Tail light and fuel sender electrical repairs. (1 Viewer)

[MrMoMo]

I post this in case it can help someone who is having similar issues....

So last weekend on my way home I discovered that my tail lights and rear markers were not working. Turn signals, hazards and brake lights were working, so I drove home with my hazards on. About 3km from home, my fuel gauge quit. I was worried because when it quit I didn't know if it was the gauge or all my fuel leaking out! I was driving on a fairly rough surface (packed ice on top or asphalt, but holes in the ice). I wondered if my diesel was foaming enough to make the float sink, as when I drove the truck the next day, it started out working again, then quit shortly after driving on the same road. Interestingly, my tail lights started working again.

My tail lights continued to work, and filled my tank full, so I could make it through last week. This weekend, I started poking in the suspected areas to see what I could find.

Fuel gauge was dead simple. I knew there was a short section of harness in behind the drivers side wheel well, so I started looking there. Bingo. Within seconds, I found the obvious problem. The pin on the red/yellow wire had corroded completely where it crimps to the wire. I left the good wire in the plug, and crimped on new heat shrink connectors on the other wire to bypass the bad side of the plug. Fixed, simple... Done. Fuel gauge is working again.

 

[MrMoMo]

Next was on to the tail lights. I knew this was going to be a challenge because of where the harness connection points are. I removed the tail light, turned on the marker lights, and reached in through the hole. I started feeling around the plugs that were in there and squeezed them one at a time until I found the area that made the tail lights flicker. Knowing the area, I stuck my scope camera in to take a closer look. Found a suspicious non OEM connector loosely covered with electrical tape.

 

[MrMoMo]

I decided to investigate further. I removed the tape (one handed!) and discovered a corroded connector. I put my meter probe on the exposed part and confirmed that I had 12v here when the lights were on. I gently wiggled the connector apart so that I could clean and put new connectors on. The OEM side of the plug was only corroded, and not damaged in any way. Since I knew I had 12v here, I wire brushed it clean and left it alone.

 

[MrMoMo]

Removing the other side of the plug I got a nice surprise... Wire was broken completely in half, in a completely random place that was easy to get at! I discovered that this wire lead to the tail light plug, and the other side of the wire was in good shape. I removed a short section of each side of the break to get clean copper, and crimped a heat shrink butt splice connector in place. Then I cleaned and re-connected to the OEM spade and covered with a TIGHT wrapping of electrical tape. If this had been in an area that was more accessible, I would have removed the OEM connector and replaced it with a shielded one, however this area of the truck is nearly impossible to get your hands into, let alone a pair of cutters, strippers, and crimpers. So far so good, lights are working!

 

[MrMoMo]

Getting into the fender, through the tail light hole is difficult, let alone replacing wiring in there. So I know what you are thinking... Why didn't you just remove the INTERIOR panel.... Yes, that would be the simple way, however I have a storage system and veggie tank in the back of my 60 and disassembling it to the point where I could get to it would have taken half a day.... So, this is the little hole I was left to work with! Pic is sideways with the inside of the fender on the bottom of the pic. If you look closely, you can see the spade I have to connect to...