.

If you have hazard lights front and rear when you push the hazard switch, signal lights left and right, front and rear(without the hazard switch in), and brake lights on the rear when you push on the brake pedal, your signal switch is operating properly. If you signal for a left turn, the left front and the left rear blink. If at the same time, you step on the brake, the right rear should show the brake light. Same thing, only opposite for a right turn signal.

The capacitor at the brake switch should have nothing to do with the brake switch or light operation. It is only there to suppress noise to the AM/FM radio when you step on the brake. One lead from the capacitor goes into the connector to the brake switch on each side paralelling the connector tabs on the brake switch. There is a drawing of this in the AIM U69, A4. If perchance the brake lights go on when you connect the capacitor without depressing the brake pedal. The capacitor is probably shorted and no good.

There is a similar arrangement of the capacitor on the signal flasher under the dash clipped to the left side radio side panel.

[John R.]

Re: 1967 brake lights, blinkers, hazards not working

Gerard, thanks for additional assistance! We are good to go.