Ok guys I've searched and searched and searched and it seems like everyones problem always chalks up to headlight switch however I switched mine out with another one and guess what still doesn't work. I also looked at the connector and it is not melted or disfigured etc... I've heard it could be bad ground however I've checked and they are all good??? Anything else it might be?

 

my car is a piece of **** maybe???

 

You did check the fuses???

do you have voltage at the switch on the white/green???

 

Thats it I need a voltameter. I'll get one today and check and yes all fuses are good. Thanks! damn now I can say you helped me out on your 12,000th post

 

Post count means nothing... I have changed my post count down a couple thousand already once or twice...

Besides if you had to post "off to the lounge" or "off to for sale/wanted" two or three times a day from people posting non 2nd gen info in the 2nd gen section, your post count would be up there too.

And there are people with post counts of 1000-5000 that are as clueless as people with 5 posts...

Post count means nothing

 

ohhhkayyyy sorry I mentioned it

 

This might sound weird but I had a case where all the bulbs burnt out at once, so check the bulbs too just to be safe.

 

ok will do, also wouldn't I be getting voltage to the white/green wire if my headlights where working?

edit: bulbs are fine!

 

headlights work from the switch, switching ground... only the interior dash lights and parking lights use the White/green for + voltage.

 

Thanks! oh yeah one more thing my gauge lights don't work either however I have idiglos so I've never needed them.

 

sure sounds like a blown fuse or bad light switch and harness

 

and harness???

 

You try turning the gauge cluster dimmer switch up?

 

Sure the light switch harness connector can be bad...

Again that is why I asked if there is voltage on the wht/grn

 

yeah I tried the dimmer but I don't think that would have anything to do with the tail lights. I'll try the voltameter thing as soon as I get one if need be I'll just wire it into a switch.

 

Man, if the fuse is good, and the switch is good (so you say), that doesn't leave you many more suspects. Harness, at the connector would be your best bet for the next search...

 

ok, yeah I know the switch is good because I replaced it with one that was working in another car. Like I said as soon as I get a voltameter I will check it. Thanks

 

Once you get the problem fixed (it's usually the one pin on the connector/switch gets melted), put a relay on the taillights to relieve the load to that section of the 17 or so year old electrical system.

Problem solved for good.

That will be one of the first things I do to my next 2nd gen regardless of whether or not it's having problems.

Cheers

 

ok just checked with the voltameter and everything else is getting about 12v but the green/white wire is barely getting a half a volt. What next??? Thanks.

 

Either your 15A "illum" fuse, the harness connector, or the wiring in between the two...

 

is there a way just incase the 15amp fuse is not the culprit to run a line directly from the tail lights to the switch???

 

Not grn/white... white/green. White wire with a Green stripe. It is the power from the fuse box to the light switch for the parking lights and dash lights.

If the white/green does not have power, then the fuse is bad, or the fuse box is bad, or the BTN fuse under the hood is bad (but your brake lights would be out as well if it was the BTN fuse).

 

You know, you brought up something interesting earlier, Mark, in another thread I think. How many fuse holders have you seen "reamed out" because someone shoved an extra spade terminal in there? I guess a ghetto fix would be to just shove another spade in there to tighten things up a bit, no?

 

Yeah, if you didn't want to pull the fuse box and rebend the tab, then yeah, you could jam in an extra fuse tap or the like to take up the looseness.

 

you know, something was jammed in one of the fuse places with the fuse when I took all the interior out I bet one of those wires that where jammed in there made the connection real loose. I'm going to check this tomorrow. Thanks guys.