Help with blinker wiring

[40 frog]

Hi, folks. I'm new here (or new after a long time away). I've got a new-to-me 1976 fj40 that I've been working on (pictured).

Lately I've been chasing wiring issues and have most of them sorted out, but here's one I can't figure out: my blinkers are not working at all, and best I can tell the relay works (at least it does show voltage on both sides with the switch on). I disassembled and cleaned the switch and connections, and that got my high beams working again. But I can't figure out the wiring. The horn and headlights go together into one clip (that clip has four slots but only three wires on each side; the headlights work; the horn does not, but that may be the relay; I haven't gotten to that yet). I also have six wires from the switch going into a clip with male ends on the switch side, plus a seventh wire with a rounded male end that doesn't go into the clip and wasn't connected to anything. I can't figure out where it is supposed to go, and haven't found a matching female end anywhere under the dash for that wire. Even more confusing, the other half of the plastic connector clip, the part coming from the truck rather than the switch, only contains four female ends (it has six slots but two are empty). One of these is getting 12 volts from the car. I've added a few pics, for whatever they are worth. It doesn't LOOK like wires are missing from that clip, though the clip is in poor condition.

I have the Toyota repair manual and have stared at their diagram until my eyes bleed but can't understand it. I do see that the brake light stop switch is supposed to be in the mix here. My brake lights work, for whatever that is worth.

Can anyone give some guidance about the seven male wires and only four female wires problem? Thanks a lot!

 

[40 frog]

Oh, and before anyone says anything: I just realized I posted a picture of the fj40 from when I first got it, when the bezel was upside down. I'm a noob, but I do know that much and fixed it first thing. New pic here.

 

[charliemeyer007]

So do you have a correct wiring diagram? Free manuals download Land Cruiser Factory Service Manuals (FSMs) - https://www.cruisercult.com/factory-service-manuals

google the diagram if you don't have it. Search Coolerman on this site he has lots of stuff connectors wire plugs diagrams...

Clean the contacts on both sides of the connections, add a smidge of dielectric grease with a q-tip. Look carefully at the wire around the crimp terminal - corrosion can crawl under the insulation and destroy the conductivity, pays to test threw the wire with the meter to make sure its good.

Usually on mine the horn button in the steering wheel gets corroded, cleaning the ring and contacts usually fixes it.

Do the bulb sockets inside too. Actually test the bulbs, some look good but aren't. I added a ground wire from the socket to the frame - clean your chassis ground too.

Just in case LED bulbs don't draw enough power to run flasher

 

[40 frog]

So do you have a correct wiring diagram? Free manuals download Land Cruiser Factory Service Manuals (FSMs) - https://www.cruisercult.com/factory-service-manuals

google the diagram if you don't have it. Search Coolerman on this site he has lots of stuff connectors wire plugs diagrams...

Clean the contacts on both sides of the connections, add a smidge of dielectric grease with a q-tip. Look carefully at the wire around the crimp terminal - corrosion can crawl under the insulation and destroy the conductivity, pays to test threw the wire with the meter to make sure its good.

Usually on mine the horn button in the steering wheel gets corroded, cleaning the ring and contacts usually fixes it.

Do the bulb sockets inside too. Actually test the bulbs, some look good but aren't. I added a ground wire from the socket to the frame - clean your chassis ground too.

Just in case LED bulbs don't draw enough power to run flasher

This is helpful, thanks. I did check all the bulbs, cleaned the connections, etc. Thanks for the tip on the horn, dialetric grease, etc.

I do have the service manual but I'm not quite smart enough to figure out the diagram. Most importantly, I still don't understand where all the wires are supposed to connect. I don't understand why I have seven male wires out of the switch for only four female connections (not counting horn and headlights). I will look for the Coolerman posts.

Thanks!

 

[Aloha Jen]

I had a similar problem on my ‘75 fj40. Someone on the forum recommended removing the hazard dash switch and cleaning it up, re greasing and inspecting for issues with that switch. Something about the wiring passing through the hazard switch that has to do with blinkers. Even though my hazard lights on the blinkers worked fine, my blinkers didn’t on there own.

That, and check the grounds or run a separate ground wire from your blinkers to the body somewhere.

 

[Aloha Jen]

Also, if you have never done it, rehab your fuse block and fuses. Well worth the effort and can solve all kinds of current and future electrical problems.

 

[40 frog]

I had a similar problem on my ‘75 fj40. Someone on the forum recommended removing the hazard dash switch and cleaning it up, re greasing and inspecting for issues with that switch. Something about the wiring passing through the hazard switch that has to do with blinkers. Even though my hazard lights on the blinkers worked fine, my blinkers didn’t on there own.

