1987 k10 wiring problems. this could be bad?

[89k5350]

i have a 1987 350 tbi k10 and the more i work on it the worse it gets. ive been working on replacing the turn signal switch in the column but previous owner rigged up some wires and it was missing pieces in there so i bought a complete column from a local junkyard. and the wiring problems are worse than i thought, when i press the brake pedal when the head lights are off the dash lights and flashers come on with the break lights. when i turn the headlights on i have no brake lights when i press the pedal but the brake lights do flicker a tiny noticable bit. so what im thinking is for some reason the brake lights didnt work before i got the truck so possibly some one wired the tail lights to the flashers and dash lights so it temporarly has brakes during the day time. i planned on attempting to change the column this weekend but i dont know if i should mess with wiring first? does anyone have a clue how to deal with the wiring issues? should i follow the wires from the brake lights? sorry for the long essay and thanks for any help

 

[Fordum]

Not trying to shill for the full membership, but there are several schematics around here that you can see once you do, and if you can't find them, several of us can repost them.

First of all, check all your grounds. Some of what you described could be miswiring, but a disconnected ground would do the same thing.
Check the negative pigtail from the battery clamp to the body, and any other grounds you see around the front end of the body.
Plus any from the engine to the body and any around the rear lights.

 

[89k5350]

i have been thinkin bout that membership lots of people say its worth it im just tight on money but un hooked or bad grounds could really cause this?

 

[Fordum]

i have been thinkin bout that membership lots of people say its worth it im just tight on money but un hooked or bad grounds could really cause this?

Unhooked grounds can do things you would not believe. The only reason I even suspect other things besides grounds, is because of the history of your problem.
If it had been hooked up and working before and suddenly started doing this, I would automatically assume grounds.

Just as a for instance, a whole line of Ford cars in the 70s had a bad solder joint in the ground wire for the front turn signal/parking light sockets.

After a while the heat from the bad joint would cause the ground tab to corrode and kill the ground to the front bulbs.
When that happened, you would start getting the turn signal indicators glowing when you turned on the headlights.

Because when you put power to the parking light filament, it had no ground. So, it would go through the common connection with the turn signal filament, and feed back through the indicators to ground.

 

[89k5350]

hhaha this sounds to familiar my ground for the sending unit on my gas tank is all green and carroded.. and before i bought the truck the brake lights didnt work so i told the guys i wouldnt buy it unless the tail lights work so he fixed them and the lights are the way they r now so i think im going to start looking for ground wires and possibly start replacing them

 

[89k5350]

i really appreciate your help im gunna start tracing grounds and wires

 

[kopperlis123]

Thanks for this post guys I was going through the same thing.

 

[diesel4me]

I have found that the trailer hitch wiring is often to blame when there is problems like these too--many trucks had a butcher install them,they used scotchlock connectors or just electrical tape to "splice" the wires ,and after awhile they corrode,come apart,touch ground when they shouldn't,etc....so I'd look and see if it had a hitch ,its a good bet the wiring to the trailer plug could be the problem...

 

[89k5350]

actually the truck currently has a hitch and under the truck behind the hitch is just a mess of wiring i cant trace any of it they guy mentiones he used the truck for towing and obviously the guy before me wasnt to bright because he screwed up all the wiring in the column so diesel4me you could be right so far everything that anyone has said is a very possible cause of the light problems i really appreciate the posts guys!!