Everything works except the drivers side tail light...

[Anth0ny]

I noticed my drivers side tail light was out. Okay, easy fix.. I even had a new bulb from a pack I bought a while ago. but it didn't work. I took the bulb from the passenger side that does work and tried it. Still didn't work! Break lights light right up both sides. Blinkers work both sides. Hazards work. For whatever reason the break light won't light up.

Have any of you run into this situation? I wanted to check the fuse under the hood but I couldn't find it. Google says it's sometimes called parking lamp, or tail lamp, but the drivers manual doesn't use those terms. Is there just one fuse for the both of them?

Any help would be very much appreciated!

 

[410Fortune]

Both real parking lamps should be on same fuse

Usually when the bulb doesn’t fix it and fuses are good you need to take a close look at the socket the bulb plugs into.
Often they get corroded or the wires get broken/ corroded where they enter the socket

 

[Anth0ny]

Both real parking lamps should be on same fuse

Usually when the bulb doesn’t fix it and fuses are good you need to take a close look at the socket the bulb plugs into.
Often they get corroded or the wires get broken/ corroded where they enter the socket

Okay thanks. One thing I did try that I failed to mention was I removed the socket that the bulbs plugs into on the passenger side, and tried it on the drivers side, still didn't work. Hmm.

 

[410Fortune]

Do you have a test light or a multimeter?

 

[Anth0ny]

Do you have a test light or a multimeter?

I don't have a test light. I do have a multimeter, though I'm very inexperienced with it. I tried holding a prob on the inside of the plug and the other probe on a part of the frame. Felt like I was playing twister, haha. Was pouring out this morning as well. I wanna give it another try though. I didn't seem to get any response. So I know I was doing something wrong.

 

[410Fortune]

Well you want to set it to check for voltage
We are
Looking for 12.0 volt range, car battery dc voltage
So the decimal
Place should be in the tens / hundredths position
The
Black lead will go to a good ground like the trailer hitch or frame and the other red probe uu will stick in where the socket plugs in and check the wires

I don’t have 02
In front of me but basically uu will have a ground wire (chassis ground) and the positive voltage when the parking lamps are on, positive voltage flashing/intermitrant for turn signal wire and constant for brakes

That is assuming your 02 uses a dual filament bulb and 3 wires at the socket in question
If voltage is present then we know it’s a socket/
Bulb issue… if it’s not then we know the problem is upstream and we need to start checking the wiring harness

Also I assume the front parking lamps and turn signals are working g?

 

[Anth0ny]

Well you want to set it to check for voltage
We are
Looking for 12.0 volt range, car battery dc voltage
So the decimal
Place should be in the tens / hundredths position
The
Black lead will go to a good ground like the trailer hitch or frame and the other red probe uu will stick in where the socket plugs in and check the wires

I don’t have 02
In front of me but basically uu will have a ground wire (chassis ground) and the positive voltage when the parking lamps are on, positive voltage flashing/intermitrant for turn signal wire and constant for brakes

That is assuming your 02 uses a dual filament bulb and 3 wires at the socket in question
If voltage is present then we know it’s a socket/
Bulb issue… if it’s not then we know the problem is upstream and we need to start checking the wiring harness

Also I assume the front parking lamps and turn signals are working g?

Thank you! That's all great info. Yes it's the dual filament. And yes literally everything else works. Front and back.

I was on the ground feeling around where the ground was on the frame just on the other side of the light, but boy between the rain and the rust i had quite a time trying to see. The ground didn't look bad. I shook it around and had my wife tell me if she saw any flickering. Im gonna try the multimeter out again tomorrow morning and follow youre instructions.

 

[Anth0ny]

Well you want to set it to check for voltage
We are
Looking for 12.0 volt range, car battery dc voltage
So the decimal
Place should be in the tens / hundredths position
The
Black lead will go to a good ground like the trailer hitch or frame and the other red probe uu will stick in where the socket plugs in and check the wires

I don’t have 02
In front of me but basically uu will have a ground wire (chassis ground) and the positive voltage when the parking lamps are on, positive voltage flashing/intermitrant for turn signal wire and constant for brakes

That is assuming your 02 uses a dual filament bulb and 3 wires at the socket in question
If voltage is present then we know it’s a socket/
Bulb issue… if it’s not then we know the problem is upstream and we need to start checking the wiring harness

Also I assume the front parking lamps and turn signals are working g?

Hey there. Just an update.
I tested the ground. Ran a wire from the negative battery terminal to around the back of the vehicle. Tested the continuity on sockets ground on both sides. It beeped for both. So the ground seems to be good. The voltage on Passenger side (that works) shows 14.0 v and the drivers side (tail light doesn't work) shows 12.23 or so.

Does that mean the driver side socket isn't getting enough juice somewhere up stream?

 

[Anth0ny]

Now

Hey there. Just an update.
I tested the ground. Ran a wire from the negative battery terminal to around the back of the vehicle. Tested the continuity on sockets ground on both sides. It beeped for both. So the ground seems to be good. The voltage on Passenger side (that works) shows 14.0 v and the drivers side (tail light doesn't work) shows 12.23 or so.

Does that mean the driver side socket isn't getting enough juice somewhere up stream?

It's actually showing 12.0 or 11.9 drivers side.

 

[Anth0ny]

Ah well. I decided to cut the brown wire that lights the tail light and tied it off. Ran a wire from an old vacuum cleaner from it to the good tail light and used some wire ties to fasten it underneath to the frame.

A short cut instead of screwing off under there with an old 2002 rust bucket.

 

[410Fortune]

Didn’t fix it? You had a bad ground?

 

[Anth0ny]

Didn’t fix it? You had a bad ground?

You know, I'm not sure what it was. I gave an honest effort but took the short cut for now. I had continuity. Just about 1.70 difference in DC volts than the other side. I do wanna figure it out though.

 

[410Fortune]

Something in the wiring between them

The truck cab feeds one light and then the wires branch out over past the license plate lights trailer connector and over to the other tail light

Bypassing a bad ground is no big deal if it gets the job done
The entire body and frame is a good ground for a light