Mr. M

Hey ladies and gents, I bought a 93 ex recently, and everything is good, except the running lights in the rear. So when I turn on my lights, everything works, except the middle lights where the reverse lights are. But they do illuminate when you press the brake. I changed the bulbs, and it still didn't fix it. 19 fuse is fine, what else should I look at? I wouldn't really care if they didn't work, but in Hawaii, I need them so I can pass safety. Is it possible because the third brake light doesn't have a bulb set in place? I'm not sure, please help me

tony_2018

Check the wiring in the back to see if they were tampered with, the reverse lights should come on when you press the brake.

rice a roni

iTrader: (1)

Are you using the correct light bulb?

Former User

^

OP, this is not an acceptable thread title - PLEASE HELP!!!!

Read the forum Rules sticky.

Mr. M

This is what I have done so far, I changed the bulbs, double filament for the brakes and single for reverse. I checked every fuse and found only one blown, I think it was fuse 20, I took off the headlight switch and cleaned it, still nothing. The housings for the middle lights I took off, checked to see if there was any tampering, and then put them back. The license plate lights didn't have any bulbs, I put some in, still nothing, there was no third brake light, so I installed one, and it works fine when I press the brake, and all the other corresponding lights, it's just the running lights in the middle, and the license plate lights. Should I clean the grounds next?

Mr. M

But that's not my title

MisereNoire

Okay, a few things you can do:
1: Get yourself a multimeter or test light with leads.
2: access the brake/running light sockets that are affected and remove the bulbs.
3: set your meter to the 20V DC range (DC is the line with 3 dashes below it)
4: turn your running lights on, engine off.
5: take your meter leads and place them so: negative (black) on the metal portion of the bulb socket (this provides the direct to bulb ground). place the positive (red) on the metal nub contact inside the socket ( the nub/contact that leads to/from the RED/BLK wire ) and check for voltage.
6: if there is voltage, your problem lies in a worn down/misshapen bulb contact, an improper bulb, OR a damaged bulb housing.
7: if there is NO voltage, move your negative meter lead to a direct chassis/body ground and retest for voltage. If there is voltage, your problem lies in the socket ground/grounding wire/chassis grounding point portion of the circuit. (or at the 4P connector to the taillight assembly)
8: if there is still NO voltage, your problem lies in the socket contact/RED/BLK wire/combination switch portion of that circuit (or at the 4P connector to the taillight assembly)
9: if the problem lies in the RED/BLK wire portion of the circuit, you will need to trace the RED/BLK wire back to the combination switch and find the break/short and repair it. It is also possible that voltage is being lost AT the combination switch despite it being "cleaned" by you.

Good hunting, and dont forget to turn off your running lights when you are done testing.

Former User

Not after I edited it!

Do you have a sedan or coupe?

Post pictures or a video of all malfunctioning lights.

Mr. M

I will absolutely try this and report what happens, thank you.

Mr. M

Sorry about that Ron, thanks for the correction. I can post a video, and I will. It's a coupe by the way.

Mr. M

So heres an update. I went to go get a headlight switch and the two middle brake light reverse light holders, and still having the same problem. I still havent gotten my hands on a multimeter or a test light, so i guess i can go and pick that up next.

NotARaCist

iTrader: (1)

Stop buying random parts. If you're just going to keep throwing random **** at it, you can do that without wasting our time trying to help you. Get a multimeter. Don't bother with a test light.

Mr. M

Mulitmeter results coming in soon, when the wife comes home with one.

Mr. M

Okay so we did the multi meter check, on the metal to knub contact, it showed 0.46 on 20v meter. My wife is an engineer and she said she wouldn't even consider that voltage. We moved on to the other steps listed, and it showed nothing, so it is probably the red black wire that is being the culprit, what are my next steps now? Trace it until I find what's wrong?

MisereNoire

tracing it sounds about right...there has to be a break/short somewhere along that circuit causing such a drop in voltage. You could check your voltage for the RED/BLK at the cabin fusebox and see if your voltage drop exists there. if it registers low at the fusebox, your fault lies between the cabin fusebox and the engine compartment fusebox. If you get full voltage at the cabin fusebox, your fault is in the RED/BLK wire and you will need to trace it to find the fault.

Mr. M

Thank you so much for the help. I will trace it tomorrow and check to see if there is a drop in voltage at the cabin fuse box too.

Mr. M

So it shows voltage in the cabin fuse box, I did it off of this one, since it's the one with red/blk wire. So now I just have to find the fault or break in the wire

Mr. M

So I traced the wire and it goes behind the driver fuse box and it looks fine. I traced it and I don't see any faults or breaks or anything, so I'm assuming now, that it's going to have to be inside the engine fuse box. With what would I start, for the engine fuse box?

MisereNoire

if youre getting voltage at the cabin fuse box, the fault is between the cabin fuse box and the light bulb socket(s) (or possible the ground side of the circuit by the lights), the presence of voltage at the cabin box indicates the circuit from the cabin box to the engine box is good.