1980 buick riviera headlights and running lights wontb turn on turn signals work and brake lights work can you trouble shoot me please

I am thinking that the brake lamps in the rear taillamps went through the turn signal/hazzard switch. Play with your hazzard switch and see if they start working. If not, check the brake lamp switch with a test light. I believe the high mount stoplamp had a seperate wire than the taillamps for brake lights.

The dash and tail lights are on two different circuits, and the brake and turn signals are on different circuits, so at least 4 circuits total.
I would start at the headlight switch and check for power on the first two issues.

Turn signal tail lights and BRAKE LIGHTS NOT WORKING

It can be faulty brake light switch causing the problem or its blown brake light bulb. First check and confirm brake light lamp is working and that's not the case.

For turn signal not working it can be faulty turn signal switch or its issue with wiring:----

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To trouble shoot brake and turn signal related problem, check the help links mentioned below:-----

Click the link:----
1996 Buick Regal Grand Sport Brake light Switch Location? http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.in/2012/04/1996-buick-regal-gran-sport-brake-light.html

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No brake lights on Buick? http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.in/2012/04/no-brake-lights-on-buick.html

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Brake lights not working on 1989 BUICK REGAL?

http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.in/2012/04/brake-lights-not-working-on-1989-buick.html

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How to replace Brake light switch on Chevrolet Tahoe?

http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/02/how-to-replace-brake-light-switch-on.html

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How to replace Parking, turn, and Brake Lights on car?

http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-replace-parking-turn-and-brake.html

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Upper brake lights work, but low brake light not working?

http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/upper-brake-lights-workbut-low.html

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1997 Cadillac Catera: How to replace Brake Light Switch?

http://howtobyme.blogspot.in/2012/06/1997-cadillac-catera-how-to-replace.html

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2003 Chevrolet S10 Tail light Fuse http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2012/11/2003-chevrolet-s10-tail-light-fuse.html

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Chevrolet Parking light and Tail lamp light Wiring diagram http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2012/11/chevrolet-parking-light-and-tail-lamp.html

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Car Tail Lights Not Working?

http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/car-tail-lights-not-working.html

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Turn Signal Not working http://technoanswers.blogspot.com/2012/11/turn-signal-not-working.html

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Right turn signal not working on Pontiac Car?

http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/right-turn-signal-not-working-on.html

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Only one side indicator light working on car?

http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/only-one-side-indicator-light-working.html

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Turn signals not working on 1987 Jeep Wagoneer? http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/turn-signals-not-working-on-1987-jeep.html

1996 Chrysler LHS brake light circuit wiring diagram?

http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/02/1996-chrysler-lhs-brake-light-circuit.html

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How to replace rear Brake lights on 2004 Toyota RAV4? http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.in/2012/02/how-to-replace-rear-brake-lights-on.html

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One brake light on driver side not working, but other lights work?

http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2011/12/one-brake-light-on-driver-side-not.html

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2002 Lincoln Town car Fuse Box http://schematicsdiagram.blogspot.com/2012/11/2002-lincoln-town-car-fuse-box.html 2007 KIA Rio: Brake Light Fuse Box Diagram?

http://repairhelpcenter.blogspot.in/2012/06/2007-kia-rio-brake-light-fuse-box.html

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Overhead Brake lights not working on 1999 GMC Sierra 4x4?

http://technoanswers.blogspot.in/2012/03/overhead-brake-lights-not-working-on.html

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2004 Ford Mustang: Brake light Fuse Location?

http://howtobyme.blogspot.in/2012/05/2004-ford-mustang-brake-light-fuse.html

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These will help.

Thanks.

Check your hazard button, you may have a bad flasher and it could be on causing the break lights not to work.

General motors run the brake lights circuit throught the turn signal switch . Now if the fuse are all good for the brake lights and turn signal circuit . I would be looking at replacing the turn signal switch as they are known to short internaly. I am not sure on your model of car if you can just remove the steering colum housing around the switch or if you have to remove the air bag and pull the steering wheel to reach the turn signal switch . there is a turn signal flasher and a brake light switch also but if either of these were bad it would not effect the operation of the other

Vehicle electric trouble shooting is the worst. Some of the problems you described the bulbs may have multiple filiments with only some burned out. It may sound silly but change the bulbs. Get a couple of new bulbs and try them in the different spots. Time, road vibrations and spring pressure causes the contacts on the bulbs to wear until they get a poor connection then you get a little arcing that build up a residue and a bulb that test good doesn't work.
Your on the right track with the ground wire. Try a test lamp with a good gound connection and test the different sockets, if your test light works but your bulb doesn't you have a ground fault. If neither work check the switch and fuse before you start tracing the wiring. These are just general trouble shooting tips It's very hard to trouble shoot electrical problems sight unseen.

bad headlight switch is the correct answer

for one ther is no such thing as a combination swich for that, the problem is that the brake light switch is bad or out of adjusment its an easy fix either way,!!!!!!!

If the lights don't turn off with the new switch they are getting power from another source which probably means the power wire has a bare spot and is drawing from another power wire that is live all time. This is most likely to be happening under the hood. You'll have to start tracing wires from the headloghts back. Hope this helps.

when the parking brake is released or the car is place on drive gear the lights should turn on, check the switches on both sides to see if they work if not replace them.