taillight wiring

[Megatron451]

I looked through three of four pages on this site when searching for this, but didn't see what I am looking for. I am trying to wire the tail lights for the 35 truck. Looks like 5 wires come off the pcb of the tail light, and 5 wires come off the cable from the fuse box. The manual is vague one which wires to hook up. Assistance would be greatly appreciated since the small white wire shows as ground on the pcb board.

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[bnelson]

I looked through three of four pages on this site when searching for this, but didn't see what I am looking for. I am trying to wire the tail lights for the 35 truck. Looks like 5 wires come off the pcb of the tail light, and 5 wires come off the cable from the fuse box. The manual is vague one which wires to hook up. Assistance would be greatly appreciated since the small white wire shows as ground on the pcb board.

141667141668

The black/white opposite thing threw me off to. But that's the way it works.

Black from harness to white on light
Yellow-left and brown-right from harness to red on light
Tan from harness to black on light.
Purple is extra for third brake-light or such. I used it for a license plate light sense I molded inset for license into center of roll pan.

PS: Mine was one of the first kits so not sure if it is all exactly the same now. From your picture it looks like your right turn is white (mine was brown). That would be the wire going to tail light red.

[Megatron451]

Thank you for the reply. Sounds about right. However, I can now get the turn signals to work, hazards too, but not the brake lights... I tested the brake solenoid and it works correctly. More troubleshooting. (using a power supply, not a battery).

[bnelson]

Should be easy to track down with a volt meter. I had to fiddle with my brake light switch adjustment a little to depress far enough to close the circuit.

[Megatron451]

No such luck getting the rear brake lights to work. they come on with the headlights, hazards, and turn signals correctly. Tested the brake light switch connect to the pedal, it functions correctly. It is a grounded connection, so that confuses me on how to troubleshoot out a ground to the tail lights, or does it go to part of the relays?

Question, I have not connected the "turn signal SPDT" switch or the ""Hazard DPST" switch shown below, would this be why I don't have brake lights?
141813

[edwardb]

No such luck getting the rear brake lights to work. they come on with the headlights, hazards, and turn signals correctly. Tested the brake light switch connect to the pedal, it functions correctly. It is a grounded connection, so that confuses me on how to troubleshoot out a ground to the tail lights, or does it go to part of the relays?

Question, I have not connected the "turn signal SPDT" switch or the ""Hazard DPST" switch shown below, would this be why I don't have brake lights?
141813

Brake light switch doesn't involve a ground. Brake light lead from RF panel (orange) is a +12V battery circuit, e.g. always powered. The other side on the switch (purple) goes to the rear lights. When the brake light switch closes the +12V is sent to the lights. The ground for the brake lights (and the rest in the fixture) is via a separate ground wire. The brake light circuit is independent of the hazards or turn signals, and should work whether those are wired or not.

[j33ptj]

I think the brake lights need to connected to the purple wire on the rear harness for the brake lights to come on (as far as I can make out from the wiring diagram in the manual). Doesn't it need an extra signal for the brake lights to come on?

RJ

[edwardb]

I think the brake lights need to connected to the purple wire on the rear harness for the brake lights to come on (as far as I can make out from the wiring diagram in the manual). Doesn't it need an extra signal for the brake lights to come on?

RJ

Refer to my previous post. The purple wire makes the connection from the "cold" side of the brake light switch to the light fixture itself. The orange wire makes the connection to the "hot" side of the brake light switch. It's +12V all the time. When the brake pedal is pushed, the switch closes, and the +12V connection is made to the brake lights. It's a simple circuit.

[bnelson]

I think the brake lights need to connected to the purple wire on the rear harness for the brake lights to come on (as far as I can make out from the wiring diagram in the manual). Doesn't it need an extra signal for the brake lights to come on?

RJ

The purple wire at rear is not used on the brake lights. The power for the brake lights travel down same wire as the turn signals. So according to the above schematic. Yellow on left, and white on right. Both wire to the red wire in the tail light. FFR had some strange pigtail with different colors to connect in the tail light. I just extended the wires with same color as in the tail light to weatherpack connector to reduce confusion. Then is simple as below. Id simply check to see if your getting power on the Yellow and white at rear when brakes are applied. If not, check power going into and out of break switch. If nothing there all that's left is fuse panel.


Black from harness to white on light
Yellow-left and white-right from harness to red on light
Tan from harness to black on light.

[edwardb]

OK... Pretty sure something has been left out of the truck instructions. The two posts I made about how the brake lights work in the standard RF harness are correct. Have done multiple builds that way and if you look at the RF schematic, the only way the brake lights will work without something else in the mix. But those builds were with separate turn signal and brake light fixtures. Since I'm also building a truck, dug out the tail lights and it's true. The same high intensity element in the tail lights is used for both turn signals and brakes. Marked right on the box:

Green = Stop and turn signal

Black = Tail light (running light)

Metal housing of tail lamp is ground

Which right away doesn't agree with the wire colors listed in the truck build manual. That's easy enough to work around. But...

On page 238 of the manual, it says "Connect the orange and purple wires to the spades on the brake pedal switch." That's consistent with what I said before. But on page 465 it says "The lights DO NOT get wired to the Brake light purple wire." I searched every direction and using every search term I could think of and nothing else that explains how the brake lights get wired. They will never work based on what's in the manual.

