tail lights stopped working.

[jessie1]

I have a 99 eclipse rs and when I had the key in ingnition and the door open I was listening to that annonying beep that comes out when yoou leave lights on and open the door. well I kinda attached a wire for an extra bulb and now my tails stopped working. the break lights work but just the tails. I have checked the fuses and replaced them but any ideas about relays or something like that?


thanks

 

[luv2rallye]

where exactly did you "kinda attached a wire for an extra bulb"? From what to what?

 

[jessie1]

hi
thanks for answering

I attached a wire from a new tail socket the red one not the ground one... to the brake/tail light wire and thats when it happened. my gauge lights wont work and neither the ones by my shifter (I have an auto) but the head lights/interior lights like the ones that turn on when ur door is open and also the engine check etc works. but not the guages itself or the P R D N L 2 one and the tail lights wont work when I turn on the head lights also the break lights work so its not the bulbs and I also switched the fuse in the engine compartment labled tail lights but wont work.

please help me out here since I cant go out at night b/c of this and I dont want to pay hundreds of $$'s since there are only couple of shops around here and they have jacked up prices..

thanks

 

[luv2rallye]

If you're sure you checked the tail light fuse, next check the tail light relay (can swap with another similiar one). The tail lights, marker lights, gauge lights, and license plate light all go thru both that fuse and relay.

 

[2gEclipse4G]

make sure all your grounds are connected for whatever you worked on. I forgot to hook up one ground and all my lights went crazy

 

[jessie1]

Originally posted by luv2rallye
If you're sure you checked the tail light fuse, next check the tail light relay (can swap with another similiar one). The tail lights, marker lights, gauge lights, and license plate light all go thru both that fuse and relay.

the problem is that I have no idea where the relay is. that is one of the questions I forgot to post. that sounds like the problem I am having.

2gEclipse4G
make sure all your grounds are connected for whatever you worked on. I forgot to hook up one ground and all my lights went crazy

yep that can be the problem too but I will recheck the 2 black wires that are the ones attached to the ground/body chasis. since I removed the extra 2 tail sockets that I was putting on. so yeah if you guys tell me where the relay is then may be I could go to the store and buy a new one. I am sure its not the fuse ( the one under the hood by the battery) since I swapped it with a different one (from the same car like the head lights one) and it still didnt work so I think its the relay.

thanks for your help guys I really appreciate it

 

[luv2rallye]

First of all the tail light bulbs each have 2 filaments - one for the stop/hazard/turnsignal light function which is on a gray/blue wire and one for the normal tail light ON function which is on a green/white wire. The other side of each of these filaments is on a black wire which goes to ground. It sounds to me like this is your problem. You most likely wired up your new light incorrectly (or all the other filaments are dead - not too likely).

There is no red wire. Maybe you are referring to a red wire on the new light socket you are installing? If so, you should connect it to one of the 2 wires I mentioned depending on which function you want. Be careful of the 2 black wires you mentioned on the new socket. One of them is ground but the other may be the other filament. If you connect them both to ground the other filament will not work.

A bad relay is very uncommon and not likely. Check if there's voltage (you can use a 12v light bulb to ground) on the wires at the tail light when you have the tail light switch on. If there is, your relay is good. If not, I own a '99 Eclipse and the tail light relay is marked on the cover of the fusebox in the engine compartment where the tail light fuse is. The relay is the 3rd black box in from the right in the middle row (almost under the tail light fuse). Test it by replacing another relay with it before buying one.

 

[jessie1]

hi again

I meant the red wire on the new tail socket. but I took the sockets off and returned them and I am going to to try to attach a new sockt + bulb on the same ones on the tails. but i am wondering if it was the wire dont you think the guages/the shifter lights should works and also the alarm. you know how you leave your lights on and open door with ignition key taken out. so I am wondering what else could be the problem. or do you think the wire could do that?

 

[luv2rallye]

yes a wire could be broken. Take a voltmeter (or a test 12 volt light) and check if there's voltage at the tail light wires. If not, pull the tail light fuse and see if voltage is at one of the terminals. Note: Use the negative side of the voltmeter or one side of the light to ground when you test (use the other wire/side for the test point).