That, and check the grounds or run a separate ground wire from your blinkers to the body somewhere.

Thanks for this. I can't try it today but will in a day or two.

BTW, ChatGPT says that the three extra wires I can't account for are just extra hazard wires that my rig doesn't need since the hazards are wired through their own switch on the dash. Does that sound right to those of you with more experience?

Thanks!

 

[45Dougal]

Its been said many times already but...
Find the right diagram on Coolermans repository, print it off as big as you can and laminate it.
It will be worth your while.
I recommend the genuine toyota diagram over the haynes etc.
The hazard switch connector is often then source of blinker problems because everything passes through it, and it's not a "normal" connector type, hanging conveniently under the cowl vent which leaks water onto it too.

 

[40 frog]

An update: it turns out that apparently I am missing something with only four wires going into that six-pin connector. Although there is power on both sides of the flasher can, that power was not showing up at the connector for the switch. There IS power there, but that power apparently comes from the hazard switch. (It is always on even if the key is off, though it does go away when I remove the fuse for the hazard. It does not show continuity with the can.) When I run a jump wire from the right side of the flasher can to one of the unoccupied pins (that is to say, one of the six male pins on the switch side of the connection that does not have a female mate on the truck side of the connection) then I (finally!) get blinkers.

So...does that mean I'm just missing a wire and should splice something from the right side of the can into this bare slot on the six-pin connector? And is it correct that there would be an always-hot wire running from the hazards into this switch? My wiring diagram (the big fold-out one from the Toyota manual) does not show that there should be, unless I am misreading it (always a possibility).

Thanks for any help!

 

[40 frog]

An update: it turns out that apparently I am missing something with only four wires going into that six-pin connector. Although there is power on both sides of the flasher can, that power was not showing up at the connector for the switch. There IS power there, but that power apparently comes from the hazard switch. (It is always on even if the key is off, though it does go away when I remove the fuse for the hazard. It does not show continuity with the can.) When I run a jump wire from the right side of the flasher can to one of the unoccupied pins (that is to say, one of the six male pins on the switch side of the connection that does not have a female mate on the truck side of the connection) then I (finally!) get blinkers.

So...does that mean I'm just missing a wire and should splice something from the right side of the can into this bare slot on the six-pin connector? And is it correct that there would be an always-hot wire running from the hazards into this switch? My wiring diagram (the big fold-out one from the Toyota manual) does not show that there should be, unless I am misreading it (always a possibility).

Thanks for any help!

By the way, I did look at the Coolerman's diagram for the '76 in particular. It only shows three wires connected to the turn switch: power from the can (which I do not have) and wires going to the turn lights on each side (which I do). It does not show a hot wire from the hazard switch or the sold green wire I have connected to my switch that I have not yet accounted for.

 

[45Dougal]

The hazard switch should have a permanent feed from the stop light fuse.
The turn indicators should be powered from their own dedicated Turn fuse.

 

[40 frog]

Thanks for that. I got everything working, though I still don't totally understand it all. The six-pin diagram in the Toyota manual helped, though mine is not exactly like that. Basically, I had two issues. One was that the power from the can was not making it into the switch connector. Apparently that connection was broken somewhere, but I couldn't find it without completely taking the huge loom apart, so I bypassed it with a new connection. Secondly, I'm getting 12V into the horn wire that goes into the stalk switch, which shouldn't have any power. It seems to be coming from the stop light fuse, so I guess from the hazard switch. I did remove the hazard switch and make sure the connections were clean. I couldn't find any problems with it. So, in short, it all works now, but I'm not sure I totally understand it. Thanks for the help!

 

[Aloha Jen]

I did remove the hazard switch and make sure the connections were clean. I couldn't find any problems with it. So, in short, it all works now, but I'm not sure I totally understand it. Thanks for the help!

I had a feeling it was the hazard switch, so many things are intermingled with that switch. Happy it’s all working for you now.

Now clean up all your grounds and your fuse block to eliminate the vast majority of your existing and future electrical headaches.

 

[45Dougal]

As you can see on the diagram above, the green- yellow wire runs from the horn relay to the switch.
Even though the switch is open, and no current is flowing through the relay coil, it still connects 12v to the switch.
When you ground the switch, the current flows and the relay switches on.

 

[sogncab]

As a simple test, try running a separate and temporary ground from the battery to the light housing. Simple test to confirm or deny that side is good.

The housings ground through the body and can get cranky. I had that issue with mine after everything got repainted.


Often, DC issues are ground related.