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taillights both work ( double filament bulb ) - taillights with
black / white wiring - hot wire black coming from front other
two wires color white and violet / if i connect right and left
taillight wire white to black (hot) both lights work/ if i connect
only driverside tailight both filaments turn on (bright) if i do the
same with other nothing happends/ what is white and violet
wires for( not hot) - if i step on brake nothing happens which ever way i connect - how do i trouble shoot stoplight switch
it looks troublesome to take out ( 1963 chevy c10 swb 305cc
auto tranny ) anybody with ideas.
:confused:

Trouble shooting the brake light switch is easy!

Just take your test light or meter and probe on of the two terminal on the switch. One of the terminals should have current. If it doesn't then you need to check the fuse box. If you have current to one of the terminals then when you apply the brakes you should have current coming out the other terminal. If their is no current going to the second terminal ...replace the brake switch. If their is power coming out the other terminal of the switch then take you tester over to the steering column connector and check for current going into the column. I have a 64 wiring diagram and the color of the brake switch wiring going into the column is a white wire. If their is no current going from the brake switch wire to the white wire going into the column then the wire is broke some where and needs to be repaired or a new wire run from the brake switch to the white wire going into the column.

Now when you apply the brake, current goes into the column and is split to the left and right brake wires which are Dark Green and Yellow for the 1964. Now with the brakes applied you should be able to test either of these wires at the column connector and have current coming out of them. If you don't have any current showing at either wire then their is either something wrong with the column signal switch or you have a bad connection at the column connector.

Trouble shooting is basically a step by step process just as I've indicated.

Joe

i did some troubleshooting last night/ brake switch is ok
current in /current out when i step on the brake/ the only
other wire coming out of the sterring column is white wire
and i think it is either the horn wire or turn signal because
when i connect it to the stop switch nothing happens in
the rear/ i don't see any other connections / do i have to
strip down the column to locate them or shoul i back track
from the fire wall and try to locate where those three
wires (black/white/violet) come from/ according to the
literature the original wires were all black / this harness
has all different colors/ i appreciate any input

Hi-

Here is what I would do:

If all the wires are black, the first thing I would do is cut some tape to wrap around each wire and have a marker ready to write down the wires function. If you have a test with with the aligator clip on one side and the pointer that lights the bulb in the tester when current is present "that would help here". First press the brake pedal down and with it down, probe each wire in the Column connector to find that hot wire coming from the brakes. When you found it, let go of the pedal and make sure it goes out to make sure that is the brake wire. Mark the tape on that wire "Brake". Next probe the wires with the tester to find the wire that has current with the key off. That wire comes from the hazard flasher. Once you find it, mark the wire "Hazard". Now turn the key on and probe the remaining wires for the wire with current with the key on......that is your current from the signal switch...mark that wire "signal". Now you should have 5 wires left..."left front signal, right front signal, left rear stop/signal, right rear stop/signal and the horn wire. With the brakes applied you should get current coming out of (2) of the remaining unmarked wires.."these go to the back stop lights. If you have no current coming out then you have a problem with the signal unit in the column. If you have current coming out of both wires and nothing to the back of the truck then you need to start tracing those wires. On the 65, their is a connector on the firewall "a 3 prong connector" and if it's not making a good connection you will not send any current to the back lights. Trace those rear light wires from the back of the truck, under the cab and see if they come up and into that connector.

I agree with Chevy1. Check the 3 terminal connector at the firewall. There is also another 3
prong connector at the rear of the vehicle. If I remember correctly, the black wire into the t.signal switch is for the horn. White is power in from the brake switch. Green & yellow wires are for the rear brk/turn lamps. Yellow/left, green/right.Light blue & dark blue are for the front signals. I think the violet is for the park lamps. A bad turn signal switch can reak havoc on your lighting system.Also, I would also check all your ground connections. If you have a bad ground, current will backfeed through your system until it finds one ( the path of least resistance ). This will cause other lamps to light ( dimly ) that have not been prompted. I.E.: R/S park lamp will flash when L/S t.signal prompted. Hope this helps.

well finally got the rear lights to work/wrong gage wire/bad
ground/dirty connections/they work even when the parking lights are on/got the other wires that i think suppose to go
to the signal switch which there is none in the column only
two connections up on the frame / the loose wires are/
white(brake) yellow(turn signal) there is a light blue - a
regular blue and a purple - my question is this - do these
wires connect to a signal switch of some sort :confused:

well finally got the rear lights to work/wrong gage wire/bad
ground/dirty connections/they work even when the parking lights are on/got the other wires that i think suppose to go
to the signal switch which there is none in the column only
two connections up on the frame / the loose wires are/
white(brake) yellow(turn signal) there is a light blue - a
regular blue and a purple - my question is this - do these
wires connect to a signal switch of some sort :confused:

Generally (and this is a WAY generalized) statement, the purple wire is for the starter solenoid. There may be more than one and I'm just not thinkin of it, but this is the color of wire that I always use for a neutral lockout or remote starter button.