Headlight Switch Problems/Fuse Panel

[zacharyhughes]

1986 Ford Ranger Sing. Cab 2.0 liter Carb.
I recently had the problem with all my lights on this 1986 Ford Ranger I bought recently not working. It came to be some of the fuse were blown, ground wasn't good in one of the pigtail sockets, and etc. I had fixed all of this, except my left blinker blinks real fasts, but real dim. The right side works great as can be. Well since all the electrical is tied into everything in these vehicles, it could be a numerous amount of things, but it lead back to the head light switch wasn't working properly. Instead of just having 2 notches, it has 3, or it felt like it. You had to have it in the right place for lights to come on. So I bought a new headlight switch and went to replace it. After replacing it, I don't know what happened. The left blinker did the same thing, but I am not worried about that now. Now the first notch in the headlight switch wont turn on the running lights, but when you press the brake, all of the running lights and brake lights come on. Like the running lights are hooked to the same brake, but I didn't change anything except for just snap on a new headlight switch. If someone could help me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks

Zachary Hughes

[FireRanger]

Do you have a trailer lighting harness in the back?

[zacharyhughes]

Yes it does have a trailer wire kit on back.

[FireRanger]

Start with that. When they rot out and corrode, they tend to short and cause the brakes to light up everything else.

[zacharyhughes]

I went out and took a look at the trailer wiring, unhooked it, looked at it, everything looked great on it. Found a new problem though. When I went and pressed the brake, the brake lights only came on, but when I pulled the headlight switch out to the first notch, it started doing it again. I could turn it off, and all the parking lights still lit up while pressing brake. So it didn't trigger until that headlight switch was pulled out to the first notch.

Oh and I forgot to mention in my main problem. Before I switched out the headlight switch. Everything was working fine besides the left blinker blinking real fast. I was trying to fix that problem. Seems like you try to fix one problem, and another one pops up.

[FireRanger]

Dig around behind the taillights and trace the wire harness from the lights back to the cab. Something has to be jacked up to be crossing the brake and parking lights.