Brake light wiring

[03rangerxlt]

hey, i am new to all of this and leanring with my '68 bump.

The wiring is a total mess and eventually will have to be torn out and replaced. But for now, the truck has been wired to start and run. The headlights and taillights work, but my brake lights don't work. I bought a new brake light switch but the lights aren't working still after I hooked that up. I am thinking of wiring it on my own with a fuse seperate from my old fuse block. What size fuse should I use? Can I just wire the lights into the 12 volt system?

Thanks in advanced for any suggestions or answers.

[fordman]

the brake light power comes from the fuse box up into the steering column to the turn signal switch. and then to the flaher can then the hazard switch and then down into the brake light switch and then off to the brake lights themselves. this is a basic of where it kind of goes the whole turn signal and brake light thing. here is the schematics for as close as you can get for a 68. they are very similar and probably exactly the same as the 68. http://www.fordification.com/images/sch ... odel99.jpg

[03rangerxlt]

damnit. so this is not going to be easy. i don't have turn signals right now either. so i am going to have to start chasing the problem down in the rats nest of wires. the fuse panel looks to be a total mess. how do you tell what fuses to use to replace burnt out ones. the previous owner wrapped most of the fuses in foil gum wrappers. i guess i could start by replacing all of the fuses.

EDIT TO ADD:
Never mind that. I tugged on the wires from the brake switch, trying to see where they went too, and found out they weren't conected to anything at all. So pretty much, I am screwed without brake lights until I can afford a new fuse block and wiring harness.

[03rangerxlt]

The fuse block actually looks ok except for some light rust on the contacts, missing fuses, and some fuses being wrapped in bubble gum wrappers. The wiring looks REALLY BAD. The day I bought the truck, I had to start it by conecting two wires then going under the hood with a screwdriver and hittin' the soleniod. My mechanic wired it up to start off a key now. There are a lot of wires under the dash that just don't go anywhere.

What works:
Headlights
taillights
ignition
guages

What doesn't work:
cab lights
dash lights
brake lights
back-up lights
turn signals

There is no dome light or cargo light (missing)

[fordman]

cablights? on top of the cab? there is a breaker over on the passenger firewall that control them. it also sounds liek the turn signal swithc isnt working for some reason. replace all of the fuses with the correct ones and see if most of it comes on and works. the dash lights may be in the headlight switch. there is a coil resistor that can get burned out ofr broekn behind the dahs on the headlight switch.

[03rangerxlt]

my bad, i shouldn't have called them cab lights. i ment dome light and courtesy lights (if the truck has 'em).

I will start by replacing all of the fuses to see what works. I will get a picture up of the wiring I am working with and the fuse block.

[03rangerxlt]

[fordman]

in the top picture it looks like the red and black wire that turn into the two green wires might be speaker wires coming from the dash speaker.
in the second picture the brown wire at the top left of the page is power for the stock radio. the single red wire on the right is possibly to the power to the fan blower motor. but it isnt the correct color. and i can tsee it for sure. the big bundle of wires has been cut off it looks like that is to runthe heater with. i think it runs to the fan switch on the dash.

in the third pic i have seen that plug before i can not remember right now what that goes to.

in the fourth pic what is that wire on the right side of the fuse box? that has been rigged or something it looks like. maybe it has been by passed from the missing fuse location. the missing fuse is for the backup light wipers and turnsignal. it is a 14 amp fuse. the fuse holders are all rusty. they need a scotch brite pad taken to them so the fuses make better contact.

the last pic is a mess. the 2 white plastic plugs are part of the turn signal switch and horn brake wiring it is missing a few wires in both plugs. wire that plugs into it from the steering column. the big orange look to be added to the mess. find out what both ends of those two wires go into.

i woudl clean up the fuse box first . replace the fuse. get rid of the extra speaker wires going all over the place. then it would be time to check the wires coming out of the column. check the colors coming out and what they are plugged into as far as colors in those palstic plugs. then check the wiring diagrams for the correct plug in place for the column wires that are not plugged in. here are the wiring diagrams they are very close if not the same as the 68 diagrams. you will need to know what model truck you have 81 83 85 or 99. that can be found in your vin plate and on the 68 vin page. http://www.fordification.com/data-1968.htm. try that and see what happens. then get back to me here.

[03rangerxlt]

Thanks, it was kinda' fun reading the VIN plate. Below is what I decoded. I will be working on clenaing up the fuse panel and replacing the fuses on Wednesday.

VIN Plate:


F10 - F100 2 wheel Drive
Y - 360 V8
C - Ontario Canada
C87617 - Feb 1968

115 - Short wheel base

J - Rangoon Red exterior

F100 - 5000 GVW

N - Red, Drk Red interior

81 - Conventional Cab

G - Automatic Transmission

17 - 3.25 Ford rear end

This is where I get a little mixed up:
5000 - Front Axle load?
172 - Horsepower?
3800 - RPM?
21 - Atlanta district code? (I do live in the ATL area.)

[fordman]

the front axle is probably the most popular 3000 pound axles. the truck is a half ton. so 5000 pounds. here are the diagrams for a model 81 . http://www.fordification.com/images/sch ... _81-85.jpg

[03rangerxlt]

holy crap! is that picture of the spider web of lines really the wiring diagram!?!? If so I might be screwed. LOL I am gonna clean up that fuse block and rfeplace the fuses to see what I can get back. Hopefully no electrical fires happen. In a perfect world, eerything is going to work and I will only have to figure out how to wire up the brake lights. I am not counting on that, but I believe in having my fingers crossed just in case! Thanks for your help so far. I'll let you know what goes on.

[fordman]

i hope you get it straightened out and working.

[m-mman]

Wow! somebody sure did a number on your ride!
I am most impresed at the vacuum cleaner hose routed to the defroster!

You certainly have your work cut out for you.

[03rangerxlt]

i think thats a pool vacuum hose!

[fordman]

i bought a truck that had a plastic dryer hose zip tied to some pvc plumbing that was tied to the orgianl top boot of for the dash hole. i think i may have kept it for a picture but i forgot to take that picture. and i may have trashed it by now. it did work very nicely. but who wants riged up when you can buy good ones elsewhere.