no running lights, or consequently driving at night

[rwright07]

ever since i went to the oceano dunes last weekend, my running lights dont work. brake lights, turn signal work but no running lights at the tailights, licenseplate light, or side markers

wtf, checked fuses no issue there

where is the gremlin, i need to get it out before they start multiplying

rick

 

[4X4HIGH]

Sounds like a bad head light switch. You can have a bad switch and still have head lights but no tail or license plate light.

 

[frankin5]

do the front park lights work. if the answer is no, I would check the light switch to see if you have power leaving.

 

[rwright07]

no the parking lights dont


how the F do i get the switch out? i was crawling under the dash and contorting myself in all sorts of unnatural ways to try and figure it out, but damn, i couldnt

heeeelp?

 

[broncoman6524]

There is a button thingy on the side...push that in, you'll have to wiggle with switch shaft thingy around. The button will depress hold it, pull out the switch handle, and the switch should be free.

 

[ssped]

I have no running lamps eigther but changed the head lamp switch and no luck. still no power. I am getting close but no cookies to finding it.

 

[frankin5]

no the parking lights dont


how the F do i get the switch out? i was crawling under the dash and contorting myself in all sorts of unnatural ways to try and figure it out, but damn, i couldnt

heeeelp?

it helps if you take the bottom panel the screws on under the steering wheel. that will give you better access. on the driverside of the switch is a button pin that has to be pushed in while you pull the knob out. there is a retaining nut on the front of the switch to unscrew. running lights should be a brown wire that goes to the main block to where it divides to go to the front and to the rear.

 

[ssped]

ok I got the fix

I now have the fix. Yesterday night I needed the truck to run into cop central to pick up the kid. so i jumped power into the harness so I had running lamps. It worked beautifully on a switch for an hour. just before i made it home I lost the running lamps again. SO today I am going to wire all the lamps on to toggle switches so I can break them out seperately. I Officially give up on finding the short.

 

[rwright07]

same deal as ssped, i replaced the switch, but i have no running lights still

Muther fuc*** i dont want to have to wire my running lights to a switch but wtf i will if i have to,

for now i found some reflectors that look very much like running lights when headlights shine on them- temporary solution but works for now

any other thoughts on how to fix this

 

[86dieselburb]

The dash lights are on the same circuit as the tail and running lights I believe. Anybody checked that out before? Seems a common problem with our truck. My burb does the same thing. I checked for shorts along all the wires leading from the engine compartment to the lights, could not find anything. Too freaking lazy to tear the dash apart, so I hooked up a switch to the make the lights work. Kinda cool, now I can run from the fuzz and turn off me tail lights....

 

[rwright07]

did you tear up the harnes right at the headlight switch or what?

 

[86dieselburb]

did you tear up the harnes right at the headlight switch or what?

No...I clipped the wires coming out of the harness block in the engine compartment. A wiring diagram should tell you what color wires go were.

Was easy to do and should be easy to put back if I ever take the gauge panel off to find the short.

 

[ssped]

I am just going to pull the wires out of the switch. Not a biggie to wire in switches. I did the buick like that as a kid when I was running from the cops. It was cool to run the head lamps and no running lamps. (Stealth) I dont plan on going back, if I cant find the short now It will not be found.