I'm having a time with my 79 firebird on the electrical system. I've tried finding others with the same problem as mine but turned up nothing. I lost my dash lights and taillights but my headlights work (all 4 of them) I've replaced the switch and the dash fuse. Am I using a wrong fuse? Is this a problem across f bodies of the same era? I'm suspecting my printed circuit, and if it is, does anyone know who makes re-pops of base model ones?
Electrical gremlins, 79 Firebird Esprit
- Thread starter DayGavin
- Start date
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- Tags
- 79 dash electric tail lamps
Welcome to NastyZ28!
I think you may have two separate issues.
If it's wired similar to Camaros... The printed circuit on the cluster won't affect the tail lights.
Are all of the dash lights non-functional or just the background illumination lights?
Get a 12 Volt lighted probe... Ground the clip and poke both ends of all of the fuses.
With the key on and headlight switch pulled out, all fuses in the fuse block should have power at both ends.
If any have power at one end and not the other, you have a bad fuse or bad connection at the fuse.
If all the fuses check out, move to the trunk and check your ground connection. (It should be a black wire grounded to the tail panel or trunk floor.)
If the connection looks good there, you will need to check for power at the harness plug.
It's probably in the trunk, on the driver's side, above the rear wheel well.
Unfortunately, I don't have a wiring diagram for you car but I found this one...
(You will be testing the yellow, brown and dark green wires.)
There's a larger wiring diagram pic at this link.
I'm restoring a 79 trans am and the turn signals will not work. All bulbs are new, high/low beams, tail lights, brake (justanswer.com)
Good Luck!
I think you may have two separate issues.
If it's wired similar to Camaros... The printed circuit on the cluster won't affect the tail lights.
Are all of the dash lights non-functional or just the background illumination lights?
Get a 12 Volt lighted probe... Ground the clip and poke both ends of all of the fuses.
With the key on and headlight switch pulled out, all fuses in the fuse block should have power at both ends.
If any have power at one end and not the other, you have a bad fuse or bad connection at the fuse.
If all the fuses check out, move to the trunk and check your ground connection. (It should be a black wire grounded to the tail panel or trunk floor.)
If the connection looks good there, you will need to check for power at the harness plug.
It's probably in the trunk, on the driver's side, above the rear wheel well.
Unfortunately, I don't have a wiring diagram for you car but I found this one...
(You will be testing the yellow, brown and dark green wires.)
There's a larger wiring diagram pic at this link.
I'm restoring a 79 trans am and the turn signals will not work. All bulbs are new, high/low beams, tail lights, brake (justanswer.com)
Good Luck!
Thanks! I will be sure to check these out!
