Smokey

Hey guys.

Just wondering if anyone can suggest where else to look. Suddenly my tail lights on 2006 pursuit stopped working. Brake lights all work, front park lights work. I changed the bulbs a week ago, all was good right after. The only fuse I can figure is the park light fuse, but those still work. I couldn't see any fuses gone. I even tried the old bulbs incase something was wrong with the new ones. It's night out and I have to drive home. Please help! . Thanks!

Phil424

Sounds like a blown fuse man keep checking your gottha be missing one.

DiabeticKripple

iTrader: (2)

when my car did this, the parking light fuse was out

dayhoff35

iTrader: (13)

^ what he said i had the same problem

Smokey

Thanks for the quick replies. I pulled the prk lights fuse and the front parking lights went out. Put it back in and just the front ones came back on. Is it the same fuse for front and back parking lights?

DiabeticKripple

iTrader: (2)

ya it worked for me, but if your e-brake is on, i dont think your tail lights will be

Smokey

Even with the headlights switch fully on?

DiabeticKripple

iTrader: (2)

i dont know, but the parking fuse was defineatly blown for me. ill find you my thread

https://www.cobaltss.net/forums/prob...p-asap-245350/

Smokey

Thanks, seems to be different for me. I replaced the 15A parking light fuse.. The front parking lights were working (still do), but no change in the rear ones..

Got pulled over on my way home tonight lol. Just got a heads up luckily! And now it's a holiday tomorrow (Friday) around here, so I hope I can find the problem in the morning!

I'll have to check every fuse I guess, but I don't have any clue what other fuse it could be! unless it could be a relay, or maybe a computer that needs to be reset? Just to reiterate, the only lights not working is tail lights, brake lights all work (all three), and front lights all work, turn signals all work, and dash lights all work.

Any more suggestions from anyone would be great, I'll look in the morning, but I'm pretty much totally stumped!

Thanks

Smokey

Just an update incase anyone is following this.

I now found a brown wire in the centre console fuse box, same colour brown as the one in the tail light housing that powers the tail light bulb and side marker light . See pictures below of testing the exact wire. When I turn on the tail lights, no key in ignition, turn lever to parking lights, this wire lights up. Hopefully it is not some wire for the front parking lights or something, but one wiring list I found listed the brown wire. The wire goes into a huge bundle of all the wires coming out of this terminal block and heads under the centre dash between the two front seats towards the back. If I'm right, this is the wire that directly feeds the tail lights. So I think it will be a matter of ripping out interior panels and sub in the trunk etc to see where the break is. I'm guessing that maybe it's in some wiring that is right above the sub in the trunk. None of this makes sense as a wire failing like this would be awful rare.

One thing to note is the licence plate light works fine, not sure yet if it is the same brown wire or not. If it is I might be onto something, as the dealer replaced that bulb housing and pigtail at one point under warranty. I'm relocating to another spot to do further work, hopefully I'm successful.

Here are the pictures where I think the wire comes out and heads to the back. pick with light off ofcourse is when lights are off. Light on taken when parking lights are turned on. Hopefully not a coincidence of sorts...

Omega1x

Have you checked the wires right at the tails? Could be coming loose/come loose already.

Smokey

Yup. I took the light assembly out and ran my own power wires Into the pins on the assembly got the parking lights to come on. I then tested the other side of the harness coming from the car and only the turn signal etc worked. The problem seems to be before where the tail light harness plugs in.

Smokey

Kinda an update, but not really. Just as perplexed as before.

I can use a multimeter to get 12V up to the socket, or wire in question at the point of the tail lights. Actually get about 10.5V on one, and about 11 on the other. HOWEVER, the 12V test light doesn't light up. That means there is voltage, but no amperage, at least not enough to light a bulb. Anyone know what can cause this? or am I going crazy? Thoughts are still either a dead short (not sure how that fits into the multimeter thing, and no fuse that I can find) or I guess a BCM (Body Control Module) issue, if that controls lights...

Seems the brown wires near the back, in the trunk, there are three wires that run to the tail lights each, and one to licence plate light. I'm unable to figure out if all three run the length of the vehicle.

I found where one brown wire I think goes into the connectors by the fuse panel as per above pictures. There is another spot where there are two brown wires into one crimp terminal, paired together. No voltage/light seems to come up with this related to the tail lights/parking lights so I'm unsure if they are related.

Unless I figure something else out it's off to a shop tomorrow. Would I be wise to take this kind of problem to a somewhat untrusted GM dealer? or a Napa Autopro that I typically like?

EDIT: My only other idea is the cut the tail lamp wires near the sockets, and tap into power from the licence plate bulb near by. that should get my tails working at the right times, however, it doesn't really identify the problem, and I'm afraid it could be a problem that could get worse if it is something..

SSSnoop

Trace the wiring harness back - you may have an issue somewhere where it chafed against something, giving you an intermittent short or other gremlin. I've heard it happen to another 'balt. Also, check to see if you don't have a bad connection at the harness - read in the terminal, then back behind it where the wire goes in. I've seen more than one GM connection where it was a ****-poor contact between the wire and terminal.

Smokey

I tried my test light in the connector near the tail lights, no luck. Ground must be good though since the ground is shared for the turn signal etc. I have been thinking all along that it could be a dead short, the connection from the tail lights into the internal area of the trunk is fine, good thick grommet.. Then it runs who knows where all through the car I'm sure, and the exact wire is just hard to follow since there are several brown ones.. lol.. Is it possible it chaffed off between there and the fuse box? (without blowing a fuse..) Unfortunately I've injured my back not long ago, so taking the entire car apart is not practical, but on the other hand I don't want to pay a mechanic to do it if I might find it.. lol.. That won't be cheap!

Are there wiring diagrams around for these cars in the Haynes manual or something? I guess if I could for sure find the wire at both ends then that might help, but I don't know if there are three all the way, or where they split into 3 brown ones. Why do they have to use the same colour!! Immediately inside the car from the tail lights there is three there, so they don't branch off getting towards the other lights as I thought at first.

Smokey

I actually have this fixed now!!

Took it to the shop this morning, they traced the wires which conveniently go under the drivers carpet in a huge bundle, then under the drivers seat. They took up the carpet and drivers seat to find a nice pool of salty water thanks to winter, puddled under the seat (behind a metal bar that I would have thought would keep the water from going back further, incorrectly). This is where they put a splice (at the factory) for what I think was 2 brown wires, and split it by soldered connection to 3 wires to the rear. The connection was not water proofed, and had corroded the connection apart. There were other wires there that seemed solid at this point, that were also spliced there. Seems like a really bad spot to make these kinds of connections, especially if the car will be used in the winter. Hopefully my break lights that are probably in there too don't develop this problem as well. At least I know the first place to check if there is another problem. Thanks again for all the suggestions, pics below for reference.

SSSnoop

Yup - sounds just like I said about the GM wiring! When I find that stuff I generally clear it up and run some shrink wrap over the connection. Another good thing - and a lot of guys around here use if for appearance is plasti-dip. Spray a few coats on a connection exposed to stuff like this and you can effectively seal it from moisture intrusion! Glad to hear you're officially lit back up!

colllyn

I've been having this issue too! Can I just ask you how much it cost to take it to the shop?

Smokey

Hmm. It was a while ago, but 4 hours labour to find it I seem to recall. My shoo gave me a good deal on the charge. I seem to recall maybe paying 2 hours labor or something. Kind depends how long they take to find the tiny break in the wire.

WallaceJB

thank you for posting about the wire location under the drivers seat and rug. after weeks of trying to find the problem I came upon your thread. My issues were the corroded wires also. tail lights and dash lights are back up TY