Rear Tail Lights Stuck On

[Craig_D]

Hi guys, I have a strange situation.

I just had my '78 SC aligned, and when I got the car back, the rear tail lights are on, when the car is running, but the headlight switch is off.

We noticed it when the guy doing the alignment took the car for his final test drive...I thought "Why does he have the lights on?", but on the drive home my wife, who was following me, said the tail lights were on the whole time.

The brake lights work, but it's just that the tail lights are on all the time.

I'm using LED tail/brake lights, and I have a electric brake light actuator added to my brake system.

Before I go tearing through everything, any obvious ideas?

Thanks in advance,


- Craig_D

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by Craig_D

Hi guys, I have a strange situation.

I just had my '78 SC aligned, and when I got the car back, the rear tail lights are on, when the car is running, but the headlight switch is off.

We noticed it when the guy doing the alignment took the car for his final test drive...I thought "Why does he have the lights on?", but on the drive home my wife, who was following me, said the tail lights were on the whole time.

The brake lights work, but it's just that the tail lights are on all the time.

I'm using LED tail/brake lights, and I have a electric brake light actuator added to my brake system.

Before I go tearing through everything, any obvious ideas?

Thanks in advance,


- Craig_D

Brake lights, or, taillights?

If the issue was not present prior to alignment-Back to the shop.

Gerry

[Craig_D]

I've contacted the shop and they're going to call me soon, but, this type of thing is the reason I do almost all of my own work. I'd like to learn what caused it and fix it myself.

Any ideas? I know they had to work in the front trunk area to dial in the strut tops..but that's all I know about what could cause this.

I'll go check fuses now.

[wildthing]

There's probably a short somewhere especially when old wires got moved around.

I once saw a thread with a wiring diagram of our cars. Might want to do a search.

[86 911 Targa]

Originally Posted by Craig_D

I've contacted the shop and they're going to call me soon, but, this type of thing is the reason I do almost all of my own work. I'd like to learn what caused it and fix it myself.

Any ideas? I know they had to work in the front trunk area to dial in the strut tops..but that's all I know about what could cause this.

I'll go check fuses now.

I have the factory wiring manual for the M/Y '86
which may help a bit.

Gerry

[timmy2]

Pelican Parts - Porsche 911 Parts Listings & Diagrams

78 schematic is here.

[Craig_D]

Thanks for all the help guys, I've figured it out. It wasn't the tail lights, it was the brake lights! :-O Not sure why my wife didn't pick up on this little fact given she followed me home for 30 minutes...

Turns out that the tech doing my alignment bumped my electric brake light actuator, which stripped the threads in the bracket and would no longer allow the actuator to press the trigger button closed. This caused the brake lights to be on all the time.

So...next steps:
1. Buy the 90 degree down turned electric brake light actuator
2. Build a new mount that is much thicker so that the threaded portion is wide enough so that it won't strip the threads so easily
3. Warn alignment guys about this custom set up and make sure they don't bang it around.

[DRACO A5OG]

Geez, Glad you found the culprit.

I was going to say that you have mechanical a BLS.