no tail lights

[Diego Zuniga]

My tail lights and rear running lights stop working.brake lights, head lights and front running lights are fine. Have power going to rear of truck but still no lights.

[datzenmike]

If nothing works then bad ground.

[DanielC]

The tail lights on a 521 have a wiring harness on each tail light assembly.  Since the lamp holders are mounted in plastic, there is a separate black ground wire that goes to the tail light assembly metal frame.  The tail light frame should ground to the bed of the truck.  The bed of the truck should ground to the frame of the truck.  The frame of the truck should ground to the engine, and the engine head connects to the negative battery cable.

 

Try running a ground wire from the tail light frame to the frame of the truck.  

 

See this thread on 521 tail lights:

http://community.ratsun.net/topic/18092-521-taillight-rebuilding/ 

[banzai510(hainz)]

I always wiggle and ck the fuse box and fuses.

 

I think if you don't have dash lights and brake light don't work its the fuse. Cant remember exactly

 

 

lets use know

[paradime]

With 45 year old Datsuns, this is not an anomaly. It is a feature.

 

You know you own a Datsun when... refer to this thread.

[DanielC]

Brake lights are independent of tail lights, and use separate fuses, although both will work with the key off.

 

1972 521 trucks may also have independent fuses for the headlights, and the tail, and other lights.

[Diego Zuniga]

I had new floors put in the truck few weeks ago and apparently they cut the tail light wire in the wire harness that goes under the cab.so I saw I had power at the plug next to starter but not at the end of the bed. So after hours of cutting into harness and digging the red and blue wire I narrowed it to a section where I unraveled the harness and found the culprit the red and blue wire cut completely threw. Also found a white wire with black stripe cut as well. Not sure where it goes to but it obviously cut.Any ideas what this wire is? Thanks for the help and input

[DanielC]

I think it might be right rear turn signal.  Turn on your four way flashers, and go and look of it is working.

 

This might help: