[ericrcan]

I bought a 65 impala ss and the guy that owned it before completed messed up ALL the wiring .... He started disconnecting and running wires everywhere, what a big pain! This is how he had the brake light switch:

__________(red wire to fuse box)___________________________
|
Switch
|_____________(black/white wire, to turn signal harness)____

Where the red wire is, USED to be a black/orange wire running to the trunk for taillights, and to the other lights in the car (supplying power im guessing).

I have since taken off his red wire because it was doing no purpose and replaced it with the original black/orange wire. The problem is there is no power going to the lights... Can I do this:

_______red_______FUSEBOX
|_____________black/orange__________________________TO TRUNK LIGHTS
|
Switch
|____________black/white_______________________CURRENTLY CONNECTED



i have tried this, and it works, but Im not sure if its the correct way so I disconnected it. As you can see in the wiring diagram, the black/orange wire does go to the fuse box, but im not sure if this is how its getting power.. I am new to electrical and dont want to fry anything! ha.

This is teh wiring diagram I am trying to use. THanks for any help!

[code]http://i616.photobucket.com/albums/tt242/NFA_FAN/9d3bb3a1.jpg[/code]

[richard stewart 3rd]

Hi,
If you already tried it & it works, move on to the next problem.
I can't say anything about the wire colors, as I can't see them, their either light or dark.
Rich

[Bryan59EC]

Black/orange wire is the feed for the brake lights.
the wire should be as such

orange from the fusebox to brake switch
probably white from the brake switch to the turn switch
from the turn switch there will be a green (rt brake/sig) and a yellow (lt turn/brake)

Taillights are powered from the headlight switch
Could be a brown/white wire from fusebox to HL switch
Brown wire to taillights, park lights.

Any black/orange wire going to the trunk will be for the single lamp to come on when the trunk is opened.

Orange wires are also used in the courtesy lamp circuits with a white wire
providing the ground when a door is opened

[ericrcan]

Sorry, but I am not fully understanding what you mean.. The wires that are in there now are all completely messed up from the previous owner. I do not know what is right or wrong, and trying to figure out 1 step at a time. The turn signals do not work (the lever is broken, havent looked any further), but would that cause the taillights not to get power? Or can I connect a power wire form the black/orange to the fusebox also to provide power?

[adantessr]

Originally Posted by ericrcan

Sorry, but I am not fully understanding what you mean.. The wires that are in there now are all completely messed up from the previous owner. I do not know what is right or wrong, and trying to figure out 1 step at a time. The turn signals do not work (the lever is broken, havent looked any further), but would that cause the taillights not to get power? Or can I connect a power wire form the black/orange to the fusebox also to provide power?

The brake lights are fed power through the directional switch because they use the same filaments as the rear directionals .

[Joe G]

Maybe this will help.....

1965 Impala Wiring diagram
Pg. 1 (rear)
Pg. 2 (front)

.....

[35terraplane]

Was the other guy trying to put a third brake lt. on the car? When I wire a car I make a simple circuit and I use pressure switches because I have seen three fires from Gm brake Sw. You have one wire coming from the fuse block to brake switch, ond one wire going to plug on column, which goes to the brake light canceler. then the wires coming out to the brake light/signal light as was said before, Which you don't have to worry about, which you as you only talked about three wires. If you have one extra wire, it on the brake light switch, it would go direct to third brake light. I don't know why it would go to trunk , as it would only get power when you stepped on the brake. That is unless the Gm. brake lt switch which is power controlled does something I' nt aware of, But most of the time trunk lights inside will have a power source that is continuous, and the plate light power is off the taillights.

Later 35terraplane

[ericrcan]

The previous owner had no clue what he was doing, he was disconnecting everything... and we didnt know until we bought the car .... The wiring diagram I am using, is the same one Joe G posted, but I have it copied together in 1 picture in my first post. If you look at that, the stop switch has a black/orange wire coming from it and running to all the other lights. Then from there, there is an black/orange wiring running to the fuse box. Is this where it gets power from? Because there is no wire like that in the car. Im thinking that may be the problem, but like I said, I am new to electrical and dont want to connect something and have it start a fire while driving!

[35terraplane]

1ST picture you have a red wire to fuse panel. The second wire which is black and white you say to turn signal, do you mean plug on col

2ND picture you have red wire to fuse panel. Then you have a black/orange wire to trunk lights, I don't know what you mean, do you mean signal lights, lights inside the trunk, Then you have a wire black/white that you said is currently hooked up, that tells me nothing, hooked to what.

Now before we go any further take a deep breath, I'have been build street rods since I was 12 years old, and i've worked with a lot of people and also helped a bunch. When people see wiring, the first thing they do is flip the switch to panic mode, I have found most of the time either they look at all the wires in the car or they look at a diagram, and see all the lines. This is no harder than a problem at your job. This is just one you have not tackled yet.
And don't think it's easy for him to say. I started doing this a long time ago I have wired over 200 cars, Now i had a little help from uncle SAM, he made me a aircraft electrician in the Navy.

