I used to have an 88 and had that same problem, I think in my case I ended up replacing the switch but I cannot recall. either way I pulled my book out and have the circuit up, here are what each color represents to help t/s. pink= 12v hot fused 15a turn b/u fuse 16. purple = flasher out (brake cuts the hazard lights when you break), orange= TCC/stop lamp switch and 12v hot all times 15a fuze stop/haz fuse 1. gray = haz power out. white = cruise control system (think stops cruise when brakes) Yellow is 12v out to brakes. So orange sends 12v to yellow. when you activate the switch yellow and orange should short. if it does, then orange should always have 12v and when you brake yellow should get 12v. Feel free to ask questions and I will look it up. Good luck! great truck!
I am making this truck in Off-road Outlaws. Dually, white paint with blue accent going across the body, 6.5 Diesel with a long bed and the same cab. Basically the same exact trucks at this point besides the Diesel engine.
You found the only electrical control your trans has, the extras go to the torque converter lock, turning it off when you hit the brake. I thought my trans went out when mine went bad because it won't shift over 3rd, either. I'd rip out the trailer control....and I'd suggest replacing the O2 sensors, the obd1 is very limited on it's diagnostics....if it's on the verge and just barely good, obd1 doesn't care....it's good....lol Mines a 92, so probably the same truck....
check the wire harness connection on drivers side frame where they added the trailer connection:) to the back wiring harness. Could be corroded or loose
You may look into a load pro to add to your multimeter. It is supposed to be good at finding corroded wiring and may actually be worth a look. The guy who made it seems a bit high strung but his tech seems good :)
But then again....I did see those burnt wires that you showed us....I totally forgot about those.....but it still wont hurt to do the ground cleaning also : ).....keep up the good work
I never saw you check for 12v on the orange wire. it should have power if the battery is connected. if more than 0.4v difference, you do NOT have power. trailer brake controller is working fine. plug is melting from excessive current being pulled FROM the brake light circuit to power other circuits under the dash. you have a bad short somewhere, noticed in the 1st video several fuseable links have blown and someone just put in regular wire. watch out for that, I have seen about 9 vehicles burn to the ground because of that sort of repair. that reminds me, check all the fuseable links under the cover by the fuel pump relay/fuse
I noticed that the radio isn't lighting up either, check the ten amp fuse and check the radio amp that's right above the gas pedal.. I have a 94 Silverado 1500 that's is the same color as yours..👍👍
Look up under the dash and at the to of the brake pedal there is a white or black brake switch module most of the time that fries or just quite working. Kevin
That unit that has that slide leaver that is attached to your seat belt light, they are used for trailor brakes, you can adjust the amount of electrical power to the trailor brakes so that the trailor brakes will come on and slow the towing vehicle brakes
You did a pretty nice job all by yourself, sad to just park it. I guess it wouldn't pass inspection yet. Keep trucking. That trouble shooter was worth the money for sure, D
HEY CLASS " A " My name is Steve.....nice to meet you btw....lol....I have the 1988 4x4 Off Road Silverado....and I was having the same issue with no tail lights...no brake lights....and no friggin' blinkers either....Please do this....cuz this is what I did to get all mine working again....Locate Your main ground....( It should bolt to the frame somewhere back there) Remove it.....take a grinder with a flapper disc....clean the frame...the bolt...and the eyelet....and after youve got everything nice and clean...put a little bit of Dielectrical grease on all parts....the grease will help slow down corrosion and rust build up....Name...?? Thanks Steve..Columbus, Ohio USA
Can you find the manual for your Trailer Brake Controller online? Like others say, I'd be suspect of that. On your Seat Belt Buzzer..you fixed your driver seat lock back right? Maybe a wire got cut or pinched?. Those extra contacts on the brake switch can be for Cruise Control disconnect, Auto Trans Shift Lockout unless foot is on brake, other stuff...….might have to invest in a decent manual with wiring for this truck. Good Luck!
