Amber/Red tail light problem

[Vernon]

I have been trying to solve this problem for over a year. Did a search here several times trying to find someone with a similar problem. I have found 2 people who have the same problem but I am lookng to find more of a consensus before I buy new tail lights, either Amber/red or red/red. My 10/1965 LPB currently has Amber/red lenses.
My tail lights work correctly. My turn signals work correctly. However, when I step on the brakes my tail lights, turn signals and brake lights illuminate all at once with the exception of the turn signal initiated. That one will blink appropriately when everything else is illuminated.
One member with the same problem suggested that this may be correct and that my truck may have originally had red/red lenses and P/O replaced lenses with Amber/red because that was the only thing available at that time.
All my grounds look good and wiring is unmolested.

Any help from you weather you have red/red or Amber/red is appreciated. Even posting the function of your trucks tail light functions is great.

Thank you!

 

[Bear]

Has it always been this way with your truck, or did you change something and now have a problem?

Lens color will not affect the operation of the lamps. Here are some things to consider:

The energized wiring to each of the bulbs controls their operation. If the wrong signal is being sent down that wire, the bulb will light or not.

Wires sometimes get crossed and/or shorted to one another. Ground circuits will find the least path of resistance if they are loose, corroded, or broken. Prior owners are renowned for goobering up things, such as twisted wires, patches and splices, and cross-wiring all kinds of things.

Some bulbs have dual filaments, some only one filament. Some bulbs have different arrangements of the bayonets making contact with the insides of each socket. Each bulb has a bottom center contact point that meets a matching point on a spring activated center contact on a non-conducting pad--these pads can be worn, broken, missing, or operate intermittently. The incorrect bulb in the incorrect socket changes the possible operation. Some cheaply made aftermarket lamp copies may be wired or constructed opposite to the OEM factory lamp.

Each lamp socket needs to be clean for good electrical conductance, same cleanliness applies to ground circuits.

45 year-old switches can and do fail, especially if severely worn from use, dirty, rusted, corroded, or broken internally. There are brake pedal switches, flasher switches, headlight switches, turn signal switches that all interact with the rear lamps.

If you are lucky, you find the problem area easily and quickly, but a methodical check of each and every component--wires, switches, lamps, and bulbs-- in the electrical system going to the rear of the truck is the only way to be absolutely certain it is solved.

Are your lamps in question original to the truck with no apparent modifications, or are they aftermarket? The original lamps will be embossed and marked "Koito" on both the lamp housing and on each lens, whether red, amber, or clear.

Can you provide photos of these new lamps you are considering buying along with a photo of the internals?

Summary: spend some time going through the above, looking for small signs of damage and wear. Get a spray can of electrical cleaner, some very fine sandpaper and go to town cleaning what looks to be lightly oxidized. Check any patches to wiring, including inline splices, whether factory or not, especially if you see any green corrosion on the copper.

I know you want an easy answer, but without having checked out all the above, it's impossible to guess the exact cause of your lighting problem. That said, I would look first at the brake pedal switch, and go from there.

Let us know.

 

[ozcrusier]

Bad earth mate check chassis to body earth leads on pick up bed, cabin and front clip. If there not there add them because there mounted on rubber or canvass.

 

[Vernon]

Thanks much for the help! I will start work from the top of the list of things posted above.


To answer your questions, this has been an issue ever since I bought the truck years ago. The lamp housings are indeed original to the truck and are in decent shape with no severe damage to them. I should have made it a bit clearer when I said I was buying new lights. I am only buying new lenses since mine are now clear/red. I thought that if I bought red/red lenses it would not look as abnormal when all the lights light up at the same time versus the Amber/red. I will post any finding/fixes.

Thank you again.

 

[JohnnyC]

x2 ground issue

 

[Living in the Past]

Has it always been this way with your truck, or did you change something and now have a problem?

Lens color will not affect the operation of the lamps. Here are some things to consider:

The energized wiring to each of the bulbs controls their operation. If the wrong signal is being sent down that wire, the bulb will light or not.

Wires sometimes get crossed and/or shorted to one another. Ground circuits will find the least path of resistance if they are loose, corroded, or broken. Prior owners are renowned for goobering up things, such as twisted wires, patches and splices, and cross-wiring all kinds of things.

Some bulbs have dual filaments, some only one filament. Some bulbs have different arrangements of the bayonets making contact with the insides of each socket. Each bulb has a bottom center contact point that meets a matching point on a spring activated center contact on a non-conducting pad--these pads can be worn, broken, missing, or operate intermittently. The incorrect bulb in the incorrect socket changes the possible operation. Some cheaply made aftermarket lamp copies may be wired or constructed opposite to the OEM factory lamp.

Each lamp socket needs to be clean for good electrical conductance, same cleanliness applies to ground circuits.

45 year-old switches can and do fail, especially if severely worn from use, dirty, rusted, corroded, or broken internally. There are brake pedal switches, flasher switches, headlight switches, turn signal switches that all interact with the rear lamps.

If you are lucky, you find the problem area easily and quickly, but a methodical check of each and every component--wires, switches, lamps, and bulbs-- in the electrical system going to the rear of the truck is the only way to be absolutely certain it is solved.

Are your lamps in question original to the truck with no apparent modifications, or are they aftermarket? The original lamps will be embossed and marked "Koito" on both the lamp housing and on each lens, whether red, amber, or clear.

Can you provide photos of these new lamps you are considering buying along with a photo of the internals?

Summary: spend some time going through the above, looking for small signs of damage and wear. Get a spray can of electrical cleaner, some very fine sandpaper and go to town cleaning what looks to be lightly oxidized. Check any patches to wiring, including inline splices, whether factory or not, especially if you see any green corrosion on the copper.

I know you want an easy answer, but without having checked out all the above, it's impossible to guess the exact cause of your lighting problem. That said, I would look first at the brake pedal switch, and go from there.

Let us know.

And what I find funny with everything to check these are still very simple compared to modern vehicles. When I had my 2000 100 series I purchased both FSM and wiring manual. Just the wiring manual is bigger then a complete FSM from the sixties. I threw in towel on what I was planning for the 100 series and sticking to the old ones. I find myself doing a lot less of this .

Did anyone mention checking the grounds right good?