VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 12 volt 64 Chevy brake lights

I neeed suggestions on trouble shooting the brake lights on my 64 Chevy II. The brake light on the left works, but the brake light on the right does not work. I have installed new bulbs on both sides. Both right and left signal lights work properly.
Where can I get a simplified wiring diagram for the lighting system only for a 64 Chevy II?
Thanks, John VCCA 33839

If the turn signal works the lamp unit is probably grounded ok. Disconnect the battery and check with an ohm meter for an open circuit from the brake light switch to the bulb, you will likely find a break in the wiring or a bad connection in the bulb socket.

Are both turn signal lights of equal brightness? Is one of the brake lights just really dim and not completely out? The reason is that a single light draws much less current and therefore needs less of a ground.

If I remember correctly the turn signal switch contains contacts for both the turn signals and brake lights. When the turn signal switch is in the center both brake lights work. When the turn signal switch is moved to either side then only one brake light is activated. Unfortunately time does not help improve memory.

Chipper is right. The wires from the turn signal switch to the left and right brake/ turn signal rear lamps are two seperate wires usually pink for the left B/T lamp and Violet for the right B/T Lamp. There is a lot going on inside the turn signal switch and dirty contacts, poor grounds in the lamps can run you up a tree with feedback from poor contacts, that will show good on a meter, but mess up with current applied..... I would do what I did with my 53, pull and clean every brake, turn and tail light bulbs and sockets and do a good cleaning job on the pigtails. I had feedback between the turn signal and the park lamp on the left front turn/park bulb.

You can get a wireing diagram set from here:

ROCKAUTO.COM

If both turn signals work try turning the left side on and then see if the right side works by stepping on the brake. If it works then the problem is probably in the turn signal switch. There are contact springs in the switch that get corroded or bent from normal wear and tear. I worked for a Chevrolet dealer in the 60's and that was a common problem. They made a kit that just had the contact springs in it if the rest of the switck was good. I have also had luck by just turning the switch from left to right repeatly 10-20 times and sometimes that would fix the problem if they were lightly corroded. Chuick

Thanks for the suggestions, now I have some places to check, John

Be sure the sockets are getting a good ground from the reflector. These cars are notorious for issues with this. The metal clip on the socket that holds it in the reflector is also the ground connection. The clip can work it's way loose from the plastic socket a bit, and appear to click into the reflector, but really the clip goes past the reflector and does not connect. You can test for this by rocking the socket part way out and testing the lights.