1971 turn signal failure

[cgarst]

Looking for help! My turn signals no longer flash. I replaced the relay with a part from Cool Cruiser, checked the front bulbs, both brake bulbs work, checked the fuse and still doesn't work. The emergency flasher will buzz at the relay by no lights or flashing. Someone way smarter than me must know the answer!
Thanks,
Cameron

 

[Vitesse_6]

Do you have the large rectangle relay?
How are your grounds?
Wiring is my bane...
My relay worked when I yanked it, If you have exhausted all other options and you think it could be a bad relay, PM me I will ship mine out to you for free if you pay shipping.
Good luck

 

[Coolerman]

Welcome to MUD!

Back up a bit. Did they work BEFORE you replaced the flasher? If not, what were they doing then?
Exactly what are they doing now? If you turn on the left turn signal does the front and rear bulb light but not flash? Light dimly? Not light at all?

The SINGLE most common cause of turn signal/emergency flasher failure is bad grounding. EACH of the 4 bulbs MUST have a good ground. Since the bulb housings ground through their connection to sheet metal they will eventually fail due to rust. You can remove each housing and clean the rust out OR you can run a ground wire to each housing and ground it to the frame so it never happens again. Also the bulb SOCKETS can corrode as can the bulb base itself. Last are the turn signal and hazard switch themselves. They can get gummed up and need cleaning.

Also the CCOT replacement relay must be installed correctly. It must also have a good ground.

Did I mention grounds?

 

[dazerb]

grounds and relay in that order based on my experience.

I had to add a ground from - battery to chassis and - battery to engine block. these were not done on rebuild and cleared up a lot of problems. My dash started working again

I had a bad relay to the horn (they are there, wanted them to work - especially since i am drum brakes all around )

doug

 

[cgarst]

The signals were working perfectly for years. I get nothing when the signal lever is activated, nothing lights up. When the brake pedal is pushed the turn signal lights in the cab light up but of course don't flash. I ran a jumper cable to the ground on the flasher in case it wasn't getting a good ground when bolted to the firewall. Rust is not an issue with this FJ.
Thansk
Cameron

 

[bsmith123]

"Someone way smarter than me must know the answer!"==== for your lights----That'd be Coolerman, trust me

"When the brake pedal is pushed the turn signal lights in the cab light up"
Not Normal Sounds like the brake lights might be seeking an alternate path to ground through the TS warn lamps--that'd mean a high resistance ground at the combi

Sure sounds like bad grounding and there are a lot of reasons for high resistance in the circuit besides rust--you had the right idea with the flasher jumper, you can try jumpering the chassis of each light to ground

disco and clean power connections

you can try jumpering power to each light and make sure it works


The combi light ground seems good enough for the brake light which does not need to pull current for a flasher to work but the flashing lights must pull enough current to operate the flasher---if the CCOT flasher is not the electronic kind and works like the OEM which I suspect it does from your problem


A couple of other weird things I have run into is good fuses that just needed cleaning (and the fuse holder) and also under the dash left side follow the warning lamp wire for the TS to the double female bullet connector and take it apart and clean the terms

at the bullet the front, rear, ts warn lamp, and power from the ts switch all come together so it is a good place to start


if you had a multimeter you could just ohm out the wires ---I bet one would show high but it can all be done with a couple pieces of wire jumpering power and grounds

I would disco the bullet connector and run a piece of wire from a fuse or unplug the dome light connector and jumper power from there to each of the TS bullet connectors if they light up then go make good grounds for the combis---this confirms they are not pulling enough current for the flasher or the flasher is bad (not likely being new)

mine is finicky enough to not flash with the eng off but will flash with it running 12v vs 14 volts. I know this means it is time for me to go through and do a good clean up on all the terminals

Just cleaning everything up make cure the prob and while you are at it put some di-electric grease in there and keep it from happening again

A real common problem that once you've been through it will never stump you again---we often look for an answer more complicated than the prob, human nature I guess

let us know how you get on with it

 

[srgould41]

If you press your brake pedal and the turn signal indicators on the dash light up then it's the rear light housings not being grounded. That happened to me too. I removed the housings, sanded down to clean metal at the attachment points and put it back together. Worked like a charm! I had similar issues at all the light housings. I went from nothing working, to everything working just by cleaning up the grounds.

Since then I added a ground wire from each housing all the way to up front to a common ground bus (and grounded to chassis and body). Just as an added measure.