Ok so I took a stab at replacing a turn signal bucket today and I have mixed results. There are only 2 wires coming out the back, 1 yellow, 1 green. I took the old one out, put the new one in, connected the yellow and green wires and...when I turn on my left signal, both signals blink. Right only is fine but the left, which is the one I replaced, blinks on both the right and left simultaneously. What did I do wrong?
You say bucket, do you mean turn signal lamp bucket (back shell)? If so then it sounds like the ground at the bucket is bad. The turn signal will try to ground through the parking (or tail) light filaments on the opposite turn signal. This will light the intended signal, along with the opposite signal's parking or tail light.
Yep ground issue. I tightened up the bucket and viola! I had signals. I think I wasn't initially grounded very well and when I tightened everything up, it finally worked! I'm very proud of myself right now...small things are pretty big in my world where I don't have any help, except for the HAMB of course... Thanks guys!
Yayy!! I was gonna say grounding too! And I'm happy you fixed your signals (now have you added a 3rd brakelight yet...? )
Just remember 2 wrongs don't make a right but 3 lefts will................... Souns like ther is a grounding problem Usually when light act up like that one or the other has a bad ground and it is back feeding throug hthe other light looking for a good one.
Well, it's always something. I got the flashers working outside but only see one inside...Checked the fuse and it's good, replaced the flasher bulb but I still see no blinking arrow on the right inside the dash. I hear it ticking but there is no light. Suggestions?
I'm guessing here, but while you hear the "ticking", try "wiggling" or rotating slightly, the bulb holder, in the back of the instrument panel, and watch for it to illuminate......... Prolly' just another bad / dirty connection............ Oh, and on your "Tag line" area of your post's, .......You may wish to include what year and model of "Bu-Rock" that you wish these parts for.....
Again, stealthcruiser said what I was going to- I had a truck that had no "inside indication" and I checked everything!! But the only problem was the "plug-in parts" where dirty! All I had to do was wiggle them around a bit and that "cleaned" it enough to give it a good connection. Do you have a test light/voltimeter? I've found those two instruments to be indescribably helpful with wiring- And as for a 3rd brakelight I could tell ya how to do that if you want
I do have a voltimeter, I tried it but got nothing but maybe it wasn't grounded Ha Ha! I'll try again and I'll clean everything really good. So, you weren't kidding about the third brake light???
You need to realize how these indicators are wired. If it is anything like my 59 Olds, it has a 3 terminal flasher. One of the terminals is labeled P for pilot. This terminal feeds both dash indicators and in turn the other lead of each indicator is wired to the OPPOSITE front directional bulb. IE: left indicator to right front directional, right indicator to left front directional. So if the right indicator does not flash, it is possible that the left front directional bulb may be bad. (The dash indicator gets grounded through the non flashing front bulb.) Sounds weird but that is how it works.
That is weird but I'll go ahead and replace that bulb too just to see if it makes a difference. Thanks for that info, I never would have known or thought to check the working side.
you might want to solder some ground leads from the housings as road vibration will cause you to lose your grounds again. ask me how i know!
Uh, how do you know??? I replaced both bulbs and checked the fuse again and I have blinking lights outside front, back and inside left but still no inside right. I traced the wire from the bulb to the panel where it connects. I un-connected it, cleaned it and reattached it but still no right blinker. I'm totally not familiar with auto wiring so you lost me at "ground leads". It does appear to be a ground issue, I just can't isolate it. If it makes a difference, my flashers are located under a little secret panel of metal that you have to pry off with a screwdriver. The panel is under the rolled edge of the dash just under the arrows for the blinkers. You have to open the panel then fish this long piece of metal out and the bulb is on the end.
Now if you look at both of the turn indicators, each bulb is grounded (at the bulb socket or nearby) and the other leads go to the turn signal switch via a junction point. The turn signal switch gets it's power from the P or pilot signal on the flasher. You have either a grounding issue at the indicator lamp itself, the turn signal switch is bad, or the wiring (orange leads) to/from the junction point on fuse panel to either the indicator or to the turn signal switch. Follow the attached diagram and you will find the culprit. Good luck
I'll need the luck. I think I am confused about what is what. All I see are orange wires coming from the bulbs and going into the fuse panel. Should there be additional ground wires coming off the bulbs? I have alot of wiring hanging from under the dash so I may have something there that should be hooked up but isn't. I do not have any interior lights at the moment, except for my left turn indicator I have one of those handy wiring diagrams but when I looked at it I just got more confused...I'll give it another shot with your directions. Thanks!
Most of the older cars had a metal shell that the indicator and dash lights snapped into. If the indicator light socket has only one wire going to it, then it is grounded via the metal shell instrument cluster. If two wires are going to it, such as orange and a black, then the black wire would be the ground wire. But I really think the indicator sockets on yours is grounded via the shell. If the other indicator works, then the shell is properly grounded and you need to focus on the orange wires.
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