Have you taken that back tailight out and looked to see if anything is fried back there it looks like it's gotten hot before and melted from what I can see. Just a thought. Good luck
What's up man Alright lets get in to this the black box you messed with it is your Towing break you set that once and only once when you tow something DO NOT Touch that box it is pre done to break with Trailers you have a short with the Ignition and Lights so Try the switch for that
The brake light circuit runs through the brake light switch then into the turn signal switch on the white wire it then goes out from there. Good luck I used repair those at Hall's auto electric shop and Conroe Auto Electric shop where I live. Good luck
Over charging won't cause a short. You have a wire or relay shorted to ground. Download a schematic and check every connection. I'm shure there is a connection block underneath in the middle or a bit to the back check that.. Best of luck bro
Pull the taillight assemblies. The internal components are corroded, compromising the ground. Chevrolet changed the design sometime after 1988. I replaced my corroded 1988 taillight assemblies sometime in the early nineties. The service replacements were the upgraded design.
in the brake light switch one switch is for the brake lights and the other for the shouting off cruse control on 95 and up there a third switch in them to shift out of park but 94 and down only brake lights and cruse control even if the truck didnt have cruse the switch was the same. but seeing your firewall you have cruse. try the circuit boards in the taillights themselves always going bad and do yourself a favor buy ac delco circuit boards yes there 30 where aftermarket are half but they dont last.and yes threr two of them one left one right soon as you pull the tail light you see the circuit board im talking about here in new york they salt in the winter and it eats the brass connections good luck looking forward to more
From what you have said I think you will need to rewire the brake lights. I would recommend that you use one size larger wire for the lights and while you are at it rewire the complete system for the rear of the pick-up. Even if the other wires are not damaged it will pay dividends in the future as you will have the important lights in the rear of the vehicle. I would then look at changing the headlight wires doing much the same thing. The exception to this is that I would also use a relay system on the headlights as you can then run something like 12 gauge wire which will avoid any wires burning out or getting hot and melting other wires insulation or possibly an electrical fire. It will also cause more voltage and amperage to the lights causing them to be brighter and therefore better to see and be seen. As your video progressed it is clear that you should think about a major re-wire in order to make the whole wiring system safer. The manufacturers do not use wire that is really big enough to handle the job over many years. That is why I suggest you do these things. The warning systems and the brake systems are all interconnected so you will have to test and repair all these systems in this situation. Also make sure that all the fuses for turn signals, emergency systems (including the emergency flashers), and brakes are good and the wires are perfect. I learned this from experience of having the same problem with another car of this era. Good Luck!
Does that truck have a cruise control? One of those switches there probably turns off the cruise when you brake. Looks like E-Bay time. Or find a new switch in a junk yard.
Sometimes the plug that goes to the switch will get loose and cause an overheating condition. Replace the plug or clean and tighten the ??? Drew a blank sorry. Getting old. Best of luck.
@@ClassALiving no tail lights on the Chevy is on the same circuit as your interior lights that will let you know if it's a power issue. If they work normal it's not a power they all use common ground. I can email you a wiring schematic I've been ASE Master certified technician for 15 years.
I would guess that its abaddon ground, it seems the trailer brake controller is acting as a temporary ground whenever its applied. I bet it's on the frame near the rear.
I have an Extra good ECM if you need it....It should work since all these were the same from 1988 to 1998...lol lmk if you need the ECM.....I can send it to ya....I dont need it
that truck is suprisingly clean
I think this was a great buy for you. Age effects all vehicles and these are still cheap to fix relative to modern cars.
I used to have an 88 and had that same problem, I think in my case I ended up replacing the switch but I cannot recall. either way I pulled my book out and have the circuit up, here are what each color represents to help t/s. pink= 12v hot fused 15a turn b/u fuse 16. purple = flasher out (brake cuts the hazard lights when you break), orange= TCC/stop lamp switch and 12v hot all times 15a fuze stop/haz fuse 1. gray = haz power out. white = cruise control system (think stops cruise when brakes) Yellow is 12v out to brakes. So orange sends 12v to yellow. when you activate the switch yellow and orange should short. if it does, then orange should always have 12v and when you brake yellow should get 12v. Feel free to ask questions and I will look it up. Good luck! great truck!
I am making this truck in Off-road Outlaws. Dually, white paint with blue accent going across the body, 6.5 Diesel with a long bed and the same cab. Basically the same exact trucks at this point besides the Diesel engine.
