Yes, the turn signals could work depending on what fails in the turn signal switch. The turn signal switch is a multi-position switch and has several contacts, one of which is the contact that brakes the right or left stop light circuit when turn signal is activated. When the turn signal is canceled, the switch breaks contact with the turn signal circuit and simultaneously (allegedly) makes contact with the brake light contact. So when the brake light switch is activated it feeds power through the turn signal switch to the brake light circuit. If the switch is not returning to the proper position when canceled or the brake light contacts in the turn signal switch are damaged, the brake light won't receive power from the brake light switch..
If you find the brake light is not the culprit, try operating the turn signals several times and see what happens.

Dave

 

Dave,
You've been a great help and a multitude of knowledge. I will try that tomorrow. The grandkids are about to go to bed so I can't be too noisy in the garage. I'll keep you posted tomorrow.
Thanks again
Don

 

Don

Thanks. I enjoy trying to help where I can. It also helps me learn more about Corvettes so I can fix my own when things go wrong.

Time to pack it in here in MI also.

Dave

 

Sounds good, I did just go out and mess around with the turn signals alternating left to right about 20 times and the brake lights still don't work so I guess tomorrow I'll check the switch and hope for the best. From what I can see it looks like two connectors going to the brake light switch. Does that sound right? Answer tomorrow if you're gone tonight.
Don

 

Are the front turn signals working? If they are, the problem is in the rear brake/turn circuit. The rear Brake lights and Rear turn lights are the same bulb but 2 filaments.

I have never had a switch go bad, other then a worn out canceling cam, but even with that, the signals still work.

Re-post the lights and signals that work.

Mark

 

Ghostrider,
Both the front and rear lights and directional signals work. The only things not working are the brake lights.
Don

 

Don,
Looks like you have lots of help and I apologize for starting out with you and then disappearing. Was on the road and am getting ready to go again so this will be short. First I don't think the lighter is on any fuze or at least on the schematic I have it's not. It's hot all the time so doing anything with it won't change you blowing fuze #6 (clock, stop, and courtesy). I would do the following: Pull all the light bulbs (courtesy, glove compartment, rear compartment), disconnect the stop light switch at the brake pedal, and while I don't show the lighter on the circuit I do show the clock as being there. What's your clock doing? It's a pain but pull the right radio access panel and disconnect the clock. Now see if you can put in your fuse. If you can, then just start hooking stuff up one by one till the fuse blows and you know where the issue is.

Gary

 

Gary,
Thanks and I understand everyone is busy so folks have been in and out helping. I did find out from someone yesteday that the book is wrong with respect to the brake lights being on the same circuit as the courtesy lights, clock, and glove box light. The original 65 manual says that the license plate light is also on that circuit but mysteriously that light worked with that bottom 20A fuse blown or out all together. So it made sense that the brake lights are on the circuit with the tail lights and the parking lights. I am going to pull the switch for the brake lights and jump the connections and see if the brake lights work. If so I'll order a switch.
With respect to the courtesy lights etc, I pulled every socket, disconnected the clock, disconnected the lighter . When I check with wires with my multimeter set to Ohms the meter spikes all the way to the right and shows a short somewhere. I'm going to disconnect the battery , put a fuse in, reconnect the battery ( hope it doesn't instantly blow the fuse) and start by connecting one thing at a time. I did notice that the bullet connectors for the lights sockets are kind of loose on two of the three and the sockets look original. Maybe I should just replace those anyway and then check. What do you think?

 

If I remember right a couple of those sockets are loose by design so I wouldn't get too fired up to replace them yet (If it ain't broke don't fix it?) I think your test should be a good one. Make sure you have the brake light switch disconnected when you do these tests. (that switch feeds up to the turn signal switch (read good place to short a wire). If it still blows the fuse with all that removed, at least we can start chasing wires looking for a short. Let us know what it does.

Gary

 

What about the headlight switch? I had a problem like yours and it was in the headlight switch. I orderd a new one ,but before it came ,i just pulled it out and in and turned it a few times and everything worked. So I have the new switch in the glove . if it works i do not touch it

 

Just disconnected the brake light switch and tried to jump it but the brake lights didn't work. I did notice that my taillights also stopped working. I happened to be on the phone with my brother who did a lot of electrical work with NJ Bell and he said plug the switch back in and see if the taillights work. Sure enough when I reconnected the brake light switch the taillights worked again. That also told me the taillights are on the same circuit as the brake lights ( as some kiind soul revealed to me yesterday.). Now I don't know whether the switch is actually bad or not because the switch itself may provide the ground and jumping the two connections may not work. Does that make any sense?
Don

 

Piper,
I did the same thing with my headlights!! My high beam switch was bad and I just took it out cleaned the contacts on both ends put it back in pushed it in and out a few times and guess what, headlights and high beams work!! I don't think I'll have that luck with the brake lights.

 

The taillights (running lights) are on a completely separate circuit from the brake lights; the running lights are fed directly from the headlight switch on their own circuit (20-ga. brown wire from the switch to the body harness connector above the kickpad). The brake light switch is fed by a 20-ga. black/orange wire from the bottom fuse in the block, and the 20-ga. black/white wire from the switch goes to the turn signal switch through the curved connector on the steering column; the turn signal switch controls the operation of the brake lights.

When you say you connected the brake light switch and the taillights worked again, are you sure you weren't seeing the BRAKE lights (bright filament) instead of the taillights (dimmer filament)? They use the same bulbs, but use different filaments in the bulbs.

 

John,
No the taillights and the front running lights were all ok before. I took the leads off the brake light switch and the taillights no longer worked although the front running lights did. When I plugged the brake light switch back in the back lights worked ( dim) but still no brake lights. I don't know whether a previous owner messed with the circuits but someone yesterday said that the original owners manual in incorrect and the brake lights are on the same circuit as the taillights and license plate light. The book says the license plate light is on that 20A circuit on the bottom of the fuse box but that lights has worked with that fuse removed ( or blown). Now I am bewildered.

 

Don,
As usual, John is right about the tailights and the brake lights being on different circuits. The tailights and the license light are on fuse #5 labled TAIL LPS. The brake lights are on fuse #6 (which is what I think you are blowing) What happened when you removed all the bulbs, the brake switch and the clock? Still blew the fuse? If so, the next thing I would disconnect is the rear body connector located behind the left kick panel. Take that out of the circuit and see if it still blows. If you have a wire short at the rear of the car, that will isolate it. If it still blows, we know to look at the circuits forward. If it blows, the next connector I would disconnect is the one at the base of the steering column. Disconnect both of them (ther are two) and continue to see if it blows. One way or another we will finally isolate it down to one section of the car that we can go look for a pinched wire or something.

G

 

Where exactly is the rear body connector? Yes when I disconnected all the courtesy lights, lighter, clock, and glove box light the fuse still blew.

 

Right behind the driver's side kick panel (located next to the air vent). It's that carpeted piece on the side just forward of the door. Nothing magic about it - just remove the screws (like 5 or so) and it comes off. Behind it you will find an electrical connector. That's the one you want to disconnect. Then do the old standard 'does it blow' test.

 

Ok, thanks will give that a try.

 

Hey Geek, long time no post :-)

On my 65 the rear body connector is clipped to the top of the Z-bar just behind the speedometer. The only thing behind my kick panel is the relay with the 2 big red wires on them, for the headlights I think.

 

How do you check the wire and connector for the glove box light to make sure it's not shorted to ground? That is new since I rebuilt the glove box.