Need Wiring Help On 69 Torino Gt

[LISA69]

I Can't Get My Tail Lights Or Dash Lights To Work And If I Don't Disconnect My Battery Cable At Night My Battery Is Dead In The Morning

[65comet]

I would first try the light switch. Use a continuity tester to see if turning it on and off does shut off the power. Check the incoming power connection to the body of the switch as well. A short inside of it might be letting power go straight to ground from its connection to the dash. The 68 Fairlane I had had a short in the dash light reostat. If I left the switch turned to have the interior lights on, then I would get dash lights. It is possible the dash light and tail light problems are coincedental and caused by unrelated items. The tail light problem could be a wire has bared somewhere and is grounding out, or just broken. Could be corrosion on the back side of the fusebox. I have seen those light switches retaining nuts loosen and someone turn the switch a full 360 degrees causing the wires to wrap around themselves causing a short. Though it only affected the headlights for me, that floor high/low beam switch likes to corrode and short out also.

[bobss396]

The foot dimmer can cause some freaky problems and is often overlooked.

As far as the parasitic drain issue, you have a short somewhere. There is an easy old time test for this. Disconnect your negative battery terminal. Hold the cable in your hand, strike the terminal against the battery post, if you see a spark, something is still live. Make sure your under hood light is out and the key is off, car doors closed. This is best done in total darkness.

Now one by one, remove a fuse at the fuse block, repeat the test until you get a no spark condition. That will be the circuit with the short.

Bob