Rear taillights not working and other electrical problems

[Shoooter]

 Hello everyone,

I have a few electrical issues.

1st is I have no rear lights, brake lights ect. I thought it was because I didn't have my reverse light harness to the transmission installed. The dash reverse light works. Do the taillights ground through the housings? My marker lights are not installed either. I do not have a diagram to show were to check for power at the bulk head. My friend has borrowed it for now.

2nd is only my one set of headlights work. I'm thinking it is the headlight dimmer switch on the floor?

Thanks everyone as I'm sure you will help as always

[Shoooter]

I was able to use a jumper and get the drivers side reverse light to come on other than that I have nothing.  I pulled the harness apart at the kick panel and I only seem to have power to the pink and the purple wire?

[shawge]

Yes, taillights ground through the housing. 70-72 diagrams in color: https://forum.e-bodies.org/electrical-and-audio/11/colored-wiring-diagrams-70-cudachallenger/1349/

For headlights, if only one side works, could be foot switch, check grounds, and voltage on red and purple w/ white.

[Shoooter]

Those are great thank you.

I imagine there is too much paint or the gaskets are stopping the housings from grounding. I will have to check the bulk head as I only have power to two wires and the rear harness connection

[dodj]

And you probably have to scrape around the light holes for the light 'clips' to get an effective ground to the housing as well.

[docmel]

Grounding as stated is likely the culprit.  Here' :Thud:s another possibility     As crazy as it sounds be SURE all your bulbs are positioned correctly in the sockets.  It is very easy to set them in wrong  (Prongs on the bulbs placed in wrong).  Ask me how I know: DOUBLE check ALL of them

[Shoooter]

Grounding as stated is likely the culprit.  Here' :Thud:s another possibility     As crazy as it sounds be SURE all your bulbs are positioned correctly in the sockets.  It is very easy to set them in wrong  (Prongs on the bulbs placed in wrong).  Ask me how I know: DOUBLE check ALL of them

That's a good idea.  The drivers side taillight was very very dim once I jumped the ground. I also only have power to the harness clip at the kick panel to the pink (dome light)and purple ( back up light . I'm going to ground the tailight housings first and start chasing this issue . Any more ideas where to and start?

[Shoooter]

My car was a automatic and is converted to a 4 speed . Would yhere be anything that had to be changed with the wiring other than the 4 speed reverse harness?

[dodj]

Black is the tail lamp and markers. (In my '73 manual). Verify you have power on it at the kick panel connector.
If you do then it should be fairly straight forward to check the power at each socket. If you have 12v at the socket, grounding is your only problem....well and what docmel said too.

If you don't have the 12 at the tails but you do at the connector, broken wire between connector and tail lights.

[Shoooter]

Headlights are working.  The switch was just caught on the carpet.

As for the the other issues I seem to be having more problems.  The dash reverse light is not working anymore ,blower motor isn't working,  turn signals are not working same as the park lamps and dash lights.

Seems like I have a major issue.  Not sure where to start looking. The car runs so somethings are working.

[Shoooter]

Would A bad headlight switch cause this? My headlights work in the on position but nothing in the middle location

[Shoooter]

Well I have the whole dash apart now. What does this orange wire do. I can't find anywhere to plug it in. The car has a standard dash.

I followed the orange dash light wire and it plugs into a splitter?

[72RoadRunnerGTX]

All orange wires in the dash harness are instrument illumination. The pictured female Packard connector located in that area is for the heater control lamp illumination lamp mounted to the switch panel.

[Shoooter]

The orange wires are controlled by the dimmer switch correct? Does the dimmer switch pull power from the headlight switch?  If it does then is there a chance that the headlight switch being bad could stop the dash lights from working? My lights on the gages work just not the light bar

[dodj]

The orange wires are controlled by the dimmer switch correct?

My lights on the gages work just not the light bar

Yes.

The light bar is the light for your gauges in stock configuration. Do you have aftermarket backlit gauges?