Now back to our problem, first you have to learn whats what. when you tell me the wire goes to the trunk lights, you have to tell me what they go to brake light, tail light, backup light, something closer than trunk light.
Now on this system like I said before there are only two wires off the brake light switch to give you brake lites, any thing else on there we won't worry about yet.
You have the wire coming from the fuse panel for power, going to one side of the brake switch, then a wire from the switch to the column, Everything that has to be done is done in the column, when you turn the signal on it will cancel the brake light on the side you are turning, it will open and closer your turn flasher. Don't worry about that I just wanted you to know what happens in the column.
So now lets find out where your wire are going, on the 1st diagram. you have red to panelor power, then you had the other wire going to turn signals, did you mean column or back to turn signals, if they go to column they are going to the canceler the power will get there but like I said I need to know the correct spot. I will wait for your e-mail, When you read this just take it slow, if you don't understand it read it again or draw the diagram. I am doing this without a diagram, and like I said I don't use factory diagrams, so I will pull one up if I have to.

[ericrcan]

1ST picture you have a red wire to fuse panel. The second wire which is black and white you say to turn signal, do you mean plug on col

That is how he had it connected before, but he was splicing wires everwhere and making a mess

2ND picture you have red wire to fuse panel. Then you have a black/orange wire to trunk lights, I don't know what you mean, do you mean signal lights, lights inside the trunk, Then you have a wire black/white that you said is currently hooked up, that tells me nothing, hooked to what.

- The red wire to fuse panel is not currently there. I did that for a test (to add power) and it made the brake lights work, but I am not sure if that is correct. That is basically what I am trying to figure out.
- THe black/orange wire runs to the trunk to trigger (provide power?) the brake lights, and im not sure if they provide power for the signal lights, because the turn signal lever is broken so I cannot try.
- The black/white wire goes to the signal switch connector, then it runs up into the column. But at this time, he broke the switch on the column and it does nothing. I have yet to take off the steering wheel to figure out what is really wrong.

Basically, Im wondering if the stop light switch gets power from the turn signal switch, or if I have to run a red wire to the fuse panel. I hope this makes more since now. Thanks for your help!

[35terraplane]

Ok 1st on the brake light switch it gets it's power right from the board, no place else. And that power is used for the brake lights, the turn signals and the hazard lights. This power comes from the column for everything. you never said if you had a pressure switch or a electric brake switch either way there is only two wires from the brake switch one to power one to the column, and don't call it a signal wire because it is not it is for the canceler, the signal wire comes out of that plug, but that plug is used for more than just the signals.
Now if he has wires spliced all over the best thing to do would be cut it out, run a red line to the fuse panel. then on the other side I would run a white wire to the column. that is the correct wire color for the chev. Now the brake/signal light are a green on one side and yellow on the other. Brown is the tail lights, What you have in the trunk is anyones guess, the newest car I have ever worked on or re-wired is a 57 T-Bird.


bob

[adantessr]

Originally Posted by ericrcan

That is how he had it connected before, but he was splicing wires everwhere and making a mess


- The red wire to fuse panel is not currently there. I did that for a test (to add power) and it made the brake lights work, but I am not sure if that is correct. That is basically what I am trying to figure out.
- THe black/orange wire runs to the trunk to trigger (provide power?) the brake lights, and im not sure if they provide power for the signal lights, because the turn signal lever is broken so I cannot try.
- The black/white wire goes to the signal switch connector, then it runs up into the column. But at this time, he broke the switch on the column and it does nothing. I have yet to take off the steering wheel to figure out what is really wrong.

Basically, Im wondering if the stop light switch gets power from the turn signal switch, or if I have to run a red wire to the fuse panel. I hope this makes more since now. Thanks for your help!

You are NOT going to be able to make the brake lights or directional lights work until you replace that broken directional switch. Then follow terraplane's instructions. It really isn't that complicated when you break it down one wire at a time . Relax and don't get excited. It will all come together.

[35terraplane]

I don't know if he has a broken canceler switch or the turn signal lever is broke. I hope it is the lever because that canceler can be a BI---. Although I was going there next. Thanks

35terraplane

[35terraplane]

ericrcan Do you have brake lights that do not flash or blink when you turn and have your signals on, that could be what the black/orange wire are coming right from the brake light switch. That would be like the wire you use when you put a third brake light in the back window or someplace so it comes on but will not flash

[ericrcan]

My turn signals are not working. The lever (the physical piece on the column) is broken. I have not taken off the steering wheel yet to see what exactly is the problem. I was trying to figure out the brake lights first, but it seems i need to figure out the turn signal first! Sorry for my ignorance, but the brake light switch gets power from the turn signal? So I would need to take the wheel off and figure out the problem there, and then it should correct my brake lights?