Bottom line, in order this to work it has to have a converter so that separate turn and stop light wiring can light a single element. These are often used for trailer lights. As in this example. There are lots of others. https://www.etrailer.com/Wiring/Tekonsha/119178KIT.html. When Factory Five switched from the individual rear round Roadster lights to the single square lights, they had to be wired with such a device and they're including them in the kit. No sign of this in my truck kit or any mention in the build manual. Be a while before I get to this point in my build. But will have to be addressed and sounds like sooner for others.

[bnelson]

Think you might be confusing two purple wires. You do connect the purple to the brake light switch. The one you don't connect is the purple at the tail light that you have in your hand in the picture above. The purple wire from the switch in turn goes into the steering column where it is all sorted out and comes out on the yellow/left and white/right wires to the rear. Brake and signal work as is. Don't need anything else. My diagram shows the purple wire going to the brake light but that is wrong. The purple in rear dose not get used. I figured it out by calling Ron Francis when I couldn't figure out the discrepancies between the diagram and the manual. Again, its as simple as the below. Disregard the colors in between they have you running and focus on what in the harness ends up on what at the tail light and they should work.

Black from harness to white on light
Yellow-left and white-right from harness to red on light
Tan from harness to black on light.

But one thing confuses me. Your talking about separate turn signal switch and hazard switch. Dont you have turn signals and hazards on your steering column? If so I think your looking at an older version of the wiring diagram?

[edwardb]

Think you might be confusing two purple wires. You do connect the purple to the brake light switch. The one you don't connect is the purple at the tail light that you have in your hand in the picture above. The purple wire from the switch in turn goes into the steering column where it is all sorted out and comes out on the yellow/left and white/right wires to the rear. Brake and signal work as is. Don't need anything else. My diagram shows the purple wire going to the brake light but that is wrong. The purple in rear dose not get used. I figured it out by calling Ron Francis when I couldn't figure out the discrepancies between the diagram and the manual. Again, its as simple as the below. Disregard the colors in between they have you running and focus on what in the harness ends up on what at the tail light and they should work.

Black from harness to white on light
Yellow-left and white-right from harness to red on light
Tan from harness to black on light.

But one thing confuses me. Your talking about separate turn signal switch and hazard switch. Dont you have turn signals and hazards on your steering column? If so I think your looking at an older version of the wiring diagram?

I have what I guess is the latest Ron Francis wiring book since my truck kit was just delivered last month. Rev W, November 2019. On close review, I agree a purple brake wire branched off the connection at the brake light switch goes into the Hot Rod column connector. Interesting. I don't have my Ididit column yet or obviously haven't started any wiring yet. I'll be interested to confirm the mixing of the brake and turn signals is happening there. And not make any more "helpful" comments until then. Agree with the Hot Rod connector and Ididit column, turn signal, hazard, and horn are all contained there so those discrete portions of the RF harness aren't used.

[j33ptj]

So closely looking at the wiring diagram and the above statements, I believe that the "brake-feed" (purple wire from brake switch to the steering column) than goes via the steering column and the rear indicator feed the brake light function as part of the indicators?

Tried finding out a bit more on the ididit wiring but it looks like that is how the it works.

Alternatively you can install a badlands intensifier, which uses two "signal wires" to drive one light wire:

https://namzcustomcycleproducts.com/product/badlands-intensifier-hilow-moduleshard-wire-single-light-intensifier-universal/

[j33ptj]

All,...

So reviewed the Ididit website and wiring diagram. The Brake lights should be wired to and are controlled through the steering column IF you have combined brake/turn lights.

So the feed from the brake switch (Purple) MUST be connected to the steering column connector (white wire 0r W connector on the steering column) for the brake lights to work. This is a always hot connector (i.e. brake lights work when the ignition is off).

Hope that helps
Robert

[bnelson]

All,...

So reviewed the Ididit website and wiring diagram. The Brake lights should be wired to and are controlled through the steering column IF you have combined brake/turn lights.

So the feed from the brake switch (Purple) MUST be connected to the steering column connector (white wire 0r W connector on the steering column) for the brake lights to work. This is a always hot connector (i.e. brake lights work when the ignition is off).

Hope that helps
Robert

This might be a bit confusing to people. The wiring is already connected where it needs to be in the harness and column. All you need to do is simply plug in the orange and purple wires to the switch (that are marked brake switch) as stated in the manual. And of course have steering column plugged into the harness. And wala.... they work. The orange is constant hot from fuse and the purple is hot when brake switch is activated.

[j33ptj]

According to the FFR wiring diagram there is also a purple wire running from th brake switch to the rear connector, that one is not used. (should have mentioned that).

[Megatron451]

I found the issue. The wire that is supposed to be +12V that goes to the brake switch has a faulty slide connector, so I read no power on my multimeter. Once I cut it off, I got the 12 volts needed. Put on a new slide terminal and I now have brake lights that function correctly. I did not use the purple wire.

Thanks everybody for your input, it really helped to keep me going and not give up.

[bnelson]

I found the issue. The wire that is supposed to be +12V that goes to the brake switch has a faulty slide connector, so I read no power on my multimeter. Once I cut it off, I got the 12 volts needed. Put on a new slide terminal and I now have brake lights that function correctly. I did not use the purple wire.

Thanks everybody for your input, it really helped to keep me going and not give up.

Sweet :) The headlights with the integrated blinkers were a whole nother story for me :(