Texas Manx Club

by **bobaganoosh** » 03 Mon Jul, 2006 2:13 pm

okay here goes nothing

I have the harness pulled through the car and connected everything on the engine and rear lights (mustang tail lights with dual filament bulbs to run park turn and brake) and the front lights and horn are wired in all the way to the dash switches.

I am using toggle switches and push button start for anyone that can help me

so here's the problem. when I connect power to the dash everything seems to be fine headlights work and horn works and engine will turn, but when I grounded the tail lights I blew some fuses so I uncrossed the tail lights ( i had them connected park and turn together and brake seperate) and spliced them the other way and still blew fuses can someone help me figure out these stinkin tial lights before I go crazy.

mike

by **carlos del carpio** » 04 Tue Jul, 2006 1:06 am

for starters, please update your profile, a buggy veteran may live nearby.... second, if you can take and post a pic of the light connector and the back of the switch, that'll help me help youuuuuuuuuuuu!

by **bobaganoosh** » 04 Tue Jul, 2006 6:16 am

that's odd I know my info was on there at one time

well its updated now

the switch is a simple on/off toggle switch it works fine for the head lights just not the tail lights and did I mention ( your gonna get a kick out of this) when I depress the brake pedal the head lights come on

still can't figure that one out, since the head lights are no where near the brake light switch or even connected to the same wiring

mike

by **GregR** » 04 Tue Jul, 2006 8:41 am

sounds like you have something extra grounded. Follow your wires and make sure your power goes only to the back of the bulb and that the housing is grounded. Look for any possible ground loops with a meter. That should get you started...

by **MURZ** » 04 Tue Jul, 2006 11:21 am

Mike, First things first. Did you use a wiring diagram? If you did post the pics. If not seperate each circuit and draw it out, post it and we may be able to help. Here is a link to my "bucket" that may help you.
http://s23.photobucket.com/albums/b374/ ... g%20stuff/

by **carlos del carpio** » 04 Tue Jul, 2006 1:34 pm

the basic way with lights is this

Brakes

Imagine the wire going from the battery + to ground. One long wire. It's gonna short out, right? Cut it. Inbetween that wire goes your brake light. (or lights, daisy chained). Now, you'll notice with this setup, the brake lights are on constantly. We need to control it. Cut the wire again, install a switch, luckily in this case that's easy, the switch is located within the master cylinder. The light will go out until you press the switch/pedal. Along this wire, cut it again, install the appropriate fuse...

See? It's pretty easy.. for each unit, there needs to be one + and one ground, with the item, control, and protection (fuse) in between..

hope that helps, can't wait to see pics, or you say where your location is!!!

by **GregR** » 04 Tue Jul, 2006 9:37 pm

The diagram is definitley th efirst step. If you didn't make one, do so now, follow every wire, mark and trace it onto paper. I just have to beleive that one of your taillght connections is actually 12volts so when you ground it...bam or pop as the case may be.
The connections to the back of the light (bulb) should not be grounded. Only the housing should be grounded. Keep us posted.

by **bobaganoosh** » 05 Wed Jul, 2006 3:41 pm

I have the diagram that came with the loom and have followed it for the most part

as far as a double ground I'll have to start tracing down things, also with the head lights do you mean that the housing is a ground ( because the housing is bolted through a ground point and the light it self had a ground wire

should I disconnect the ground wire and see what happens.

mike

by **GregR** » 05 Wed Jul, 2006 4:25 pm

the headlights, no, the housing is not the ground. Headlights have a 3 wire plug on the back, hi-lo-ground
Tailights normally us the bulb holder as the ground for the system. The button on the back of the bulb is +12 volts (assuming a negative ground system) and the outer portion of the bulb becomes ground when it touches the bulb holder. If the bulb holder itself is not grounded to chassis ground the it won't work.

by **GregR** » 11 Tue Jul, 2006 9:43 am

Did you ever get it figured out? If so, what was it?

by **carlos del carpio** » 11 Tue Jul, 2006 11:07 am

Oh yeah! At least, if you can remove the tail light and take a pic, along with a pic of the toggle switch, I'm sure we can draw a wire diagram, and then just use that! 8-)

by **bobaganoosh** » 11 Tue Jul, 2006 8:04 pm

I have run into a whole new set of problems so the buggy will be on hold a couple of weeks

by **carlos del carpio** » 11 Tue Jul, 2006 8:42 pm

um...........ok

Texas Manx Club

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