New Tail Lights

[TedCalvert]

My 4104-4850 has a current-sensing relay in series with the brake lamps. With the original bulbs in place, they would draw enough current to pull the relay whose contacts would light the telltale (indicator) on the dash. Burned-out bulb=no relay operation=no telltale!

Great 'old' technology!

Ted

[will4104]

Replaced the lights and tested. Turn signals...both work, including fronts. Emergency flashers... front flash, backs stay continuously lit.(not bright like when turn or brake is activated)  Headlights on...no light in back. Marker lights on... tail lights on, not bright as when turn or brake applied. Have not tried brake lights, will need an extra set of eyes.. (guessing will only work when aired up)

So, anyone know the correct lighting procedure/operation?

Also, guessing front turn/hazards are single filament and don't stay on continually?

Thank you all so far, always informative and useful for others   

[Lin]

Looks like your tail lights are on the marker switch.  Mine are also.  That's fine as long as you know to turn them on.  Do the directionals work correctly in the back.  If so, there seems only to be a problem with the emergency flashers in the back.

[will4104]

Thanks Lin,

Yes, the directionals are working correctly. When the flashers are on the stop/turns are illuminated(not as bright as when stopped or turning) and constantly on. Any thoughts?

[Lin]

Must be in the wiring!  That's a joke. I don't know so anything said is just a guess.  The directionals and the flasher function on the same bulb with the same wire, right?  Therefore if the turns are working correctly, it seems the flashers should also be okay as far as connection and ground are concerned.  What about the directionals that are on the side of the bus (no you have those?) are they working as turns and emergency?  There is always the possibility that the flasher unit has a problem.  If you remove on of the rear bulbs, does the other start to flash on emergency? 

[gus]

This all sounds very familiar, mine once would shut down the engine when the brake lights came on! Drove me nuts for a week.

Anyway, as I remember (it was long ago) it turned out one of the ground wires in the rear light harness was reversed.

[will4104]

Must be in the wiring, funny... engine shutting down when applying brakes, not so much...

Not sure if the flashers worked before I replaced the tail lights, will most likely require a second person to help track down issue. Sort of a pain in the butt running back and forth, and time consuming.

Thanks again to all who posted and to everyone who participates in making this craziness seem normal...

[RJ]

Sort of a pain in the butt running back and forth. . .

Borrow Mama's full-length mirror from the bedroom and set it up behind the coach so you can see it in the driver's exterior mirror.

Or pick up one of the inexpensive "hang on the back of a door" mirrors from WallyWorld if Mama won't let you use hers.  When finished, you can use it in the bus, too!

Or re-park the coach slightly so you can see the rear of the bus reflected in the windows on the front of the house.

FWIW & HTH. . .

 

[will4104]

Why you gots to bring my Mama into all this? Youse lookin for a fight?   

It's the problem of my arms being too short and my eyesight... can't hold and read my multimeter at the back of the bus while operating controls at the front.

Maybe it's that my legs are too short...

[gus]

I just kept messing around until I finally solved the problem, more luck than skill!

One problem also was the double contact bulbs not fitting properly in the sockets and shorting out some circuits.