This is driving me nuts. My brake lights work just fine. Then I turn my lights on and they all light up as if the brakes are being pressed. The blinkers won't work when the lights are on either. As soon as I turn the lights off everything operates as normal. Is this is ground problem? Can't seen to track it down....

Usually, with a ground problem, the lights don't work right when the lights are off either. Are there any splices in the rear harness?

Jim is right on target. Check all the grounds in the trunk.

I didn't find any loose connection with the harness in the trunk. I did find a ground wire under the car close to the rt. rear shock. I can't find where it was connected to, I am assuming directly under the gas tank. Does this sound familiar or was this added by someone?

Also, could this be a problem with the hazard light switch. The hazards have never worked and I pulled apart the column to fix the bearings. Could I have done someting with hazard switch while I was in there?

Not likely the hazard switch. It seems that your 'power to running light' wire is shorting into your brake light power circuit. The easiest place I can image this happening is in the tail light socket.

Thanks for your help Jim, I think you have provided me answers to the last three postings I put up and they all worked! I am not sure what I should look for though. Does this mean that the light sockets may need to be replaced, just a bad gound,or new wiring? I am not sure where to start....

Remove one bulb from one tail lamp socket, and see if the others operate correctly. Replace that bulb and remove the next one, check again. Repeat for the other side. If no change is observed when removing a bulb, that bulb is not a problem. It's quite likely that one of your bulbs is not like the others and is putting a different load on the circuit if the ground is not 100%.

If you still can't make headway, remove all the bulbs and insert one bulb. Test again. If that works fine, add another bulb. Test again. Same for the other side. You should be able to find the bad bulb or socket.

Once you find the bad bulb or socket, turn off the lights and examine the contacts in the socket for corrosion, contact with the housing, bulb shell loose, or other issues. The bulb shell on one tail light socket on my '69 likes to pull out of the plastic socket, and when it does invariably it is installed backwards the first try, causing the same symptoms.

Wiring requires patience. Good luck.

It could be a combination of incorrectly wired sockets and poor ground. If you combine the 2, you can end with all kinds of messes.

I point this out because it has been a problem in the past. The tailight grounds are the metal tabs contacting the housing, so there are no ground wires for the tailights.

Yellowbird Vikki has got it exactly right. I think that was a clue when she said, "The bulb shell on one tail light socket on my '69 likes to pull out of the plastic socket, and when it does invariably it is installed backwards the first try, causing the same symptoms."

Thanks everyone for your help. Worked out just fine. I don't have any reverse lights and there is no neutral switch on my shifter so I think I may have to run a wire to the tranny. If any ideas let me know. Thanks again, I can't tell you how valuable having expertise online is.....

Your reverse light switch is on the column. The linkage from the tranny to the column is probably not connected. Try slowly rotating the outer sheath of the column clockwise and see if the reverse lights turn on.

What did you find the problem to be? It will help the next person with the same problem.

Each one was different. One had a little too much corrosion. A couple were in backwards. The last on had the bulb put in wrong, go figure....The interesting part was that as I fixed each light the others would stay bright. Once all of them were fixed I tried creating a problem on one socket to see if all the lights would give me the same symptoms and they didn't. The bad light would stay bright and the others would remain intact. Hope that helps...

A combination of issues will make such a mess that you won't know where to begin. On an earlier post, I mentioned that replacment sockets have been garbage for the last 35 or so years, and it's quite possible to insert bulbs bass akwards. How do I know? Not me! I never inserted a bulb backwards :0. Let's put it this way: I always look carefully to make sure that the high/low tabs are correct.

I have to commend the mofos on this one. Every set of tailights were in proper working order, blinking/braking correctly. It amazes me when I see $50k f/g/f restos running around with the bass ackward bulbs/wires/bad ground syndrome.

When these dual filament bulbs go bad, one filament drops down because it breaks in the center. It shorts over to the other filament, causing an unwanted connection between circuits. Then all sorts of thing happen, like brake lights cause blinker bulbs to light and blinkers flash quickly because extra bulbs are added to the circuit.

Since time is money, just pull all those 40 year old bulbs out and put in fresh ones. That way, they don't embarss you on the way to the cruise. When you install them, add a bit of dialectric grease to the contacts and the base to keep moisture out of the socket and to keep the bulb from seizing in the holder.

Amervo, I noticed all the MOFO lamps were working on the way over to the show. Maybe we have no brakes, no heat or are up on jacks. But our lamps shine bright and proud.