Putting turn signals on my 37 master deluxe. Problem is when I put on left signal..nothing, right turn on, all four flash like hazard flashes. I'm stumped, only thought is a ground issue and getting feedback.. any ideas?
Typically a grounding issue on taillights. The housings never ground properly. Sent from my XT1585 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thanks for reply, was not sure, but figured a ground issue. Will check rear lights..I added new lights to the front...all lights work other than left t.s. don't light or blink.
You can use a test light, to see if it's getting voltage to each bulb. Also, we don't know what switch you used...is it a new one? an old one? How many wires does the switch have? How is it wired? If you can't find the problem, give us more info...
Is this newly wired? Grafted in to the original harness? What switch and how is it wired? Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I have a GM tilt column with key switch, new wiring, added integrated turn lights on headlight buckets and using original tail/brake lights. Today ran ground wires to each light assembly on the rear. Left switch doesn't even power the left side bulbs, but right switch powers all 4 turnsignals. Park lamps, brake lamps also work...
It's going to be difficult for us to figure out what you've done, without you providing a wiring diagram or something. For starters, if the brake lamps work, but the turn signals don't work, it implies that the switch is not wired to the bulbs correctly. The normal (1960s-80s) GM tilt column turn signal wiring has a separate wire for each turn signal on the car, front left, front right, rear left, rear right. Brake light power to the brake light bulbs uses the turn signal wiring.
In any electrical problem, step one is check all grounds. Most often the problem is grounds. Once all grounds are known for a fact to be good, then we can start looking elsewhere. If there is a ground problem at a light, there could be a weird back feed situation. You said you ran ground wires to the rear. Make sure front lights, and even turn signal indicators (if you have them) have good grounds.
I agree with Squirrel. There is a wiring issue between the wires from the column and the 4 turn lights. The left and the right front turn power goes directly to the their respective lights and the lights need to be grounded. The rear turn left and right turn power will interrupt the brake light power for whatever side is turned on. Without a wiring diagram of what your car currently has, we will be lost and will just be guessing. If you don't know how your wiring is done, you should probably get a wiring diagram that matches your column and start over. Gene
I have a Painless generic wiring set.. I think my next step is to pull the steering wheel and make sure the multi switch is working. Plus, even after running ground wires to the back, the left rear light doesn't seem as bright as the others...back to the beginning may be best. Double check all my wires..thnx
If one rear light is not as bright, it's possible you have the bulb in "backwards", or wired the wrong wires for the two filaments. The bright one is for brake/turn, dim for tail lights. you should be able to test the turn switch without taking things apart. A test light helps.
You might try this... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/turn-signal-wiring-how-to.869492/ ... to verify wire function and switch operation. While diagnosing electrical long-distance is always difficult, it sounds like either a defective switch or a couple of turn signal wires are swapped. Don't get hung up on 'wire color' or 'factory diagrams', I've seen switches that didn't jive with these on more than one occasion...
I have a test light, that's my main troubleshooting tool right now. I also have a Fluke multimeter. Left tail/brake light is wired correct. Light is brighter when brakes applied, just seems a bit dimmer. Also, this is a all steel car, no glass issues as with my 66 vette...
Bad bulbs will have you chasing all sorts of demons. I started out with fresh bulbs and rear taillight sockets when I re-wired my Ford. I had to identify what each wire coming down the column did and label them. The color code stripes were worn off the OG harness from the turn signal harness. Make a diagram of your TS harness, colors and functions. Is the Painless harness a color-for-color match? If not you'll have to tag those and match it up to the column wiring. But make sure everything coming out the column plug is working.
The Painless is not color for color, I have tagged most of the wires. I could have a wire crossed. There are wiper and cruise wires that I'm not using. I'm checking out the column now. Verified my work....
Checking the wires at the flasher, 3 prong style. X terminal 12 vdc in, test light bright, L terminal, load, has power, test light dim with switch in neutral position. Right turn,. X term bright..L term blinking, P terminal brightly blinking..left turn..X term 12 vdc, L term dim not blinking, P term nothing.. bad flasher, or am I still chasing a bad grnd.
Third terminal just powers up indicator lamp on dash. T.S. switch is a 8 wire switch...black, light blue, dark blue, brown, purple, yellow, green, and white. Trying to find schematic now. Replaced flasher, no help...
black is horn button light blue left front dark blue right front brown hazard flasher power in yellow left rear green right rear white brake light switch power in purple.....turn signal flasher can power in
Yep, that's how it's wired, and that's why I'm stumped....almost has to be t.s. switch.... zI've got a rats nest of wires pulled out to check that they are run correctly... left switch must not be making...
My uncle put a tilt column in his '69 Z/28 some years ago, and had issues with the turn signals not working. After tracing and testing everything back to the column, I pulled the steering wheel so I could get at the turn signal switch; discovered that whoever put the switch together at the factory didn't get the spring behind a couple of the contact plates.
I agree, tomorrow I'm going to pull the steering wheel off....some remote memory is niggling my brain, thinking I've had this issue before, years ago?
Well, after 7 days of rain I had to do some outdoor work. Back in the garage. I don't know if this has any relevance to my signal issue, but the horn wasn't working also. I have a Grant steering wheel and the horn button was continuously grounded, relay burned up. Repaired grounding issue at horn button, installed new horn relay. Good news is the horn works now. Bad news is I have no blinkers at all now, left or right side. .no voltage to the L terminal at the flasher now.. ?????
Bad switch? Bad connector? Start where the voltage is and follow it until you find where you're losing it. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
On the flasher I have 12 vdc on the X term. The purple wire is on the L term. With my test light the 2 at X is brighter than at L...from what I understand the purple wire is the common hot to the t s switch. I've tried 2 different flashers and they are the same. Checked my grnd at lights and reading .3 ohms to bumper bolts...???
Thanks to Crazy Steve for the link to ..turn signal wiring how-to... I saved the switch till last thinking ground issues. After verifying all wires and grounds...that just left the switch..and I'm not real fond of doing them..so today I printed out the how-to pages. After spending some time checking continuity between the six wires I figured the switch was shorted... I tore down the column to pull the switch. I found the switch full of flakey stuff, and after cleaning with contact cleaner I thought I'd check it again....result.. everything is working now. Can't say what the problem was..but it's gone. Thanks to every Hamber who responded Now I have to dress up all the wires that I pulled.. one issue done...I have turnsignals, horn, and got the clock working...
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