tail light problems

[an nguyen]

just noticed some tail lights don't work.  i changed bulbs but the problems remain.  tail light fuses look fine.

doesn't work:
rear turn signals
1 rear tail lamp
reverse lamps (assuming they should light in R gear even if engine off)

works:
all brake lights
front lamps and turn signals
1 rear tail lamp
rear license plate lamps

any ideas?  or do i need a shop?
thanks!

[John Hartman]

On the Talon or the P5?

Same diagnosing method either way.

Grab a test light and find out where it stops having power.

For the brake light, grab a long stick and put it between your seat and the brake pedal, moving the seat forward until your brake lights should come on.

Test light, ground one end on a good ground, probe the socket, back of socket,and then work your way back along the wiring until you get to a place that is not producing power anymore.

IF one side works but the other doesn't, its probably not the switch(backups or brake), and its got to be in the circuit where the dim bulb (LOL) is and not effecting the good side.

Check for continuity on grounds with an ohm meter or test light going to power and then probe the grounds with the probe end.  To do this, run a jumper wire from the positive side of the battery back to where you are working, and then attach the clip end of the test light to the power wire and probe for ground.  if the light lights, you have a good ground.

Also check sockets, connectors etc for green and powdery white corrosion.

Your wiring diagram will help hugely in this endeavor as it has all the colours for each part on it.

Best of luck man.  Wiring problems can be a big ol beotch!

[an nguyen]

thanks john, it's the troubled talon of course =).
as a layman i'll try to make sense of your advice, but may need to ask u at slush 2!

[John Hartman]

I won't be there, sorry, I posted that I have a football game that day

[Sean Tran]

Yeah, John just about covers it.  Just want to add that if you can't run long wires from the battery to the back of the car, just grap a piece of wire, ground/touch it to a bare metal section of the car, have someone step on the brakes, and briefly touch the copper/yellow part around the lightbulb (not the white, pointy part).  Do this while everything is connected, ie, lightbulb still in socket.  If it lights up then it's a ground problem.

[an nguyen]

Can someone show me a pic of where the tail light wires begin?  I looked under dash, far left, and it’s a big jumble of wires.  

I prefer not to wait for my dsm manual; probly 2 wks.  No rear turn/hazard lights is a safety problem =(.  Thanks for any help!

[KevinBuckham]

Betcha it is the stupid ground from the wire to the bulb socket.  It simply sits flush to the bulb socket and over time it will wiggle around and loose contact.  On one of my rears I simply moved this wire and placed in the spring of the ground contact of the bulb.  Problem fixed.

My symptoms were that the light bulbs would work fine when first used then wink out.  I was guessing that the current would get to high for the crappy connection and somehow (?) stop working.  It was very frustrating problem to diagnose.

[an nguyen]

doesn't seem to be my problem; i get good ground but nothing from power wires in question.

[KevinBuckham]

Too bad.  Now you get the fun of tracing the wires back to the relays (or further).

Good luck.

-Kevin