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Weak break and turn signal lights

Hello everyone.
I have a 2007 Inspire 360 and have a new problem that I hope someone in the community knows the answer to. 
When I have the head lights on, the driver side turn signal and break lights in the back of the bus will go really dim and even stop working.  No problem on the front of the bus or the passenger front or rear.  When I turn the head lights off, the turn signal will work fine.

Thank you in advance

Dave
North Idaho

Re: Weak break and turn signal lights

Reply #1 –
Hello, it sounds like a ground issue to me.

Re: Weak break and turn signal lights

Reply #2 –
Thank you for the reply.  Any ideas on how to find it?  I'm not good at finding these issues.

Thank you

Re: Weak break and turn signal lights

Reply #3 –
You could use a jumper wire to connect to a good ground.

Re: Weak break and turn signal lights

Reply #4 –
mrmeade is correct. This has all the classic symptoms of a weak ground.

Your taillight bulbs are each powered by two wires. One is the positive wire that sends power from the brake switch to the taillight and the other wire completes the electrical circuit to "ground". All electrical power sources have to have a ground to complete their circuit. Generally any part of your coach that is metal and directly attached to the metal chassis your coach rides on can serve as ground. If the ground is missing the circuit will not complete and there will be no light - if the ground connection exists but is so corroded or broken that it can't carry the full load your lights will dim when full power is applied.

From your symptoms you may have a loose or corroded ground wire running from somewhere behind your tail light. Since your taillights are mounted in fiberglass there will need to be one or two wires running from near the inside of your taillights to a screw connection to the metal frame. Find the wire, (probably inside the engine compartment) follow it to the connection, remove screw and wire from connection and clean all the metal mating surfaces so you see bright shining metal. Reassemble the connection and check to see if problem has been corrected. If not keep looking for, and rehabilitating every ground connection you can find until the problem is solved. Another possible problem could be corroded sockets for the taillight bulbs. Corroded sockets are pretty easy to clean up with a little fine sandpaper. Just unscrew your brake lenses, remove the bulb and clean the contacts and holder for the bulb.

Since one turn signal is affected as well you may have to do the same search in the front of your coach. While checking grounds always check that the hot wire is not itself being grounded. Bad insulation exposing one of the hot wires from the brake unit to the frame could also cause the symptoms you describe.

Ground connection problems are common in older vehicles of all types. Finding and correcting bad grounds can be tedious but your efforts will last a long time and can pay off in correcting a lot of seemingly unrelated problems.

Re: Weak break and turn signal lights

Reply #5 –

thank you so very much for such detailed set of guidelines.  I really appreciate it.

Will report back with the results.

Dave
North Idaho