Klondike

To start off, I have an 86 with 2.8ltr V6. I have been trying to get my running lights to work. The pass side turn signal stopped working a few days ago and while trying to fix that, I noticed that my running lights arent working, front and rear. I replaced all the bulbs and i have now replaced the headlight switch. I dont know what else could be causing this. I need to get this fixed as soon as possible because I do a lot of night driving. The headlights, brakes, and drives side turn signal work just fine. Im at a loss here guys. any help is appreciated.

Dan

DenimDean

Have you checked your fuses?

Klondike

Yes, I did that first. A buddy of mine spent 300$ replacing his steering column before checking his fuses. I learned from his mistake. haha.
The lights arent getting any power at all. The pass side turn signal is staying solid. Im not sure if that is part of the problem.

BlueRidgeMark

Grounds.

Often overlooked, absolutely essential, and on a vehicle that old, highly suspect.

A bad ground can cause current to backfeed through other circuits, creating some crazy symptoms. A good rule of thumb is, when electrical things seem to make no sense, grounds are the prime suspect.

Check them, clean them, fix them. Get a manual and find out where they are. Some are not easy to get to, but ALL need to be cleaned up.

Visual inspection isn't enough. Take them apart and clean 'em up. You need bright, shiny metal to metal contact, and then spray them with battery terminal protector or use dielectric grease on them to prevent corrosion.

Also, the bulb sockets themselves can go bad. Corrosion. They need the same treatment as the ground connections. Clean them, grease them up with dielectric grease. Sometimes, they are too far gone and must be replaced.

Don't listen to the half-informed people who tell you that dielectric grease is bad, because it's an insulator. Of course it is!

It's also made for exactly this use, and using it is standard practice in many industrial applications. ESPECIALLY in critical applications.

If you aren't using dielectric grease on your connections, you are making problems for yourself.

Klondike

Thanks, I'll look into this.