Tailights not working - any ideas?

tcrider33d · Aug 22, 2003

Hi folks. I have been lurking for awhile and I figured I would go ahead, register, and test your technical expertise today. There sure is a lot of good information posted by members of this website.

The rear tailights on my TC33D are not working. The hazards, the tailights, and the turning signal functions are all not working. I have checked all the wiring connections in the back of the tractor, and checked all the fuses. Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions?

Carl

markie61 · Aug 22, 2003

Have you checked the bulbs? I was towing my jetski on vacation and noticed after a stop that my brake and turnsignal lights werent working. After almost 30 minutes of roadside troubleshooting ( I was POSITIVE it was a ground problem), I gave up and had my brother cover my rear. When I got to my destination, I finally cracked open the lights and, lo and behold, it was the bulbs /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif . I managed to lose one filament in each bulb. Go figure....

Mark

DavidJ · Aug 22, 2003

This does sound simple but I had the same thing happen and when I pulled the cover off the bulb bracket had slipped out of it's holder. I forced it back in and it works great now.

Hoeman00 · Aug 23, 2003

( The rear tailights on my TC33D are not working. The hazards, the tailights, and the turning signal functions are all not working. I have checked all the wiring connections in the back of the tractor, and checked all the fuses. Has anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions?
)
U say ALL the lites aren't working, is this correct?
Get a 12volt test lite and see if u have power to each fuse then try at each connector at the lite.
Hard to believe all the bulbs went bad.
U didn't happen to weld on the tractor by chance?
This can blow bulbs and the alternator.
This would be good time to call dealer.

Soundguy · Aug 26, 2003

On one of the antique ford boards I read, we have a saying..
'follow the volts'.. same as someone else suggested.

Turn on the lights, and get out your meter and test light.. start checking connections till you find the 'open' in the circuit. My guess is a bad light switch... check each side of it... next would be something wrong in the fuse block.. perhaps a whole portion of the block is dead.. etc.

Soundguy

tcrider33d · Aug 27, 2003

First of all, thanks for all the suggestions. As usual, I started overthinking the problem, and didn't check the common sense stuff first. Believe it or not, it was a bulb(s) issue.

The hazard lights weren't working because one of the bulbs was blown. The tailight bulbs were both unseated from their brackets. I fixed them, but they have already come unseated, and don't work again. What a cheap way to hold a bulb in place!! I figured there had to be some way to lock the bulbs in place, but they just mount with this cheap, sheet metal, press in, thing.

I guess I just have to live with it, or use electrical tape to jury-rig the brackets to stay in place.

Soundguy · Aug 27, 2003

Glad you found the problem. I've heard of other replacing the bulb brackets/sockets with non-oem ones.. but required slight to moderate modifications.. something not many are comfterable with.. especially on a newer tractor.

Any chance it is a warranty issue? Probably wouldn't hurt to report it.. perhaps if they get enough problem reports.. it may become a safety/recall isuue.. as it does effect hazard flashers.. etc.. If not warranty, perhaps at least a cheap replacement?

good luck

Soundguy

DavidJ · Aug 27, 2003

figured there had to be some way to lock the bulbs in place, but they just mount with this cheap, sheet metal, press in, thing. 

There's a couple of stamped out "ears" (for lack of a better term) on the metal, if you press those out a bit they'll hold much better.

If you have any questions about what I'm speaking of let me know and I'll see if I can take some pics of them.