1977 front blinker electrical expertise needed

[cbmontgo]

I've got an electrical issue where the DS blinker won't power the correct bulb (lower orange bulb); it always powers the running light front and side bulb. I've even swapped a different blinker housing, and the issue is identical. I can even swap the two wires that go to the housing and nothing changes. What could this be? Bad relay? Ground? I've spent a good bit of this afternoon on this, and am at a loss.

Here's a video that shows what I'm talking about:

 

[1911]

Carson, the grounding is a good place to start; I would also suspect an open or short in the wiring from the turn signal switch in the steering column to the blinker housing. Maybe the actual switch in the steering column. Doesn't seem like a bad relay could cause that, but it's not expensive to replace so you might buy another one and try it.

Either that, or your cruiser is haunting you, and you need to 'fess up to that old hit-and-run accident or whatever.

That's a pretty weird problem though; good luck with it in any event.

Lee

 

[Michael B]

I had the same issue. It was the ground.

 

[cbmontgo]

I had the same issue. It was the ground.

Which ground? On the harness somewhere?

 

[thebigredrocker]

The blinker housing receives its ground from the nut that holds it on the fender. The fender itself needs a groundpath where it bolts to the frame. It is surprising the oddities that happen due to poor grounds.

 

[Michael B]

X2.

 

[emac]

If those are aftermarket lights like the ones I had, then they are really sketchy if you take them apart and dont get them back together just right. I took mine apart, and after spending 20 minutes trying to get them back together and working, I ordered some OEM ones.

 

[45Kevin]

I had similar problems with my front signal lights.
I ended up running an additional wire from the housing to the rad support (IIRC) to get a good ground.

 

[cbmontgo]

If those are aftermarket lights like the ones I had, then they are really sketchy if you take them apart and dont get them back together just right. I took mine apart, and after spending 20 minutes trying to get them back together and working, I ordered some OEM ones.

These are the original OEM ones.

 

[cbmontgo]

Pulled the housing off of the fender this morning and sanded everything really well, especially where the nut tightens against the underside of the fender. Put it back together and no blinkers at all now. Fuse is still good. Hmm.

 

[45Kevin]

Try running a separate ground wire to see if grounding is the problem.