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Painless wiring issue Help!

jspurl3

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2008
Messages
818
Loc.
Baton Rouge, LA
To the bronco gods:
I just did my second painless 23 circuit harness install. Everything is working superb, but when I turn the parking or headlights on, the parking lights in the grill and the dash gauge backlight dont come on. Also the two turn signal indictator lights on the dash light up when I do this. Everything else is working and bulbs are good. Any clues on what I did wrong? or should I just call eric at painless tomorrow
Thanks
 
OP
OP
jspurl3

jspurl3

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 30, 2008
Messages
818
Loc.
Baton Rouge, LA
Thats what I was thinking too but isn't the ground for the the grill parking lights the same as the turn signal? Because the blinkers light up fine. If it was a ground would it cause the turn signal indictator lights in the gauge to light up when the parking or headlights are on?
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,345
And if not a ground issue, since your indictators get their signal from the front turn signals circuit, you might have something bass-akwards at the column connector.
Or your front running light sockets could have a short across the terminals.

For the dash lights, have you checked all the fuses? I don't remember if they're protected by a fuse with the Painless setup or not, but they probably are.
Headlight switch issues perhaps? Is this the new one with the kit? Maybe test it?
I suppose it's possible that there is a defect in the harness itself, but that seems like the last thing to look for, since I'd bet it's a rarity at best.

So, check the column connector, check to make sure the grille is well grounded to the body/core support, check the dashboard ground to the panel, check the ground wire connections, check the front light sockets, check the fuses, check the checker... And then check your sanity at the door.
You'll likely need it later.

Paul

ps: Does this Bronco have the full complement of main grounding methods?
 

DirtDonk

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,345
Oh, and yes, I would call Eric too anyway. If for no other reason than to say hi and give him some feedback.
If anyone can help, or offer other suggestions, it should be him!

Paul
 

eric0o1

Sr. Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2008
Messages
592
I would think a ground issue as well. You do have the interior ground wire connected to a clean chassis ground source correct? Also remove the bulbs in the cluster and see if you are getting 12v, actually probably less that that if it's backfeeding, to any of the ground wires going to the lights of the gauge cluster. Sounds like the gauge lighting isn't comming on due to 12 volts going to the light from the headlight switch, as well as 12 volts comming through on the ground side of the lights. This power comming through on the ground side is also going to the grounds of the turn signal indicator causing them to illuminate.

You could also pull the fuse for the guage lighting, on the 3 circuit fuse block, to determine rather it's backfeeding at the gauge cluster, or somplace in the front exterior lighting.
 
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