55 fairlane brake light trouble

so my signel lights work but only one brake light, i'm thinking the trouble is in the steering column, can anyone post a pic of how this setup works or point me to a link that might help, thanks

 

turn signal switch has two inputs: one from the brake light switch, the other from the flasher can.

When the signals are off (centered) the brake light switch wire is connected to both brake lights at the rear of the car.

When the signal is to the right, the brake light switch wire is connected to the left brake light, and the flasher can wire is connected to the right brake light, and the right front turn light and the right turn dash indicator.

reverse that for left turn.

If only one side in back lights up, check the bulb, and the wiring to the turn signal switch, and the bulb ground connection.

 

I'd start with the bulb and grounds. Also if the ligth is coming on, but not flashing check the front bulbs as well. The flasher is load sensitive, if it doesn't have enough of a load in the circuit it won't flash.

 

I had the same problem with my 54', with a test light have someone step on the brake and see if you have current going in, could be a bad bulb or like mine the contacts on the pigtail were worn and the spring was weak.

 

both the signals work fine at the rear of the car, only the right brake light works, so at some time in the past the wiring to the steering column was cut, i just have the wires twisted together for now till i have everything working, so the right signal has an orange with a blue stripe, the left has a green with a red stripe, the wire coming from the brake light switch is green, when the green wire has power going to the steering column then inside the signal switch there need to be a conection to both the left and right signal wires, does this make sence?

 

With the brakes applied enough to activate the brake light switch, test each wire going to the brake lights where you have them twisted together with a multimeter. If both the orange with blue stripe wire and the green with red stripe wire have power coming out, the turn signal switch is good, and you need to look elsewhere for the problem.

 

there is power on the orange striped wire but no power on the green striped wire. i have a jumper wire to bypass the brake light switch, i am using a multimeter and i can get a split second reading on the green striped wire if i tap the backside of the signal light switch with a hammer.

 

Are there six wires on the switch? should be 4 connected to lights (one for each corner of the car), and the brake switch, and flasher can wires.

 

Yes, that makes sense. If it's not getting power to one side when the switch is in the center "off" position, then the switch is bad (not making contact to both sides).

I don't remember how those switches look...but on the Chevys from that era, you can take the switch apart and see what's wrong with it. just bend the tabs carefully and take it apart, being careful to not let the springs/contacts fly away

 

heres a pic of my wires and one of the switch, i sprayed the switch with contact cleaner but it had no effect, i guess i'll pull the wheel of and switch out, thanks for helping

 

Hey,
My 56 ford developed this problem. I replaced the signal light switch (behind the steering wheel) and 15 minutes later my problems were all solved.
Beyond that, a continuity problem in the wire from the switch to the rear of the car, or a burned out bulb are really the only other possibilities that I can see.

Good Luck

 

i found the trouble, pic 1 shows how dirty the stitch plate was, after cleaning
with contact cleaner and a scotch bright pad i could see a crack in a cross
over bar, pic 2 and 3 show the crack, in pic 4 you can see i made a jumper wire
and soldered it on the back side of the switch plate, now how to get this all
back together without loosing the springs and giving myself a stroke, i ended
up cutting a strip of 20 GA and holding it on top of the internal parts while
i placed the switch plate on top, then i slid the 20 ga strip out and bent the
tabs over, works like a charm now, thanks for the help guys.

 

Damm! A man after my own heart ,Repair rather than replace if at all possiable. Good Work there Budd.

 

Great job! thanks for posting the how-to pictures

 

Something tells me that there is a reason why the crack in the crossover bar. Like, maybe this acted like a fuse at one time and that your wiring may have been shorted. Make sure you fuse both stop and turn signals with proper rated fuses.

 

there are no fuses, so far all is working just like it should.

 

The reason it got fried probably had to do with some previous owner being clueless

 

it didn't look fried just broken, snaped in two, the switch didn't look like it had ever been apart, weird really.