Brake light wiring question

[slopjockey]

Hey Folks, I have had my share of the usual elect/lighting probs. I recently installed a new turn sig. switch. Everything worked fine,flashers, turns, brakes, horn, all that junk. A day or two later, no brake lights. I put the tester to the switch and got spotty power to the B.light switch. I got tired of messing around with it and ran a jump wire with an inline 10 amp fuse to the hot side of the brake switch from the pos. term. of the batt. Every thing works fine now, My question is am I "back feeding" the original hot circuit? Nothing has blown up yet, but with my luck, it`s just a matter of time!

[flyboy2610]

Did the rest of the lights keep working or did they go out with the brake lights?

[slopjockey]

Nope, all the lights, radio, wipers, accs., work, actually the first time in quite a while ALL the stuff works! I figured the hot wire to the brake lights must come directly from the batt. since they operate w/o a key. I "teed" a fused hot wire from batt. to original brake hot wire . No smell, smoke or flames yet! Dang! I must have done something close to right! I was concerned about "colliding" electrical currents.

[flyboy2610]

I had problems with my brake lights and turn signals.
I traced it to the fuse holder in the fuse box. I made a short jumper wire with two alligator clips and an inline fuse holder. I clipped one end to each end of the fuse holder. No more trouble after that.
Check to see that you're getting power to both sides of the fuse holder. Those things can corrode and cause problems.

[slopjockey]

Yep, I have suspected that there is some funny stuff going on in or around the fuse block. Iv`e jiggled wires around there and gotten some faults to appear or correct. The only thing is that I`m not ready to stand on my head in 100 degree temp. and the air thick with humidity and mosquitos! After all, this thing is my hobby, not my demise! I`ll keep y`ll posted-- Thanks!

[willowbilly3]

That 68 I sent to Mexico had some resistance in the brake light fuse holder and I would have to take the fuse out and sand it fairly often, like avery couple months. It sounds like you have it solved EXCEPT you need circuit protection, You didn't say if you had a fuse in your new feed (or did I miss it). Anyway, never hook up any feed without a fuse, and coming directly off the battery will usually result in a cire that is corroded off, best to put a big eye terminal end on the wire and attach it to the starter relay.

[slopjockey]

Yep, my brake lights and all still work, and I have a 10 amp fuse spliced into my jumper wire off the batt. You mentioned hooking up this wire to the starter relay, with a large ring connector. Which side? The obvious hot side? I`m a rank ameteur and need all the help I can get! I got a big kick this weekend, I was busting down the interstate at 70 when a Harley ridden by a guy and chick came up behind, lingered, then slowly passed, and both gave the thumbs up! I guess they liked something about the old truck. Later.