"Tegger" <invalid@invalid.inv> wrote in message
news:Xns9CA0ABC6AF1B9tegger@208.90.168.18...
> "Seth" <seth_lermanNOSPAM@hotmail.com> wrote in
> news:haqhnu$72n$1@news.eternal-september.org:
>
>> "Tegger" <invalid@invalid.inv> wrote in message
>> news:Xns9CA08A5B74963tegger@208.90.168.18...
>
>
> <snip>
>
>
>>>
>>> Plus I gave you another clue: Check to see if the side markers and
>>> license plate lights work.
>>
>>
>> At this point I would bet money it's a bad ground. With the engine
>> off, the lights are getting their ground through some circuit that is
>> off with the engine off (question about if this is truly tied to the
>> engine running or just the run vs. accessory vs. off position of the
>> key switch hasn't been answered yet).
>>
>> But I'll bet it's similar to the situation that happens sometimes
>> where a persons brake lights only work when the headlights are off or
>> the tail lights work only when the brake pedal isn't pressed.
>>
>> Bad ground.
>>
>>
>
>
> I considered a bad ground as well, but dismissed that as being unlikely.
> The grounds are on the interior of the body shell and are rarely
> defective.
> The one exception is the taillight ground in the hatchback. That one is
> sometimes damaged in bad rear-end collisions.
>
> Power to the taillights is switched. Ground is permanent. This is the
> opposite of the horn circuit, where the horns are always live and ground
> is
> supplied by the horn contacts in the steering wheel.
>
> In any case, if the OP would check his front marker lights and rear
> license
> plate lights and see if they behave the same as the taillights, that would
> give us a clue. The markers and taillights use different grounds, but the
> taillights and license plate lights use a common ground.
>
> Actually, the same power source feeds:
> radio
> taillights
> front markers
> license plate lights
> glove box light
> heater control panel lights
> clock
> cigarette lighter
> and many other things. These use many different ground points.


I see your point. But as a former after market installer I have seen this
way too much. Often times (mis) blamed on the stereo. On many of these
cars a few items use a shared ground and if the grounding bolt has worked
itself loose or rusted (this is an almost 20 year old vehicle) it becomes a
"floating" ground that is no longer ground when the 2nd circuit is also
energized.

Could be either... My money is on the ground.