The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Burning smell

As I was driving home from my eye DR appt today I thought I smelled a slight burning odor and then noticed a slight wisp of smoke coming from under the dash of my 59 Chevy Apache stepside. I turned off my radio and convinced myself that my diluted pupils imagined the smoke. When I got home I noticed that my right tail light was permanently on and the left tail light was off, both even after I turned off the engine. Right tail would not go off. Left tail light also didn't blink, nor was it responsive to the brake pedal. Right tail blinked fine. I turned truck off and disconnected battery.
A few hrs later when I turn on lights both tail lights come on. I visually inspected the stop light switch at the brake pedal arm and there appeared to be a bit of melted wire.
So the current situation is: when I turn on lights, both tail lights work. When I blinker only right tail light blinks. Left blinker doesn't blink. When I push brake pedal neither brake light works. All front lights work fine.
Can anybody give me a tip or two to help me speed up the diagnostics here? My daughter is getting married this weekend and I was hoping to travel in this truck. Thanks.

As for the debugging ... maybe a Chilton/Hays book? First, see if you can trace back the wire to a stub of a wire, then wire the stub and the burnt wire together. That might help the solving.

The light wires go forward from the light to a little connector by the master cylinder, then go from the connector by the mc to the switch by the brake pedal. Is the switch/wire connection by the pedal where you mean? Also, it looks like the two wires connect to the switch. If I wire the 2 together how would I connect to the switch?

Man, don't just start sticking stubs together, that's the last thing you want to do. Also, I recommend that you get yourself an original (remake) of the shop manual - they're still available.

Here are a couple of scans from mine, maybe they'll help you.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/Avette4me/My%2058/wiring%20diagrams/wiringDiagram.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v228/Avette4me/My%2058/wiring%20diagrams/wiringdiagram-chassis.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...s/wiringdiagram-chassis-signalblowup.jpg

Wiring can be a beotch - especially over the interweb. Get a test light and work through it slow...

Ahh! I didn't realise that it was burnt in multiple places in close proximity, no, if it's done that, don't take my "stick 'em together" advice. Sorry about that, double recommends on the shop manual.