have a question about something but want to discuss my problem first. For some reason my tail lights do not work at all, occasionally on startup the left tail light stays on but comes off later on, the right one doesn’t work at all but the brake lights and turn signals work. I know there’s so many things it could be I’m not sure where to start and I’ve already tested new bulbs. My question is though is there some kind of way I could make it to where my reverse lights stay on all the time and act as tail lights? I use leds for reverse lights and I have to do some night time driving almost everyday and need a quick fix for this. Any help or word of advice is appreciated. I have a 2005 Tahoe with 270K miles.
Tail lights don’t work but brake lights do
- Thread starter Gucci2074
- Start date
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Did the problems start after you did the LED lights? Check fuses?
For now I have just standard bulbs for lights, but a few weeks ago I bought the led tail lights where it’s just a plug and play into the socket. Ever since then I’ve been having weird problems with tail lights. I ended up going back to the regular bulbs and my old rear light housing because the new ones I got just didn’t work and kept acting up. I’ve checked my fuses and they all seem to be good. Could this be some kind of wiring or ground issue or something? Don’t have too much experience when it comes to things like this but I need to fix this asap or find an alternative way to have a tail light so I won’t have any problem with cops behind me. It’s just weird how my brake light and tail lights are on the same bulb and the brake lights work but tail lights don’t.
Scottydoggs
Full Access Member
make sure the sockets are not melted or the clips in side broken. them bulbs have two filaments inside them, one is tail lights less bright, then the turn and brake part thats much brighter. so two different fuses, iirc one is marked turn /stop. iirc those are in the box under the hood. trailer light fuses are in the cab side of the dash.
If your problems did not start till you tried the LED install, I would go back and check everything you did during that install and also run a separate ground wire to the back of the socket to see if that is related. Also, check any harness connections for a male and female plug in that don't plug in but one is actually pushing the other out of the harness connector and causing a poor connection.
Usually it is a corrosion or grounding issue. The light/lamp sockets can get corroded inside. You mentioned that it sometimes works. Check and make certain that it is clean in the sockets. Also, it would be good to use a very small file and give the connection points in the socket a quick grinding ( with the power off!). Multimeter would be helpful to see if you have power to the sockets. With light switch on, VERY VERY carefully touch one side of the socket with the red end and touch the black end of the multimeter to some bare metal to see if you have 12 volts. Then touch the other side of the socket lead and repeat. Again carefully as you can easily blow a fuse. One side of the socket should be the hot wire and give you 12 volts once you ground the black wire. If so then you have a grounding problem. Let me know if that makes sense. Incidentally, when you carefully put that red wire end of your multimeter into the socket you can easily ground the positive and blow a fuse. Just want to reiterate before you do this! There might be a less risky way to check if you have a ground issue. Someone will pipe in that is smarter than I. Best wishes.
