Rear Tail Lamps

[Dennis A.]

When I Brake, my right rear tail lamps turn on for some stops and fail to light for some stops. The left rear brake light works great....both rear lights work from the light switch, and both rear (left/right) blinkers work....Any ideas where to fix this problem?

[Edward J.]

Re: Rear Tail Lamps

Dennis, Maybe A Ground Problem ? Are Both Tail Lamps And Directionals Nice And Bright, Some Times Poor Grounds Do Funny Things Electriclly,the Other Thing Is Maybe The Brake Lamp Wire Is Feeding Power Over To The Tail Lamp Wire- Wires Bare Some Where In Rear? Is the rear bulb correct- 1034/1157 Duel elements.

[Edward B.]

Re: Rear Tail Lamps

Turn signal switch problem! Try moving the turn signal lever up and down while stepping on the brake pedal to see if you can replicate the erratic lamp function.

[John H.]

Re: Rear Tail Lamps

When I Brake, my right rear tail lamps turn on for some stops and fail to light for some stops. The left rear brake light works great....both rear lights work from the light switch, and both rear (left/right) blinkers work....Any ideas where to fix this problem?

Common/classic/chronic C1 problem - anyone who hasn't had it, will. The cancelling mechanism is gummed up and isn't self re-centering fully after a turn, which kills the circuit to one side or the other to the brake light (high filament) until you re-center it manually with the lever.

Pull the steering wheel, take pictures of the mechanism, then remove/disassemble it, clean it, then re-install and lubricate it - problem solved.

Photos below show the cancelling mechanism, and the actual switch after the cancelling stuff is removed; the plastic piece in the center of the switch is moved by a pin on the back of the cancelling ring, and the switch itself is hardly ever the problem.

[Dennis A.]

Re: Rear Tail Lamps

Thanks John...
This saves me from tearing into the switch.

[Jack H.]

Re: Rear Tail Lamps

I think John's got this one nailed!

The TS switch does NOT have detent positions (center-off, right/left-TS on). It relies 100% on the mechanical aspects of the surrounding housing to move the switch crisply and accurately to the proper location(s).

Plus the switch has a 'break before make' attribute meaning where it's in between functional positions (center-off; right/left-TS on), there is NO POWER feeding the rear lamps!

There was a reason passenger car and truck vehicles ABANDONED this design LONG before Corvette did in 1963 and the quirks mentioned here are probably the driving factors!

[Joe R.]

Re: Rear Tail Lamps

Thanks guys for that great solution. I have had this same problem with my 54 left rear brake light, and I was about to replace the switch. I'll look at the canceling mechanism. Mine's sticky.

Joe

[Jack H.]

Re: Rear Tail Lamps

Also check the integrity of the TS housing to column mount. ANY appreciable 'slop' there (can you rotate the housing CW or CCW relative to the steering column?) will have an impact on TS function.

The design relies on pot metal housing being RIGIDLY mounted to the steering column. If it's not all bets are off on how well the cancelling mechanism will work...