Turn Signal Issue

[CarmMontana]

Hey guys

I just started putting my interior back into my pig and everything works fine but my turn signals. They were working great before tear down but nothing now. I have traced all the wires back and checked all the fuses but I don't see any issues. I also changed the flasher unit but not change. I think the switch is working on my steering column but the switch to turn on the brights, headlights, turns the headlights off. So any idea on this guys? I worked on it for 3 hours today and still didn't get it so I am stumped. Just to clarify all the other electrical circuits work great including the hazards, which I found is on a completely separate system.

Carmon

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Check the grounding at your turn light buckets? Try adding a jumper to see if that works(jumper from known good ground to known clean metal of light bucket.) HTH

 

[cruiser_guy]

Yep, add a ground to the turn signal buckets. I had to do that too.

 

[CarmMontana]

So that didn't work for me guys. I did notice another odd thing though. It seems when I turn on the key the flasher goes into one sequence of the ding but then stops. Any idea why that would be?

I tried to get to the insides of the turn signal switch but it seems you have to pull the steering wheel and i leant my puller to my dad. Is that the only way to get to the turn signal assembly?

Carmon

 

[Pighead]

So that didn't work for me guys. I did notice another odd thing though. It seems when I turn on the key the flasher goes into one sequence of the ding but then stops. Any idea why that would be?

Low voltage. Maybe a low battery or a bad battery ground?

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

hope I'm not beating a dead dog, but your negative battery cable CAN be bad w/o having visual cues-ie corroded inside out. Has happened to me, and others as well. Might try swapping in a known good one just to test.....Other things that can affect turn/ stop lights together is the haz $witch.



Just noted you said the hazard circuit was working and separate. Has you truck got a universal harness in it?

 

[cruiser_guy]

I still say grounds are your problem. I've had similar problems with mine when I first got it together and it was always grounds.

 

[CarmMontana]

Just noted you said the hazard circuit was working and separate. Has you truck got a universal harness in it?

No, no universal harness. It just works on a separate circuit and has its own flasher. Is that not normal?

I took a ground jumper form the battery and hooked it to the flasher to get the results I was talking about, the flasher dinging once but not again.

Still not sure what is going on. I will try and get to the switch and see if something is wrong there.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

The haz has its own flasher yes. But the brake lights/ turn signals go thru the haz $witch. If the rear lights/ front turn sigs come on and flash w/ the haz energized, then I would stop looking for that ground problem.: this means the lights work and the problem is in the wiring or downstream $witch. OK, you've got no turn/ stop lights by operating the turn signal $ and no stop w/ foot on brake as well? Also have problem w/ the high low beam selector $? Kinda does take a guy toward the turn signal $witch. Any chance the connector got plugged in backward? When you are testing these things, do you have a running truck w/ jumpers to your rigs battery, just a charged battery on the rig itself? IOW, how much voltage are you using to do your tests? Low voltage and the high beams may not illuminate, as well the flasher may not turn inside its housing......check the ground cable?????- naw the hazards work, right?

 

[cruiser_guy]

My '55 had the EXACT same symptoms. Hazards worked, brakes etc. all good just the turn signals would come on and stay on. Ended up as a bad ground.

Those grounds can be real nasty and BOTH need to be good, back AND front signal.

 

[CarmMontana]

Well it was the switch. For some reason it was super dirty in there and the contacts weren't working so. Cleaned it up added some electrical lube and she works like a charm.

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

Good. I see i added a couple symptoms to your problem. It was a logical place to go w/ the description you gave of the problem- after i READ it the way you wrote it. Good work man. Did you have to take the wheel off?

 

[CarmMontana]

Good. I see i added a couple symptoms to your problem. It was a logical place to go w/ the description you gave of the problem- after i READ it the way you wrote it. Good work man. Did you have to take the wheel off?

Ha, yeah I am kinda cryptic.

Yep, I pulled the wheel and got it all cleaned. I also pulled a ground to the flasher brackets just for safety sake.

Thanks guys. Now everything electrical works and that rocks!

 

[flaa1a]

I have this issue too. Flasher work when head lights are off. As soon as I turn the headlights on, they freeze on the "on"or the blinker is illuminated.....well the front left hasn't worked in a long time.

Pulled the back tail lights and cleaned the grounds ( i think they ground to the rear side marker screws?)

Now my head lights dont even work.....pulled the fuse box and tried to clean it up a bit. Put it back on and now the tail lights dont work either. Actually the only thing that does work is my hazard lights.

Closed up the tail gate and quit for the day. Any ideas? Do the front blinkers have a ground wire? kill me......

 

[Pighead]

Do the front blinkers have a ground wire?

No, they ground through the bolts to the front fender. Theoretically. Many people make an extra ground wire to get around that.

 

[flaa1a]

Just for a new dude to the world of fixing cars...could you tell me how to do that!? Thanks for contributing to my knowledge bank of Cruisers....

Randy

 

[CarmMontana]

Hey Randy.

Pretty much all you have to do is either find a clean piece of metal and screw into it with an eyelet to a wire that you also attach to the bolt of the flasher assembly or just clean the metal under the flasher assembly. Use a wire brush or something to get a clean connection. The ground in a 12 volt system for the most part is any metal surface, depending on rust and corrosion of course.

Hope that helps.

 

[flaa1a]

Will do! Thanks for the help!

randy

 

[CarmMontana]

I need to bring this thread back as I can't get my brights to work. It looks like the switch is working properly but when I flip the switch on the column it turns off the lights all together. Which makes since if the connection for the brights were good. Any idea where to look other than the switch? THanks guys

 

[flaa1a]

Hey guys! I added a ground wire to the front passenger side indicator bucket and everything works again! All blinkers with AND without the headlights on. The blinkers do not stop, the hazards work, the brakes work and I am so glad to have this issue resolved (for now). Thanks for helping me out and teaching me something too!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Randy