Wiring problems

[Jims50chrysler]

Perhaps someone here can help me understand what I have gotten into. My wiring diagram shows seperate tail and brake lights but in fact I have brake light tail and signal in one unit so now I have 3 wires running to a tail light socket with only 2 terminals....I know if I hook up the brake light wire to the turn signal wire my front parking lights will come on when I hit the brakes.

another problem I see is that my panel switch has 2 terminals where my drawing shows there should be 4

[oldmopar]

can't see the diagram but you should have a black wire that runs back and splits to both tail lights this would be you brake and running lights also should have a yellow that goes to one light and a brown that goes to the other

Basically you have 1 wiring back going to the 2 tail lights this is you running lights then 2 different color wires coming from the directional signal back to the lights.

The wire coming from the stoplight switch is wired into the black wires that work the taillights at least that is how it works on my 52 Plymouth

ed

[oldmopar]

The tailights and parking lights should have separate connections on the headlight switch. The wire going to the brake light switch should be coming from the same connection as the wire to the amp meter so they are 3 separate connections on the headlight switch

[Jims50chrysler]

can't see the diagram but you should have a black wire that runs back and splits to both tail lights this would be you brake and running lights also should have a yellow that goes to one light and a brown that goes to the other

Basically you have 1 wiring back going to the 2 tail lights this is you running lights then 2 different color wires coming from the directional signal back to the lights.

The wire coming from the stoplight switch is wired into the black wires that work the taillights at least that is how it works on my 52 Plymouth

ed

Ok that make a little more sense I do have a black wire running to each light a green wire for my left turn and a brown for the right turn signal then there is a red wire comming from the brake switch. but my thoughts were that the brake lights and turn signals would work on the same filament (the bright side of the bulb) if I am driving down the road with my lights on and hit the brakes that filament would already be lit therefore the person behind me would not know I am stopping. I am probably overthinking this whole thing ... thats what happens after too many hours of the same thing.

Jim

[grey beard]

Hi Jim,

You are getting a little falacious advice here. Brake lights go directly from the brake light switch on your master cylinder to the turn signal switch. From the signal switch you will have two different color wires that are now left/right signals AND brake light signals combined. These two wires should power the brighter of the two tail lamp bulb filaments.

Tail light power goes directly from the headlight switch to each tail lamp, but to the dimmer of the to bulb filaments. This one tail lamp wire feeds both tail lamps. These three wires are the only wires that go to your tail lights - one wire to feed both tail lights and a left/brake wire and a right/brake wire.

Signal lights are simply interrupted brake lights, and come from the signal switch. The original wiring diagrams for these vehicles did not show turn signals. You will need to find a signal schematic for that circuit. JMHO

[oldmopar]

Now you have me thinking I am sitting here in my living room but pretty sure that is how I set it up

[greg g]

Well except for that pesky middle brake light on the cars. So you can wire them as mentioned above, but then you either have a flashing center brake lamp when the signals are on or you need to run a wire from the brake light switch back to the center brake light independent of the the signal switches.

[55 Fargo]

Hi Jim, here is a schematic to create a tail light,turn signal and brake light in one, this will require a diode, this is a design for 6 v Positive ground.

[Jims50chrysler]

My wiring diagram does include the turn signals but I am starting to figure out how inaccurate it really is.

my only question to that is....................if the turn signal is in the neutral position you have not completed the circut if you supply power to the wire going to the turnsignal switch how would both bulbs light up?

Please don't get the impression that I am tring to be hard to get along with I just like to get a clear understanding of how this all works.

Jim

[oldmopar]

Here is the wiring diagram I was working from took a shot with my camera and to me it looks like is is set up the way I had originally said unless I am reading it wrong which is very possible

http://oldmopar.com/P23/wire1.jpg

[Jims50chrysler]

oldmopar it looks like there is a red wire that goes back to the turn signal switch (if I am reading it right) I will have to look closer at the wires coming from the turn signal switch I think Greybeard might be on to something. It looks like when the brake switch is activated the current travels threw the white wire on the right side of the brake switch then threw a connector back up the red to the turn signal switch. that helps...I don't have a clue what the brown wire is for that is tapped into the white before the connector.

I think I am going to have to sleep on this one, somehow things are clearer with a fresh mind.

Jim

[greg g]

go to the taillight king website and look at their wiring schematics. He has two posted a 6 wire and a 7 wire. Basically the switch takes power for the brake lights from two sources, the brake switch and unswitched power. The flasher inturupts the sigan from the brake light when the brake lights are on and provides intermittant power when they are off. tricky little thing the flasher.

http://www.taillightking.com/

[oldmopar]

Jim that red wire goes to the flasher so it maybe the wires should be reversed but then why is it connected in the diagram.

The only thing I do not have connected is my brake lights because I needed to replace the switch. So I know everything is working the way I have it set and if I connect the 2 wires together that go to the brake light they also light.

However based on what we said here I do need to see if I have the correct side of the lights flashing.

Ed

[oldmopar]

Don't have a scanner working with a camera. I think I got the whole diagram this time.

http://oldmopar.com/P23/wire2.jpg