FJ40 Turn Signal Trouble shooting (2 Viewers)

[rorkis]

All
Thanks for all the great advise. Turned out to be the turn signal switch. Expensive but solved the problem with no other issues. The advice on checking the flasher and hazard circuit helped greatly to narrow it down to the turn signal switch. Thanks to everyone for all the help.

Regards,
Randy

 

[rorkis]

Thanks for all the suggestions . Turned out to be the turn signal switch.

 

[AK Chris]

Must be something with the moon. My turn signal switch didn't work when I purchased my '68 FJ40 and I recently replaced it. Now, about a month later, it stopped working again. The odd thing is that my hazard lights would light but not flash. Now, since the turn signal quit working, the hazards flash as they should. I had to replace the coil yesterday and it was only then I noticed the turn signal no longer works. I'm not electrician and this has me stumped. Any ideas?

 

[bamaburt]

1980 FJ40 Blinker issues resolved

Just wanted to say that this thread saved me ALOT of time and headache!


My front blinkers were not working even while the hazard switch engaged. EVERYTHING else worked fine just no front blinkers.


My issue was a combination of the PO's sucky wiring job and having NO ground to the front lights. He was using one of the 2 wires from the front blinkers/parking light as a ground and did not have the headlight housing properly grounded.

Thanks for the great info - Coolerman & Vicm!

 

[mdkrull]

78 fj40 turn signal/ flasher issues

Newbie here attempting first restoration project...I have a 78 fj40 with similar issues, but the haz flashers only work when the right blinker lever is switched. None of the turn signals flash, but they all do light up and just stay lit when turn lever is switched w/o haz flasher on. When flashers are on, the left turn signal lever just keeps the lights in on position along with the neutral setting on the turn signal... Any ideas? I have been reading through posts, but none seem to cover this specific issue.

 

[subzali]

Poor grounds can do weird things. Check all your grounds, check that your bulbs aren't burnt out (can cause opposite bulb to flash on and stay on), and clean your fuse terminal. Next it may be time to clean your hazard switch and/or your turn signal switch. Both are pretty easy.

 

[FJfarty]

X2,
The hazard switch control both hazard circit and signal circit.
Often it needs to be taken apart and have the contacts cleaned.
IT will be impossible to have a bad ground here.
The hazard switch is not easy to get to so to confirm that it is the problem , here what you can do.
Unplug the flasher and push the Haz knob all the way in and turn ig key to the on position.
If you have no power going both sides of the flasher plug , it is very likely with the Haz switch (power feed side) or in the connections to it.
You already know the connections are good to the bulbs , because they work with haz which shares the same circit up to the Haz switch.
If you have power going to the flasher then , it is either your signal switch or the connection between the signal switch and haz switch which means the connectors and the contacts in side the haz switch( the haz is failing to connect the bulbs back to to the signal switch output wire .
I am assuming that all signals flash when you pull the haz and when you work the signal switch nothing happens.

I'm having the same problem.. Turn signals don't work, but hazards do work. Turn signals worked when I first got it for a while, but then just all the sudden stopped working, and now both the dash turn signal indicators lights come on when I push on the break pedal, as well as the front turn signal lights come on along with the brake lights.

I unplugged the flasher unit, -the two prong plug shaped like (l-) and with the key "on" touched the two ends of the voltage meter up to the wire. There was nothing, but when I pulled the hazard switch, the meter jumped way up. Off again and nothing. I turned the hazards off and tried the left and right turn signals and got no signal. So am I to conclude then that it must be the turn signal switch or the connection where the turn signal wires meet the hazard switch? Thanks.

 

[Tim71FJ40]

have you changed anything in your wiring? If you have done any rewiring or wire swapping, then it sounds like you MIGHT have the front and rear wires swapped at the turn signal switch. The brake switch feeds into the turn signal switch. Now remember that the turns dont care about differentiating front and rear, just left and right, but the brakes care if you have the fronts swapped with the rears. If you step on the brake and both front turns light up and the dash indicators then you might have front and rear mixed up. However this would also suggest that if the fronts light up with the brake, then the rears would not.

 

[bj40green]

In circuits with one flasher are two power sources to the hazard switch. The TURN fuse and the STOP fuse.
With the hazard off the power path is: key, TURN fuse, through the hazard switch, to the blinker.
With the hazard switch on the path is: STOP fuse, trough the hazard switch, to the blinker.
So if the hazard parts works and the turn part not it's either the TURN fuse or the hazard switch (B1 to F) or a wiring problem.
Here are the schematics.




Good luck,

Rudi

 

[FJfarty]

Thanks for the helpful diagrams! As far as me messing with the wires..

Well I bought the 71 fj40 used, and it has Chevy power steering and tilt column installed by the previous owner. When I first drove it home, the turn signals worked (rear only) The fronts lights weren't even hooked up. Previous owner had shaved them off the fenders and mounted them on the bumper, but weren't even connected.

So the rears were working at least when I got it. If I remember right, they stopped working randomly one day, so I was manually flashing the blinkers with the lever.