You found the only electrical control your trans has, the extras go to the torque converter lock, turning it off when you hit the brake. I thought my trans went out when mine went bad because it won't shift over 3rd, either. I'd rip out the trailer control....and I'd suggest replacing the O2 sensors, the obd1 is very limited on it's diagnostics....if it's on the verge and just barely good, obd1 doesn't care....it's good....lol Mines a 92, so probably the same truck....
check the wire harness connection on drivers side frame where they added the trailer connection:) to the back wiring harness. Could be corroded or loose
Ignition switch or key detect switch in column.leave it. Alone
You may look into a load pro to add to your multimeter. It is supposed to be good at finding corroded wiring and may actually be worth a look. The guy who made it seems a bit high strung but his tech seems good :)
But then again....I did see those burnt wires that you showed us....I totally forgot about those.....but it still wont hurt to do the ground cleaning also : ).....keep up the good work
Dude you are the best RUclipsr I'm not gonna lie. Your videos are always good quality and very interesting.
Hoping you find a place to take the truck and rv,because that truck is just way to nice to not keep,especially for free. Great vid as always.
Just subscribed to your channel loved the pick up vids hoping to see more of them been wanting to own one of those 3500 chevy's
I never saw you check for 12v on the orange wire. it should have power if the battery is connected. if more than 0.4v difference, you do NOT have power. trailer brake controller is working fine. plug is melting from excessive current being pulled FROM the brake light circuit to power other circuits under the dash. you have a bad short somewhere, noticed in the 1st video several fuseable links have blown and someone just put in regular wire. watch out for that, I have seen about 9 vehicles burn to the ground because of that sort of repair. that reminds me, check all the fuseable links under the cover by the fuel pump relay/fuse
I noticed that the radio isn't lighting up either, check the ten amp fuse and check the radio amp that's right above the gas pedal.. I have a 94 Silverado 1500 that's is the same color as yours..👍👍
Look up under the dash and at the to of the brake pedal there is a white or black brake switch module most of the time that fries or just quite working. Kevin
Felicitaciones por el proyecto. Saludos desde Lima-Perú
That unit that has that slide leaver that is attached to your seat belt light, they are used for trailor brakes, you can adjust the amount of electrical power to the trailor brakes so that the trailor brakes will come on and slow the towing vehicle brakes
You did a pretty nice job all by yourself, sad to just park it. I guess it wouldn't pass inspection yet. Keep trucking. That trouble shooter was worth the money for sure, D
HEY CLASS " A " My name is Steve.....nice to meet you btw....lol....I have the 1988 4x4 Off Road Silverado....and I was having the same issue with no tail lights...no brake lights....and no friggin' blinkers either....Please do this....cuz this is what I did to get all mine working again....Locate Your main ground....( It should bolt to the frame somewhere back there) Remove it.....take a grinder with a flapper disc....clean the frame...the bolt...and the eyelet....and after youve got everything nice and clean...put a little bit of Dielectrical grease on all parts....the grease will help slow down corrosion and rust build up....Name...??
Thanks
Steve..Columbus, Ohio USA
You got a Name Kiddo..??
Hey Nate I saw a video of a RUclipsr working on the same truck you got but his was a 1989 model and the lights and front grill where different!
Can you find the manual for your Trailer Brake Controller online? Like others say, I'd be suspect of that. On your Seat Belt Buzzer..you fixed your driver seat lock back right? Maybe a wire got cut or pinched?. Those extra contacts on the brake switch can be for Cruise Control disconnect, Auto Trans Shift Lockout unless foot is on brake, other stuff...….might have to invest in a decent manual with wiring for this truck. Good Luck!
Have you taken that back tailight out and looked to see if anything is fried back there it looks like it's gotten hot before and melted from what I can see. Just a thought. Good luck
That light is melted because it was parked too close to a firepit
@@ClassALiving cool deal was just a thought.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
What does this box do? 3:05
It applies power to trailer brakes when you push the brake pedal in the truck
For this system to work, do you have to press the button every time you need to brake the trailer?
always check fuses FIRST, Grounds there are lots of them
Try four way. Flasher and step on broke if it stops then brake switch. Good
What's up man Alright lets get in to this the black box you messed with it is your Towing break you set that once and only once when you tow something DO NOT Touch that box it is pre done to break with Trailers you have a short with the Ignition and Lights so Try the switch for that
Check the trailer brake wiring in the trailer hook up
I converted my interior lights to led lights, if you do the same it would look good in that truck..
