I just purchased a 69 camaro and was having some problems with my tail lights. When I pull the **** out to turn on my lights, the tail lights do not come on. The brake lights, turn signal flashers, headlamps, hazards, and fog lamps all work fine. Any tips to where I can start looking to fix this problem? Electrical is definitely not my strong point. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

New bulbs, make sure the socket is secure in the housing (needs this for ground). Also a few others I know have had issues with the turn signal switch sticking between positions. Try moving it while someone looks in back to see if there is a point where you can get them to go on.

 

The bulbs are all new and the turn signals work. The problem is the tail lights do not stay illuminated. They come on when I brake, use the turn signals, and turn on the hazards.

 

Did you check for voltage to the sockets? Do the new bulbs have 2 filaments? I've attached a wire diagram for a 68 (I assume they are similar to 69's).

 

Check your grounds. Most electrical gremlins are due to poor or incomplete ground circuits.

 

Check your wiring. Your brake, turn, and hazards work, and all are the "bright" side of the dual filament bulbs. The "running light" (dimmer) filament of the bulb is powered by a different wire. The problem could also be at your headlight switch (bad connection, wire, or bad switch itself), as the brake, turn, and hazards don't run through the headlight switch. Turn on your headlights, reach up under the dash, and lightly pull up and down on your wires. You might find a broken wire or loose connection that way, it's worked for me a few times. You'll need to have a helper watch the tail lights, or keep an eye on the garage door for lights to go on.

 

Thanks guys for all of the tips! I'll look at everything later this week when I've got some free time away from work. I really appreciate all the help! I'll post back here when I find the problem. You may be right about the gremlins... I hear first gen is their playground.

 

Alright, here goes.....

First off, The fuse for the running lights was not bad, but there was some moisture in the box itself so it did not get good conductivity. So, after I took it out and wiped it off, the circuit ran fine.

Second, the entire rear light harness was a little shady. Got a cheap replacement from ebay to try and hit it from that side, and everything started working.

The turn signals, hazards, and brake lights already worked. The issue I was having was that the daytime lights for the tail lamps were not coming on so that you could see my car from behind in the dark. The original harness being used had some of the wires missing to the light sockets that used two fillaments. Pretty easy fix. it just took some time to pull everything out and check it all out.

Thanks again for the help!!!