After that no longer worked, I got down there one day and was gently moving some wires around just looking around, and after that it seems both the L/R flasher dash lights now come on solid when I hit the brake. Still no turn signals.

So I thought, maybe it could have something to do with the fronts not being hooked up. I bought new turn signal lights and mounted them back on the fenders and cleaned/scuffed the metal well enough with sand paper to hopefully get a good ground connection to the fender to eliminate that issue. and re-hooked up the wires to the best of my ability according to the wiring diagram. Still nothing. (They work fine as far as the running light part goes, just no actual turn signals)

Now I will admit that there is quite a little mess of wires and coming from the chevy steering column to the original wires. Looks like they have 2 or 3 different sets of connectors in between with different colored wires (yellow for example) which is what gives me a headache.

But the turn signal switch first worked when I got it, that I know, and I didn't go switching around wires or anything other than just hooking up the front turn signal lights.

Another wierd thing is, after I hooked up the front turn signals, and hit the hazards, only the rear flashed. That was months ago. But checking yesterday, both front and rear are flashing like they should. Tripped me out.. So I guess they are hooked up right after all.

Even with all the wiring connections, my gut feeling tells me it's something with the turn signal switch or the hazard switch.

I'll still have to figure out a way to identify this chevy steering column ..

Thanks for the helpful input!

 

[Tim71FJ40]

I can help with stock wiring for 71 hazards/turns/brake/flasher wiring... Keeping in mind all I know I learned from coolerman's site.

But if you aren't using a stock hazard and turn switch, not sure I'm your guy.

In a stock configuration a 71 only had one flasher (or maybe it was a mid-year change). The hazard has 9 wires and it feeds the turn switch (so does the brake).

If any info on that will help let me know.

 

[sggoat]

fjbj40 had a switch I was going to buy from him, but I fixed the problem with a new regulator and grounds on the comb meter(my high beam indicator didn't work). He may still have it. I think he was asking $50 for it.
I had similar issues with my 77, turned out it was what Claudia said--ground issue. I regrounded all the turn signal lights internally, then ran a separate wire for each out to a common frame ground.

 

[MScruiser]

@Coolerman , a quick question:

I having trouble with my turn signal. First, the hazards DO work fine. Secondly, when I operate the turn signal switch, I can hear the relay click, and that particular side (left or right), will flash, but only once. The signals will illuminate, and stay illuminated until I return the switch to the neutral position.

Based on my diagnosis, I tend to think it's the relay. Do you agree? And if so, do you think it's the resistor, capacitor, contacts, or a combination?

 

[Coolerman]

Actually, I would not agree. If the Hazards work, the flasher relay works. You have the classic signs of not enough current flow to activate the flasher when in turn signal mode. This can be caused by the wrong bulb types or LED bulbs, bad grounds/corroded bulb sockets, dirty switch contacts in the turn switch or Hazard switch. You can clean the contacts in the flasher relay but have never had that be an issue.
If you have access to another flasher relay it would not hurt to try it just to rule it out.

 

[TLCJC]

View attachment 1712986 View attachment 1712987

1- Does an OEM FJ40 1975 flasher box have to be bolted back to the mounting bracket ( aka grounded) to work?

I removed it to clean the connectors to see if they were the problem. PO hadn’t removed it when painting and some paint mist got onto connectors. I’ve wired brushed the paint off.

Also, they had cut the single plastic OEM Connector off the two wires for some reason and replaced it with two cheap exposed female independent connectors!??!

2- Where can I buy just that OEM or aftermarket plastic replacement connector with the two color coded wires so I can splice it back correctly?

Thanks guys.

I’m just starting diagnostics.

 

[Coolerman]

No, it does not have to be grounded in order to work.
I can make you a repair pigtail with the correct connector. Send an email to fj40coolerman at gmail dot com with the length you require, your shipping address, and the color of the wires you need. I will get you one built. $10.00 to your door!

 

[Goforth]

Resurrecting thread as I just acquired a ‘68 and facing issue with turn signals not operating.
All lights except license plate and reverse work (not connected)
Hazard works fine and flashes at all corners.
When I step on the brake and switch signal indicator to the left, the rear left light will go out. Same for the right.

Has anyone experienced this?

 

[Coolerman]

Does your 1968 FJ40 have TWO flashers? It should!

It appears everything is working EXCEPT the turn flasher. You know the bulbs are good, you know the grounds are good, and the turn switch is routing the brake signal correctly. (That's why the light goes out) only thing left is the turn flasher.

 

[Goforth]

I have a ‘67 that I’m restoring so was able to swap out the turn switch. No improvement. I rigged up a flasher and connected it to what I believe to be the 2nd flasher wires. I don’t get power to these cables.

 

[Coolerman]

Just to refresh: Key must be on to get the turn signals to work.
You should have +12V on the Green/Red wire in that two pin connector when the key is on. The Green/Blue (or Green/White) wire goes from the connector to the turn switch. If you do not have power on the GR wire when the key is on, then check the fuse, fuse clips and connections to the fuse panel.