The brake light circuit runs through the brake light switch then into the turn signal switch on the white wire it then goes out from there. Good luck I used repair those at Hall's auto electric shop and Conroe Auto Electric shop where I live. Good luck
Over charging won't cause a short. You have a wire or relay shorted to ground. Download a schematic and check every connection. I'm shure there is a connection block underneath in the middle or a bit to the back check that.. Best of luck bro
Pull the taillight assemblies. The internal components are corroded, compromising the ground. Chevrolet changed the design sometime after 1988. I replaced my corroded 1988 taillight assemblies sometime in the early nineties. The service replacements were the upgraded design.
in the brake light switch one switch is for the brake lights and the other for the shouting off cruse control on 95 and up there a third switch in them to shift out of park but 94 and down only brake lights and cruse control even if the truck didnt have cruse the switch was the same. but seeing your firewall you have cruse. try the circuit boards in the taillights themselves always going bad and do yourself a favor buy ac delco circuit boards yes there 30 where aftermarket are half but they dont last.and yes threr two of them one left one right soon as you pull the tail light you see the circuit board im talking about here in new york they salt in the winter and it eats the brass connections good luck looking forward to more
Complete guess here but could that other seemingly redundant switch be part of a trailer brake light circuit?
From what you have said I think you will need to rewire the brake lights. I would recommend that you use one size larger wire for the lights and while you are at it rewire the complete system for the rear of the pick-up. Even if the other wires are not damaged it will pay dividends in the future as you will have the important lights in the rear of the vehicle. I would then look at changing the headlight wires doing much the same thing. The exception to this is that I would also use a relay system on the headlights as you can then run something like 12 gauge wire which will avoid any wires burning out or getting hot and melting other wires insulation or possibly an electrical fire. It will also cause more voltage and amperage to the lights causing them to be brighter and therefore better to see and be seen.
As your video progressed it is clear that you should think about a major re-wire in order to make the whole wiring system safer. The manufacturers do not use wire that is really big enough to handle the job over many years. That is why I suggest you do these things.
The warning systems and the brake systems are all interconnected so you will have to test and repair all these systems in this situation. Also make sure that all the fuses for turn signals, emergency systems (including the emergency flashers), and brakes are good and the wires are perfect.
I learned this from experience of having the same problem with another car of this era.
Good Luck!
Does that truck have a cruise control? One of those switches there probably turns off the cruise when you brake. Looks like E-Bay time. Or find a new switch in a junk yard.
At 9:47 , the brake light switch has 2 connectors, one with 4 wires and one with 2 wires.
What happens if the connector with the 2 wires is missing?
Nice :)
Sometimes the plug that goes to the switch will get loose and cause an overheating condition. Replace the plug or clean and tighten the ??? Drew a blank sorry. Getting old. Best of luck.
omg u have cool shoes :D
Can u do a cheap budget restoration on that truck
Does your dome light work. That's how you know it has power they're on the same fuse.
I was just giving an example of what to do with the power probe
@@ClassALiving no tail lights on the Chevy is on the same circuit as your interior lights that will let you know if it's a power issue. If they work normal it's not a power they all use common ground. I can email you a wiring schematic I've been ASE Master certified technician for 15 years.
I would guess that its abaddon ground, it seems the trailer brake controller is acting as a temporary ground whenever its applied. I bet it's on the frame near the rear.
A bad ground*
Taillights have circuit boards those go bad so check that as well
I have the same problem I would like to see how to fix it
is that a 454 in it?
my 97 3500 has the vortec 454
Could be a problem at the trailer connection.
Probably have a brake /transmission safety switch as well as cc and brake light.
@ ClassALIving....What State do you live in Class A Living...??
what do you mean by "homestead"? You mean you plan to buy property?
Humidity disconnect the brakes switch maybe !!
Stop light switch under dash. .......overcharge is no ground. Wire from neg batt cable to sheet metal. Brake light bulbs. Blown????
Try a new CPM.
CHECK GROUND TO BRAKE LIGHTS
If there was something wrong with the ground going to the brake lights they would not turn on at all, pay attention
Haha I can't stand the dam beeps and buzzes wish my truck never had it I know my dam door is open ,,🔑
I have an Extra good ECM if you need it....It should work since all these were the same from 1988 to 1998...lol
lmk if you need the ECM.....I can send it to ya....I dont need it
Check everything that was added after the factory. Can't fix others junk.
If it can’t be fixed with a hammer you got an electrical problem
Electric trailer. Brake ditch it