Tail light gremlins

[cbarge]

The tilt/tele column is a GM unit.
Broaden your TS switch search for Buick Cadillac and Olds. You may need to swap out tge xonnector but basically same TS switch. It may be cheaper...hopefully.
As mentioned, check the taillight fuse first.
Then check for power going into TS swich twsting the appropiate wires for taillights.
Remove left kick panel access the taillight harness. Check power at harness from ts switch.
If power is going ibto TS switch but not coming out to taillight harness switch is no good.
Try this before ripping things apart.
Hope this helps.
At the

 

[WSP]

Brake light and turn signal problem does sound like a TS switch. My problem was intermittent, probably because broken parts rattled around. Murray Park had REPRODUCTION turn signal switches. It was $125, if I remember correctly, for my nontelescoping/nontilt. The telescoping steering wheel would be different. . Have not had any problems since with mine. I would NOT get a used either.
Cbarge and others above had a great approach to diagnosis.

 

[marty koirtyohann]

thanks for the links Marty. I saw that aftermarket headlight switch too, but couldn’t quite figure out how that one would replace the original one. Based on the picture, I don’t think it would fit in the same location on the dash.

looks like I gotta bite the bullet on the TS switch. I found a source for an original one as well, but it was even more expensive and I’d rather have new plastic at the cams than the 50 year old plastic in the original one (one of my canceling cams broke last year).

thanks again for the help!

u r welcomed do u have the service book? do u need me to scan the pages from my 72 book? it would be easyer if i had a email address rather than going trough here my email is [email protected]

 

[SPF Required]

I can’t say enough how much I appreciate all the help you all give. I wouldn’t even know where to begin.

turn signal switch is on its way. I went with the shee mar switch available through rock auto. Murray Park did have a telescope/tilt switch available, but it was much more expensive.

still trying to figure out the specialty tools to pull the steering wheel and tilt cover. Any and all advice is welcomed.
Thank you C Body cohorts!

 

[SPF Required]

do u have the service book? do u need me to scan the pages from my 72 book?

thanks Marty! I do have a 68 book with some good details for the tilt/telescope column disassembly. Thank you for the offer to scan yours though.

 

[marty koirtyohann]

thanks Marty! I do have a 68 book with some good details for the tilt/telescope column disassembly. Thank you for the offer to scan yours though.

ok u r welcomed

 

[HWYCRZR]

Steering wheel puller is pretty simple and universal. Harbor freight, or if you have an O’reilys parts store (probably others as well) have a tool borrow program. You pay the deposit (price of tool) and use it. Return it and they refund. If you like it and want to keep it they just keep your deposit. I think I bought two different pullers that way. Decent price and decent quality, plus they were Brand new.

 

[HWYCRZR]

Here is what I used for the steering wheel

They come with or you can use a variety of different bolts for different size holes.

 

[Devinism]

And this will help TONS!
Is this legit? (Turn signal cam)

I used the "armstrong" method a few years back. Never again. I ended up making something like Ross did.

 

[C Sickness]

I had a similar problem with my car. All the rear lights were dead. It turned out they are all connected by a solder joint in the trunk, in front of the driver's tail light. That joint had cracked and failed. Squeeze it the right way, and I had lights.

I looked at the wiring diagram, and saw that there is a plug in the driver's kick panel for everything in the rear. The FIRST thing I did was go to that plug and look for voltage, which was there. At that point I knew my dash switches / steering column was good. The problem was somewhere between that plug, and the rear light bulbs.

BEFORE you go ordering special tools and tearing apart the whole steering column, check what's happening at that plug.

 

[Big_John]

You know... This all doesn't make sense to me.

Yea, maybe one switch or the other goes bad, but not at the same time.

Here's what i would do... I would find the disconnect plug located in the drivers kick panel (or maybe it's under the threshold trim) and jumper 12 volts to the various lights and see if they work before replacing switches.

If all that works, I would then test for voltage coming from the corresponding "cavities" in the plug.

Or maybe even do it the other way around... Check for voltage first. Simple stuff... do it with a jumper wire and a test light, although I prefer a voltmeter.

 

[marty koirtyohann]

I had a similar problem with my car. All the rear lights were dead. It turned out they are all connected by a solder joint in the trunk, in front of the driver's tail light. That joint had cracked and failed. Squeeze it the right way, and I had lights.

I looked at the wiring diagram, and saw that there is a plug in the driver's kick panel for everything in the rear. The FIRST thing I did was go to that plug and look for voltage, which was there. At that point I knew my dash switches / steering column was good. The problem was somewhere between that plug, and the rear light bulbs.

BEFORE you go ordering special tools and tearing apart the whole steering column, check what's happening at that plug.

cold solder joint its all part of checking the system'

 

[Gerald Morris]

This looks to be a case of the fuse clips not supplying steady current to the lighting again. Open the fuse block, then check each fuse on BOTH sides for voltage. Try pressing down a little on them, especially those in the middle with a red/pink wire leading from them. My turn signals and brake lights fail occasionally and its one of the middle fuses feeding the brake light, signals and several dash circuits like the map light. I just press the fuse back down and all is well again. I admit that a 1968 model might be slightly more complex, but I strongly suspect you have an aged fuse block, since you've mentioned a case of their function having been restored before failing again.

 

[SPF Required]

Hey gang, sorry it has taken me a while to get back to you all. I finally found some time to work on this issue today and was eventually successful.

I started at the back and kept working my way towards the dash. I used a battery with some wire leads and tested the rear light harness. I exposed the soldered joint for the common ground wires, it was solid. I was able to get all the bulbs to light up so I knew it wasn’t that.

I then moved my way up to the driver kick plate and got to the connector there. I got voltage for the left and right brake lights, but nothing coming through for the tail lights. (Side bonus: the fuel sending unit comes through that same connector and I got voltage there too - my fuel gauge hasn’t worked since I replaced the dash. Not a fix yet, but getting voltage on that wire gives me hope).

from the kick plate I had to move up to the fuse block. After learning a new yoga position, I was getting voltage at the fuse. Sooo…. Needed to move up to the switches.

I decided to start with the headlight switch. I got an NOS one from eBay a couple of weeks ago. I loosened the steering column to get it to drop a couple of inches and went to town on disassembly. Got the light bezel out, easy peasy but the switch bezel is always a bit tricky. Finally got it out and plugged in the new headlight switch. Viola! Brake lights, tail lights, and blinkers all up and running. To celebrate, my daughter and I went on a cruise to a local strawberry stand and bought a flat. Spent the next hour cruising and eating and soaking in all the blessings life has to offer.

I did also pickup the turn signal switch just in case, but glad I don’t have to tear down the column to solve this problem.

thank you all again for all your guidance and recommendations.

 

[Gerald Morris]

GREAT! I replaced my headlight switch about 3 yrs back with a Standard, but kept the old one. It's just dirty, but DIRT can destroy electrical contact. VERY GLAD for you. Its always good to get into the wiring. There's always **** to fix, replace, upgrade in there. Be careful with the "up" grades though. When standing on one's head, down and up oft get confused.

 

[SPF Required]

I am so bummed out. Took the car out yesterday to pick up my daughter and her friends from school. They love the attention they get driving in this big ol beauty.

got back home and backed into the garage as I usually do and checked to see the lights were still functioning. Easy test because they glow against the back wall of the garage. driver side blinker, brake, and taillight not working again. So frustrating. Looks like I may have to dig into the steering column after all.