Topic: Dash lights coming on when pressing brake pedal

[67gtasanjose]

Yes, here is a better look at the driver side contacts, some weird insert with a spring. The seperator for the contacts is letting them touch, or almost touch...would this cause a short?

YES! That is scary! Good thing there are fuses but, WOW! you found it!

[jwc66k]

That looks like a second socket was used - somehow. The good news is if you are real good at "tinkering", replace the socket with another. I press out the existing ones, bead blast the housing, get it dull zinc plated and press the socket back in. There is a minor problem with doing this and that is the plating process does not give a good reflective finish on the inside of the housing. That is corrected with some Eastwood "Almost Chrome Spray Paint" (25292Z - $14.95) sprayed on the inside before reinstalling the socket.
Jim

[Chris]

I may try and fix them in the future as they are the original housings. For now, I ordered two Scott Drake repoduction housings with pigtails. I hope once I swap out the taillight housings the issue is solved.

[jwc66k]

For now, I ordered two Scott Drake repoduction housings with pigtails.

You might want to reconsider as "pigtails" usually require cutting off the existing connector from the taillight harness and splicing in the pigtail. If you are going to replace your taillight harness, cut away.
Jim

[Chris]

The Scott Drake taillights for 64 1/2 mustangs have the correct two wires with male bullet connectors coming out the back (see pic). These plug into the female bullet connectors on the taillight wiring harness that's in the trunk from the dash.

[midlife]

The Scott Drake taillights for 64 1/2 mustangs have the correct two wires with male bullet connectors coming out the back (see pic). These plug into the female bullet connectors on the taillight wiring harness that's in the trunk from the dash.

A far better design than the slip-on boots with concentric connectors for 65 and 66.  What a POS that design was.  Ugh.

[Chris]

I changed out both rear taillight housings with the Scott Drake 64 1/2 taillight housings and the fuse no longer blows. Looks like the problem was the contacts touching in the driverside housing.

Thanks for the help everyone.

Chris