Rear turn signals not working?

[NowhereFast]

Both of my front turn signals work fine, so I'm assuming it's not the relay.
They were working previously, and I haven't done much to mess with them in my conversion other than driving.
I replaced the bulbs, no fix.
I'm going to assume it's the ground right?
I don't have much electrical experience other than teaching myself about this bus with solar, my inverter and wiring breaker box. And then having an electrician to come see I did it right.

My problem is when I look into it I can't seem to find anywhere the ground would be? It's just one wire to the bulb. Maybe I'm retarded, please help!

[NowhereFast]

I have a 1995 international 3800, carpenter body. DT466

Anyone happen to having the wiring diagram for this or similar year?

My email is:
Brendan.oconnor23@yahoo.com

[onenationundergoat]

Our tail light quit working, and putting in a good bulb didn't help. Once we unscrewed the whole thing we realized that when we put it back together after painting the wire got pinched. Moved the wire to a more padded spot and it was fixed.

[cadillackid]

check the header panel above the windshield behind the student mirror thats where my BODY wiring diagram is... for the carpenter body...mine was a bit hard to see so i took a high res picture with my phone and blew it up on my computer to read it...

could also be the hand-off connector thats behind the driver kick-panel as come partially loose.. do you know if you have brake and tail lights on the back of the body? theres a couple connectors in that kick area on the driver side.. I accidentilly unplugged one of mine when I was installingthe A/C.. and it killed my rear lights altogether..

-Christopher

[NowhereFast]

Cadillac, could the screw used to hold up the turn signal lights be the ground for the fixture? It only has one wire (positive) from the fixture.

If they could be, maybe that's my problem as the screws are rusty as heck.

[cadillackid]

sure can.. ive seen that happen too... also seen where water got in the sockets and they looked like crap inside with the bulb out..

are your signals separate fro mthe tail lights? if so, make sure you use a single filament bulb.
-Christopher

[snonut]

The whole bus is your ground. If you have rust (or paint) between two components (light housing and bus) it doesn't conduct and your light won't work.
As far as the wiring diagram my son-in-laws Thomas bus has the wiring diagram on the inside of the small door under the drivers window on the outside of the bus.
Hope this helps

[2kool4skool]

On our BB the multi-pin plug for the rear lights came unplugged. It lives behind the access door under the driver's window.

[NowhereFast]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

I'm going to
1. Clean up the metal from paint and dirt around the light fixtures.
2. Replace some rusty screws with new ones
3. If those don't work, follow the wire back as far as I can.

And 4. Apparently with by replacing them with LEDs previously I need a different relay for them to work properly. Might give that a go as well.
From what I read they still work with the regular flasher relay, but just flash really fast?

[cadillackid]

they may, however usually theres enough other bulbs in the circuit on a bus to loasd the flasher down... at least on my bus, i have the front signal by the headlamp.. one up on the top of the fender, one on the side of the bus, and then the rear one..

-Christopher

[NowhereFast]

Is a .7 continuous parasite draw normal? I have a dt466 mechanical.

I took out all the fuses in the panel box and nothing changed. Any suggestions?

[NowhereFast]

Actually by pulling the fuses my amp draw went up?

[Jolly Roger]

Sorry just seen this? I have the same single wire style lights and yes the light frame and mounting screws are the ground. when I had a problem with my lights it was the ground. I wanted good paint behind my lights so that stopped the frame from grounding but the screws are the most secure part of the ground so I cleaned the screw holes as best as I could with a small wire brush like used to clean small copper fitting's and was able to make mine work but wasn't happy with that solution that would only by time before it happened again so I turned my whole frame an 1/8" and drilled and mounted in fresh and un corrupted screw/grounding mounting holes. As long as the screws have solid/clean metal to metal contact with the frame and screw hole you should be fine or so far mine have been.
One more I think is important (and it might be me) is with the ground going directly to metal I like to think it is important to use dielectric grease to protect the connections from corrosion.(or to me it is a safe/cheap investment) because electricity and metal connections/grounds tend to corrode quicker than just putting a screw in with no wire.
And please any real sparkies/electricians out there expand on or disapprove my thoughts on dielectric corrosion. I know for a fact it is on dissimilar metals like steel and copper but I have heard of it wiring issues also.

[Jolly Roger]

I also fought an issue with my reverse lights that when tested at the lights I had power there when grounded to the frame/body but the lights wouldn't work? Ended up being my pressure switch in the tranny? I can't explain it and my batteries don't drain down?
I have gone out of my way to seperate anything I add between the bus starting,driving,working anything and anything I added to save a starting issue being connected to a house issue. Therefore if there is a problem with the house I can still start and go and if there is a problem with the start then I have somewhere to stay while I work on it?

[NowhereFast]

Jolly, thanks for the reply man. I did as you said and cleaned the contact around the screws and my turn signals now work.

Now I'm working on a parasite draw of sorts. It takes 2 days for my start battery to drain down (8d 1600cca and 179ah).
I'm measuring a continuous draw of about .7 amps, pulled all fuses and no change besides "waking up" a few fuses.
With that little draw am I supposed to be searching for a light or so? No switched at panel are on, no lights on up front.

[Jolly Roger]

I can't say? Maybe another bad ground somewhere? But to save your batteries you could install a disconnect switch until you find the issue? There is not a single wire I test on my bus body that does not show something? I can't explain it? But I haven't had to jump my batteries in a while and still read something on the bus skin? No matter what original light interior or exterior I go to?
There are some sparkles on this page so I am pushing/asking them to chime in with there thoughts?
Good luck.
By the way how did Ya'll do in the storm down that way? I am surrounded by flooding rivers but setting high and dry close to the beach hope Ya'll are well?
One other thing is the age of your batteries? If your batteries are old then it could be a bad cell in the battery?
Since I changed mine I have had no issues?
Not saying that a parasitic drain is good on them but the bad cell could be a drain?

[NowhereFast]

I'm attempting to check the starter to see if it's causing the draw.
Replaced my alternator about a month ago so it shouldn't be that.
Hoping a new starter or bad connections is the cause.

And thank you! We've had two hurricanes recently, the first flung branches into my windows and gave me an excuse to reskin and do RV Windows.
Hurrican Mathew recently I was too prepared for! I've got a 20,000 sq ft airplane hanger I brought the bus into the weather the storm and it barely came.

[Tootalltechie]

On my 1974 BB chev the Chevy fuse box has rusty contacts at the fuse �� I have to figure out how to remove the rust or replace the 20 circuit fuse panel.
Oh well I wanted a antique
All the best with the lights.
Gordon