83 cj7
 

I am pretty new to jeeps but I recently purchased a 83 cj7. I need a
place to start looking for an issue with my tail lights. Everything
seems to work fine (turn signals, brake lights, flashers) except when I
turn my lights on. When the lights are on the turn signals do not work
nor will the brake lights get brighter. I am not sure where to start
with this. I don't think it is a fuse or they would not be lit at all,
right? Could a ground possibly cause this? The only other lighting
problems on the jeep are the lights for the gauges. Could this be
connected. The jeep has an after market wiring kit in it, I am not
sure if it is a painless kit or not. Thanks for any help you can
provide.

Re: 83 cj7
 

Yes make sure each light housing is grounded.
Make sure the tail light and brake light wires are on the right
bulb filament, like if reversed the tail light filament if used as the
brake will not be bright enough to see over the brake (tail) light.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

wlawyer wrote:
>
> I am pretty new to jeeps but I recently purchased a 83 cj7. I need a
> place to start looking for an issue with my tail lights. Everything
> seems to work fine (turn signals, brake lights, flashers) except when I
> turn my lights on. When the lights are on the turn signals do not work
> nor will the brake lights get brighter. I am not sure where to start
> with this. I don't think it is a fuse or they would not be lit at all,
> right? Could a ground possibly cause this? The only other lighting
> problems on the jeep are the lights for the gauges. Could this be
> connected. The jeep has an after market wiring kit in it, I am not
> sure if it is a painless kit or not. Thanks for any help you can
> provide.

Re: 83 cj7
 

Yes make sure each light housing is grounded.
Make sure the tail light and brake light wires are on the right
bulb filament, like if reversed the tail light filament if used as the
brake will not be bright enough to see over the brake (tail) light.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

wlawyer wrote:
>
> I am pretty new to jeeps but I recently purchased a 83 cj7. I need a
> place to start looking for an issue with my tail lights. Everything
> seems to work fine (turn signals, brake lights, flashers) except when I
> turn my lights on. When the lights are on the turn signals do not work
> nor will the brake lights get brighter. I am not sure where to start
> with this. I don't think it is a fuse or they would not be lit at all,
> right? Could a ground possibly cause this? The only other lighting
> problems on the jeep are the lights for the gauges. Could this be
> connected. The jeep has an after market wiring kit in it, I am not
> sure if it is a painless kit or not. Thanks for any help you can
> provide.

Re: 83 cj7
 

Yes make sure each light housing is grounded.
Make sure the tail light and brake light wires are on the right
bulb filament, like if reversed the tail light filament if used as the
brake will not be bright enough to see over the brake (tail) light.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/

wlawyer wrote:
>
> I am pretty new to jeeps but I recently purchased a 83 cj7. I need a
> place to start looking for an issue with my tail lights. Everything
> seems to work fine (turn signals, brake lights, flashers) except when I
> turn my lights on. When the lights are on the turn signals do not work
> nor will the brake lights get brighter. I am not sure where to start
> with this. I don't think it is a fuse or they would not be lit at all,
> right? Could a ground possibly cause this? The only other lighting
> problems on the jeep are the lights for the gauges. Could this be
> connected. The jeep has an after market wiring kit in it, I am not
> sure if it is a painless kit or not. Thanks for any help you can
> provide.

Re: 83 cj7
 

Where's Mike when we need him! You most likely have a bad ground
somewhere. There is a braided cable that goes from the back of the
engine to the body, these corrode at the clamp ends. Give it a firm tug,
if it breaks off, replace it. A second place to look is the mounting
bolts for the tail light assemblies. The light bulbs ground through
those bolts, they often are really rusty in behind the body panel. If
you lights are rusted or beat up, consider just getting some new light
assemblies.
http://www.quadratec.com/products/55213_03.htm
http://www.quadratec.com/products/55213_02.htm

wlawyer wrote:

> I am pretty new to jeeps but I recently purchased a 83 cj7. I need a
> place to start looking for an issue with my tail lights. Everything
> seems to work fine (turn signals, brake lights, flashers) except when I
> turn my lights on. When the lights are on the turn signals do not work
> nor will the brake lights get brighter. I am not sure where to start
> with this. I don't think it is a fuse or they would not be lit at all,
> right? Could a ground possibly cause this? The only other lighting
> problems on the jeep are the lights for the gauges. Could this be
> connected. The jeep has an after market wiring kit in it, I am not
> sure if it is a painless kit or not. Thanks for any help you can
> provide.
>

Re: 83 cj7
 

Where's Mike when we need him! You most likely have a bad ground
somewhere. There is a braided cable that goes from the back of the
engine to the body, these corrode at the clamp ends. Give it a firm tug,
if it breaks off, replace it. A second place to look is the mounting
bolts for the tail light assemblies. The light bulbs ground through
those bolts, they often are really rusty in behind the body panel. If
you lights are rusted or beat up, consider just getting some new light
assemblies.
http://www.quadratec.com/products/55213_03.htm
http://www.quadratec.com/products/55213_02.htm

wlawyer wrote:

> I am pretty new to jeeps but I recently purchased a 83 cj7. I need a
> place to start looking for an issue with my tail lights. Everything
> seems to work fine (turn signals, brake lights, flashers) except when I
> turn my lights on. When the lights are on the turn signals do not work
> nor will the brake lights get brighter. I am not sure where to start
> with this. I don't think it is a fuse or they would not be lit at all,
> right? Could a ground possibly cause this? The only other lighting
> problems on the jeep are the lights for the gauges. Could this be
> connected. The jeep has an after market wiring kit in it, I am not
> sure if it is a painless kit or not. Thanks for any help you can
> provide.
>

Re: 83 cj7
 

Where's Mike when we need him! You most likely have a bad ground
somewhere. There is a braided cable that goes from the back of the
engine to the body, these corrode at the clamp ends. Give it a firm tug,
if it breaks off, replace it. A second place to look is the mounting
bolts for the tail light assemblies. The light bulbs ground through
those bolts, they often are really rusty in behind the body panel. If
you lights are rusted or beat up, consider just getting some new light
assemblies.
http://www.quadratec.com/products/55213_03.htm
http://www.quadratec.com/products/55213_02.htm

wlawyer wrote:

> I am pretty new to jeeps but I recently purchased a 83 cj7. I need a
> place to start looking for an issue with my tail lights. Everything
> seems to work fine (turn signals, brake lights, flashers) except when I
> turn my lights on. When the lights are on the turn signals do not work
> nor will the brake lights get brighter. I am not sure where to start
> with this. I don't think it is a fuse or they would not be lit at all,
> right? Could a ground possibly cause this? The only other lighting
> problems on the jeep are the lights for the gauges. Could this be
> connected. The jeep has an after market wiring kit in it, I am not
> sure if it is a painless kit or not. Thanks for any help you can
> provide.
>

Re: 83 cj7
 

Looks like a reversed light filament is the winner here. I think I can
just rewire the tailight boxes and everything will be fine. Thanks for
all the help guys it would have taken me a long time to think of
checking that.

Re: 83 cj7
 

Looks like a reversed light filament is the winner here. I think I can
just rewire the tailight boxes and everything will be fine. Thanks for
all the help guys it would have taken me a long time to think of
checking that.

Re: 83 cj7
 

Looks like a reversed light filament is the winner here. I think I can
just rewire the tailight boxes and everything will be fine. Thanks for
all the help guys it would have taken me a long time to think of
checking that.