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66 mustang tail light wiring issues.

4.3K views 4 replies 5 participants last post by  jharcinske  
#1 ·
Okay, I think I have several problems, but need to know where to start. Tail lights worked a few weeks ago, decided to convert all lights to LED for safety. Original wiring still in car. Installed led flasher and tail lights worked, but back up lights didn't. Replaced turn signal switch about a year ago and haven't had any issues. Found the issue to the back up lights (blown fuse), but now taillights don't work properly. With left turn signal on, both flash and instruments panel lights (blue ones) blink. With right turn signal on, the taillights don't flash. With headlights on and either turn signal, neither flash and on the driver side blinker, it is a solid green but only the driver side. Front lights work and blink as normal. Grounds seem to be good as well around the taillights. There is also a wire coming off my passenger side tail light going back towards the front but ends at the edge of the trunk (a wire to nowhere). I checked voltage on this wire and it has power when ignition key is on. In the photo attached it is the wire going up out of the white/green splitter. Any idea what it should go to? I do see the other wires that go to license plate light and gas tank gage. Also emergency flasher works (non led flasher).

Thoughts on my issues:

1. The passenger side socket looks beat up, and probably needs to be replaced.

2. Some kind of grounding issue with the instrument panel causing all the lights to flash on turn signal.

3. This wire to nowhere could be a cause if it should be attached to somewhere. Can't find this wire on the diagrams.

4. Potentially the LED flasher is bad and causing issues.

My plan is to replace the passenger side tail light socket and convert both tail lights to pigtail plugs and recheck the instrument panel connections. Anything else is should do or check out in this process to get this working right?

801599
 
#2 ·
Anytime I’ve ever had an electrical problem it always turned out to be a ground issue.
 
owns 1966 Ford Mustang
#5 ·
The backup lights and turn signals should not be related at all, unless someone has buggered up the harness. Personally, I would start by removing the LEDs and put the bulbs back in. Get everything working. Then change over to the LEDs.

Also (and this is a nit pick), it will be helpful to distinguish between "tail lights", which are the rear lamps that come on with the headlight switch, and "rear brake/turn lights", which are the lights that come on when brakes are applied.