[daveid]

I have new two wire tail lights for my 1957 chevy truck. I tired to wire it up with 1 wire to each and then the brown wire both. Whenever i hit the brakes only the right brake light comes on. The brake lights dont work when the signals are on either. Am i wiring it wrong?

Thanks
david

[adantessr]

GM steering column connections
White stop light switch
dark green right rear stop light and turn signal
yellow left rear stop light and turn signal
purple turn signal flasher
brown hazard flasher
dark blue right front turn signal
light blue left front turn signal
black horn

As you can see the rear directionals and brake lights run through the turn signal switch . The brown wire at the rear of the vehicle is for the taillights . The bulb sockets MUST have a good ground for everything to work . Hope this helps .

[StreetRodElectrics]

adantessr seems to be on the right track. Check your connections on your turn signal switch to make sure they're correct, and check your grounds again at the tail of the vehicle. Good grounds can be hard to come by, so make sure they are good and clean.

[pepi]

When the turn signal is activated the filament that was acting as the brake light becomes the flashing turn indicator. So when the turn signal is on you will not have a brake light on that tail light. Same circuit and wire controlled by the switch in the column.

Connect the wires back up and see what is working, do this by turning on the head lights, you at least should see a tail light. If you see that then investigate the brake/turn signal circuit.

If nothing at all no tail light or brake/turn that could indicate a bad ground or bad wiring. Was this ever working before you installed these tail light assemblies?

[ogre]

daveid
are these stock lights or custom lights?
2 wire lights are hot and ground. good for stop/turn or tail, but not both.
3 wire lights are hot, hot and ground. they are needed for stop/turn and tail.

i believe even the stock replacement lights have 3 wires to attach a good ground.
if they are stock replacements and use the case as a ground and you have new paint add a ground wire.

also check out the 55-59 chevy truck forum in this forum

[adantessr]

Originally Posted by ogre

daveid
are these stock lights or custom lights?
2 wire lights are hot and ground. good for stop/turn or tail, but not both.
3 wire lights are hot, hot and ground. they are needed for stop/turn and tail.

i believe even the stock replacement lights have 3 wires to attach a good ground.
if they are stock replacements and use the case as a ground and you have new paint add a ground wire.

also check out the 55-59 chevy truck forum in this forum

Easy enough to tell if the bulb socket is stop/turn and tail , the notches for the side pins are not straight across from each other and there are two spring loaded contacts for the base of the bulb . Other than the newer plastic bulb sockets, I have not seen a three wire socket for brake/turn and tail .

[EOD Guy]

hmmmmm..... my taillights are two wires, 67 camaro, Stop/turn on one wire, tail light on the other and uses the socket as a ground. a standard 1157 bulb (stop/turn/tail, two filiments) socket has two notches/slots 180 degrees across from each other one will be shorter than the other

[adantessr]

Originally Posted by EOD Guy

hmmmmm..... my taillights are two wires, 67 camaro, Stop/turn on one wire, tail light on the other and uses the socket as a ground. a standard 1157 bulb (stop/turn/tail, two filiments) socket has two notches/slots 180 degrees across from each other one will be shorter than the other

You said it better than I did . Yes they are directly across from each other but at a different depth . Thanks for clearing that up . Allan

[daveid]

thanks for all the responses. They are new after market lights with 2 wires. The wiring is brand new and installed by my mechanic but i didnt have the lights at the time he wired it. I just went out and checked the lights again and now im getting blinkers, flashers, and lights when the headlights are on but now brake lights. The brake lights did work though a few nights ago.

[adantessr]

Check the brake light fuse and switch . The problem has to be between the fuse panel to the column since you have directionals .