Apologies first just in case during my search i missed a post like mine or similar to mine.

OK now that i have apologies we can get started with my problems.

I have a 88 Trans Am GTA that i just picked up about a week ago up until now it has been running find the first problem i had with the lights was i assume the flasher was going bad, every time you used the signals the hazards would go off but after replacing the flasher i had no issues.

About 3 days ago i noticed that if i turned my left turn signal on it would turn on the hazard lights but if i used my right signal it worked fine, and when i push the hazard button it only turns on the front turn signals.

The reverse lights work fine but also sometimes the Brake Lights will not come on until you turn the right turn signal or just randomly works.

A few of the sockets where badly corroded so as of tonight i have replaced 3 of them and all of the bulbs are working fine. and tomorrow i will be replacing the remaining 5 but i don't belive that is going to fix the problem.

If any one has any ideas that could help i would be very thankful.

 

Giggler, it seems that you are attacking the problem from the right angle. Corroded sockets and bulbs account for majority of problems you are seeing.
I believe your effort will fix most, if not all, of your issues.
Let us know afterwards and if you still have problems, we can take it from there.

 

Apologies for taking so long to respond back.

As a update i managed to replace all of the tail light sockets except two as the ones i picked up from the parts store where 3 wire ones and two of the socks have 5 wires.

Now for the bad, my turn signals work, my hazards work but now i run into the problem of my passenger brake light dose not? Any ideas? i am at a loss as i do not know a hole lot about electric or the wiring of the car.

 

Looks like there should be a light blue wire running from the left (driver's) stop lamp and running over to the right hand side. Is that the only problem, do the parking/running lights work on both sides?

 

Didn't see any blue wires, black/brown/ and green

turn the lights on they all light up, except reverse i believe but i will double check in the morning.

i am hoping i don't have to pay a fortune to have someone rewire this becouse honestly it looks like maby someone went in and changed some things in the first place because? but i could be wrong.

 

Trans Ams before 1990 did not have a separate brake circuit, their brake lights and turn signals were integrated/merged so there was no separate light blue wire in the back.

If your right turn signal works but the right brake does not, your wiring is good. But it seems that the turn signal multi-function switch in the steering column might be toast.

I recommend finding the flat steering column connector:


Then probe the yellow wire with a test light (or volt-meter) and verify that you have power with brake depressed or with hazards on.
Then probe the dark green wire and verify the same. If no power, I would say it's the multi-function switch.
Don't forget to probe on both sides of the connector.

Let us know what you find.
Lou

 

First i just wanna say thanks for all the head i know it has to be rough dealing with people who have no clue what they are doing like me lol.

I look my test light out and checked the green and yellow line and i was receiving no light from it if i moved over to the purple my test light would work , tho i am not sure what the white wire is but i was also getting no light from it and the top of the white wire coming from under the collem also looks a bit burnt or just sitting out a bit with dirt in it ? what is that wire for?

 

First, here is a wiring diagram to help you out: http://austinthirdgen.org/mkportal/m...ody_wiring.gif

The white wire is the one that supplies the brake signal from the brake switch to the steering column multi-function switch. If there is no power on the white wire with the brake pedal depressed, NEITHER of the two tail-light brake lamps will illuminate (but the third brake light will). If there is power on the white wire with brake depressed, BOTH tail-light brake lamps must light up. At the same time, both the dark green and yellow wires must have power on them. If they don't, I blame the multi-function switch.

The purple provides interrupted power to the turn signals from the hazard flasher. If you put a test light on it, it will not create enough amp draw to open the flasher so the test light will be illuminated as long as it stays on the wire. But if you turn the hazards on, the test light should flash with the turn signals.

Let us know what you find.
Lou

 

OK so after a epic battle with the steering wheel i managed to get it off and get the multi function switch changed.

The good - Brake lights work, turn signals work

and yet again the bad lol - If i turn on my head lights it seems to override my left brake light but as long as the head lights are not on the brake light works lol.

It seems to be one thing after another but id light to say thank you so much for the help your giving.

 

That is very good news, thank you for following up and letting us know that you got it working.

Now the headlight and brake light issue seems like a bad ground somewhere, that will be nothing for you after you've changed the multi-function switch in the steering column (no easy task!).
I assume you have a problem with your PARK LAMPS on, not head lamps, right? The headlight circuit has nothing to do with brake lights. You should be able to verify that easily.
If that is the case, I would check the ground wire and the socket on the left turn rear turn signal. That seems like your logical culprit.

And again, let us know.

 

Make sure the bulb isn't upside down. Clean socket. Check ground from socket and make sure it's a good connection.

 

sockets are brand new and unless i am a complete idiot lol witch i am not ruling out dont think the bulb can be upside down?

and the blinker works long as the head lights are off.

 

Have you verified whether it's headlights or parking lights?

 

With new sockets then it might be difficult to get it wrong, but I have seen plenty of dual-filament bulbs in my time that were shoved into a socket the wrong way.

 

head lights , but if i take the test light to it when its on the left blinker with lights on i get a nice steady blink from the test light.

 

So i am still in need of some help as atm i don't have the money to pay 55$'s an hour to have someone figure this out for me.

I am still having the issue of when i turn my head lights on or my running lights i loose the driver side brake light and turn signal.

When the lights are off the brake and turn signal work just perfectly.

All of the lights are really bright on the driver side , to me seems a bit brighter then the passenger, but my passenger brake and turn signal work fine.

 

My bet is still on a bad/missing ground at the left turn signal / brake light socket.
The dual-filament light bulb shares ground for both elements: park lamp and brake/turn.

When the parking lights are off, the whole circuit has minimum resistance (since other light bulbs on it act as a drain into the ground). So if the socket has a bad ground, the light bulb's brighter filament (turn signal / brake) lights up anyway because the park lamp filament allows the current to flow to ground through the brown wire's little resistance to ground.
But when you turn on the park lamps, the brown wire does not have a ground potential anymore and the turn signal / brake filament cannot light up.

Re-check the black wire from the new left turn socket. Then put a voltmeter on it, close to the socket (use a sewing pin or something). You will see voltage when you step on the brake.

An even simpler test: disconnect the brown wire on the new left turn signal socket. The brake / turn signal will stop working completely (even though the brown park lamp wire should not influence the brake).

Lou

 

So i disconnected the brown wire and now magically all of my lights work perfectly, what is the brown wire actually for?

 

Anyone have a wiring dia. For a 85 camaro steering column i just need the ones for the washer wiper circuts thanks so much . trebor 475 @ yahoo