Strange electrical (lgihts) occurance... help???

[4Rescue]

SO, odlly enough, in the last few nights I've been noticing that as I pull in to park my truck, I've got my foot on the brakes, and I tun my lights completely OFF but my interior dash lights and my "running lights stay ON... Now I've also replaced my brake light-bulbs more then twice lately... SO anyone got any ideas WHAT the **** mcould be going on??? DO I have some massively crossed wires (I haven't been screwing around with the wiring/electricals at ALL lately so this is something that just spontaneously STARTED a few days ago. Also of note, when I take my foot off the brake the lights go out, BUT when I press on the brakes, the dash lights come back on, and my Brake and corner lights come on as well. No headlights, just my running lights. I drive with my lights on 24/7, if that makes any difference...

I'm familliar with the fact that sometimes the cars have a sort of built in "warning system" where like the interior "dome light" won't work if your turn-signals are out and things like that, but this is something I've NEVER seen happen.

Thanks in advance for any help yall can give/light you can shed on this odd occurence.

Cheers and some confussion

Dave

PS, I'm really concerned right now because I'm ABOUT to tear into the wiring to wire my rear window motor directly to the switch (as in MONE of the safety doo-dads will be connected) I'm planning on starting from the rear window control box and working my way back.

 

[Owyhee H]

As you know the turn signal and the lights are all controlled by your left wand. I have heard of these going out and having to be replaced on other vehicles so after the miles on yours maybe the switches are wearing out. It should be a plug and play if you find the correct one in the junk yard.
I have heard of people cleaning contacts but have no experience where to start there.

Good luck.

 

[Owyhee H]

Ok another idea after reading your problem again. I had this same thing happen when I had a bulb burn out and the brake filament fused to the driving light filament and when current would go to the brake filament then it would also go to the driving lights and dash(on the same circuit). I would change or at least check your bulbs again, that is cheap and easy compared to other options.

Damn cheap bulbs these days......

 

[tanglefoot]

I was thinking about the bulbs also. The brake bulbs have both a filament for the brake circuit and the parking light circuit so I bet the bulbs are somehow passing current from one circuit to the other. Are the bulbs correct, 2-filament replacements with the two conductive "bumps" on the bottom of the bulb bases? If you have an ohm/conductivity meter, you can check the bulbs to make sure there is no conductivity between the filaments. There should not be any conductivity between the two "bumps" on the bottom of the bulb base. You could also remove one brake bulb at a time and isolate if the problem is one or the other.

Good luck

Eric

 

[dwh]

Certainly sounds like the running lights circuit is getting backfed from the brake lights circuit.

x3 on bulb, or putting the brake light back together a couple wires got pinched and shorted together.

Or a short in the wiring to a trailer plug.

 

[Patman]

Pull the brake light bulbs one at a time and retest. Once it goes away, swap the bulbs left to right and see if the problem follows the bulb. That will easily id a defo bulb (if that is causing it)

Also if one of the sockets has developed a bad ground (corrosion or loose wire) the current will seek the closest, least resistant ground. If that is through the park light circuit, it will energize it. (sounds like what is happening in your case)

 

[4Rescue]

Awesome, thanks guys... I was kind of thinking the same thing because I've "baked" two brake lights in the last month. They were both Black and looked like a Tie-dyed T-shirt when removed... I AM using the correct bulbs (It's an 1156 I think??? Trying to remember OTTOMH) I'm going out to check right now.

Again, thanks everyone. Gotta love the brain-storming knowledge base that is the Expo-Portal.

Cheers

Dave

Edit: I wonder if this could have ANYTHING to do with my back window not working right now... Sure seems like a ground or something is not attached... Time to climb in the back...

 

[java]

Awesome, thanks guys... I was kind of thinking the same thing because I've "baked" two brake lights in the last month. They were both Black and looked like a Tie-dyed T-shirt when removed... I AM using the correct bulbs (It's an 1156 I think??? Trying to remember OTTOMH) I'm going out to check right now.

Again, thanks everyone. Gotta love the brain-storming knowledge base that is the Expo-Portal.

Cheers

Dave

Edit: I wonder if this could have ANYTHING to do with my back window not working right now... Sure seems like a ground or something is not attached... Time to climb in the back...

id be looking for a bad ground or crossed/frayed wire somewhere if the window isnt working also.

 

[4Rescue]

Kinda what I was thinking... As usual, nothing goes as planned... I tried to get in and work on it today and OF COURSE I get stuck doing something else for the Family. OH WELL, I guess that this evening I'll just have to make time to search out the issues.

On a Side note: Does ANYONE with a 1st Gen have any experience with dirrect wiring the motor to the window to the switch (although I think I'm going to go from the control box behind the driver seat back) ???

I just want to bypass all the safety nanny's that don't let you roll up the window with the tail-gate down (not going to be dumb enough to do that and I don't have a little one - YET - to accidentaly hit the switch... I think that my major issue all this time has always been that one of the latch switches on the left side hasn't been making contact or something and it's always givven the rear window problems. Often - when it's working - I can press the T-Gate in on the left side and I'll hear the control box "click" and then the window will work. It's like it's not making contact and the control box thinks that the gate is open (although the light is not on so...) and won't let the window go down. I LOVE the feature of being able to roll down the rear window in the summer and have all that air flow, BUT it sure is a PITA when it's malfunctioning seeing as you can't USE the back half of the truck and it esentially becomes a truck with all the useable space of a Smart-Car... LAME!!!!

Cheers

Dave

 

[Toyotero]

Trailer light wiring?

Certainly sounds like the running lights circuit is getting backfed from the brake lights circuit.

x3 on bulb, or putting the brake light back together a couple wires got pinched and shorted together.

Or a short in the wiring to a trailer plug.

Do you have a tow package installed on your truck?

On my 88, I had one that I think was installed at the dealer, and frankly they did a poor job of wiring it. The trailer wiring ran from the hitch up into the body near the left taillight. The wires were connected with the ole strip/twist/tape method. If you have a trailer light wiring harness, you might check to see if there is poor insulation between the brake and marker light circuits at the splice point. If you don't have trailer wiring, you might check to see if you truck used to and someone did a poor job of removing it. :-/

On a Side note: Does ANYONE with a 1st Gen have any experience with dirrect wiring the motor to the window to the switch (although I think I'm going to go from the control box behind the driver seat back) ???

Have you read 4Crawler's write up about the rear window?
http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/RearWindow.shtml

Best of luck.

 

[corax]

As others have said, sounds like voltage back feeding from the brakes to the parking lights. Brake bulbs, trailer light adapter, etc - try removing these one at a time to see what has an effect. I seem to remember this popping up on YT every once in awhile . . .
This one looks like it might be close to what you're dealing with, read 4crawlers response at the bottom
Here's another one but it seems kinda vague and was never updated with the solution

On a Side note: Does ANYONE with a 1st Gen have any experience with dirrect wiring the motor to the window to the switch (although I think I'm going to go from the control box behind the driver seat back) ???
Cheers

Dave

There's a good chance I'll be moving ~45 minutes away from PDX at the beginning of next month . . . will work for local brewed IPA or Stout

 

[4Rescue]

Thanks man... and AWESOME to hear you're coming up north closer to Portland. We'll definatly have to get together now that the good weather is coming on... I'm going out right now to see what I can find.

Tell ya what, we can share some beers (First shout's on me mate...) and NOBODY has to work We can just -GASP- Enjoy ourselves eh I can't wait to see/hear your awesome 1st Gen in person.

Cheers

Dave