C1 Brake Lights

[David Lyon]

I have totally run out of ideas to get my brake lights on my '58 to work.
All other lights work. I have power to the brake switch orange wire with the switch plunger in and power to both the orange and white wires with the plunger out. I have power to the tail light plugs and have run an additional ground wire.
I cleaned all rear grounds prior to adding the additional ground. I also installed new 1034 blubs and the switch is new. The wiring harness is new. So what's my next move? They worked fine before I started the body on restoration.

Thanks for your advice!

David # 5133

[Terry D.]

Re: C1 Brake Lights

David

Do you have turn signals? If I remember correctly the wires come out of the brake light switch and tie into wires from turn signal switch. You say you have power to the tail light, which wire has power? I think the black wire is the taillight power and the pink is stoplights. Just my 2 cents. Hope it is some help.
Terry

[John O.]

Re: C1 Brake Lights

Hi Dave

If you have power to the tail lights and the bulbs are new and correct and all your grounds are attached,First of all are those the right bulbs? Are they making contact in the socket correctly? Try taking a bulb out and use a test light. Have someone hold the brake pedal down while you touch the contacts to see if the light comes on.If the light comes on when using a test light then the problem sounds like the bulbs.Just my thought.

Good luck...John

[Brad K.]

Re: C1 Brake Lights

I had the same issue (on one side) with my '59.....It took me a while before I figured out my problem! If you look into the housing (from the bulb side) you will see what appears to be a thin brass bushing (where the bulb twists in) This "bushing" goes all the way through the taillight housing and out the back side and contains the "notches" that hold the bulb on the front and the power leads and their plastic "twist-lock" on the back.

This brass bushing is staked or very weakly spot welded inside another round, steel bushing which is then swaged to the pot metal taillight housing. Everything appeared kosher because all three of these components seem to be tight. But mine sat so many years (more than 25!) in various damp locations that corrosion developed between the brass and the steel and also between the steel and the pot metal. It was probably aggravated by the dissimiliarity of the different metals. The problem was there was not truly a ground between the pot metal housing and the brass piece.

My solution was to apply a very small amount of solder between the brass and steel portion and to re-stake the steel piece to the pot metal (on the bulb side of the housing) using a pointed pin punch.

I have no idea if this is your problem, but good luck!

[Gary Chesnut]

Re: C1 Brake Lights

In addition to what Brad said about it could be a grounding issue. Is the side of the bulb contacting the sleeve. Have had to add a small drop of solder to the bulb's side to make good grounding contact with the sleeve.

Expanding on another of the previous responses; remove the bulb and put a test light lead on the stop light contact and the other lead to the sleeve and see if the test light works when some presses the brake pedal and/or turn signal. Do same test for park light contact. If neither of these do not work then take the sleeve contact and run it to a good known ground or back to the negative post of the battery. If the later test works, then you know for sure you have a grounding problem.

Good luck,

Gary #5895
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[Garry Barnes]

Re: C1 Brake Lights

David, you have a lot of good suggestions, but let me add one more. You mentioned that you had a new switch.............. I had a problem once with my brake lights on my '56 during a pre-judging ops check session. A friend suggested that I push lightly forward on the blinker stem and press the brake pedal. THEY WORKED! With all that you said you had replaced so far I would look at the blinker switch and assembly. There is a lot there that can go wrong during reassembly. Good luck.
Garry