2 Cut wires left rear light cluster 79 sc 911

[sanandreas]

Hi All.

just trying to work out why my tail lights are not working on the back of my 1979 sc 911.

Whilst removing the left rear tail light I found 2 wires loose and not attached to anything. Could this be my problem? I never checked the license when I bought the car so not sure if the rear lights ever worked.

I have tried to look at the wiring diagrams on website, but I am not good at understanding them. Could this be why they tail lights fail?

NOTE: my license plate lights work though!

[DRACO A5OG]

Put a volt meter on them while working the lights.

[sanandreas]

OK. I tried that.
White = Ground.
Yellow with red stripe is dead.

I tried with brake lights on, (might have been high brake light wires), and with normal lights on. No power to the yellow/red stripe.

[timmy2]

There are 2 spare wires on the driver's side for US cars. They are for the rear fog lamp on European cars.

[Jdub]

^^ This. They are kind of cool I think!

[DRACO A5OG]

Time to remove the tail light assembly and check the connectors for looseness or fractures. This requires the assembly to be taken apart. from the back of the assembly.





Also check the ground on the passenger side, it tends to get pretty dirty back there.

[OsoMoore]

Be careful - the little metal tabs in Draco's first pic, which hold the circuit board material, will be brittle and probably crack instead of bending.

Mine is now glued.

[strictly]

to check your tail lights (brake lights?) or do you mean side lights (sorry uk, we say different things). For brake lights, check it at the brake switch behind the foot pedal, under the floor board. Check for continity when you operate the switch, i cant remember if it works as normal or in reverse. . I havent checked a wiring diagram, but if its normal it should be power to the switch, then when you push the pedal it sends the power down the line to the rear light cluster. The earth/ground for the cluster is at the rear bumper strut mounts.

If it works as a normal swicth, and you dont have power at the brake pedal switch, run a temp power wire, and if you lights come on, then either have a bad switch or no power (fuse)

for side lights, they run off the fuse box, grey/red wire

[sanandreas]

Brake lights work. Just not the tail/rear lights in the rear lenses. I say in rear lenses as the number plate lights in bumper work.

The only thing I have done is replace the high beam/turn indicator stalk on the steering column. Perhaps I have not wired the connections back to the ignition switch correctly, even though I did them one by one.

And boy were my taillights dirty on the top. 30+ years of grim on them!

[sanandreas]

Brake lights work. Just not the tail/rear lights in the rear lenses. I say in rear lenses as the number plate lights in bumper work.

The only thing I have done is replace the high beam/turn indicator stalk on the steering column. Perhaps I have not wired the connections back to the ignition switch correctly, even though I did them one by one.

And boy were my taillights dirty on the top. 30+ years of grim on them!

[sanandreas]

Solved. Rear lights now work. Looks like the alarm that was wired, which never worked redirected both left and right tail/rear lights. When put back all works. Will need to chase where this wire goes in cabin under left side.

Thanks for all the help.