no more turn signals (1 Viewer)

[Richard]

Was out in the trails with my 69 fj the other day. Always fun.
When i got home I realized that my turn signals arent working.
Any Ideas where to start?

 

[spectre6000]

I'd start with a multimeter. How are they not working? Flip the switch and nothing? Indicator light comes on and stays on? L/R/B?

 

[Coolerman]

Fuse, flasher, switch, bulbs, ground in that order...

 

[Richard]

When I Flip the switch I get nothing.

 

[Pin_Head]

Since they don't work on both sides you can probably limit your search to fuse, hazard switch, flasher, turn signal switch.

 

[Jollywood]

Fuse, flasher, switch, bulbs, ground in that order...

I second this motion

 

[shelfboy1]

if i remember right my 69 has 2 flashers one for the signals and one for the 4 ways .one flasher is behind the heater duct on the p side of the truck.if the 4 ways work its probably the flasher.

 

[myquestoyota]

When that happens on mine I cycle the hazard switch a couple of times and they come back to life.

 

[Richard]

I found a blown fuse. but it didnt seem to fix anything.
I bought a new relay and that didnt do anything either. I did test the 2 relays that I found.
I Have been having problems with my emergency knob. I will try that.

If not, whats next?

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Look under the fenders and see if the wires got ripped out while wheeling maybe? BTDT... I have also found adding a ground wire to the signal housings made them work much better than they ever did stock.

Nick

 

[spectre6000]

I blew a fuse once when the metal bit in the phenolic disc at the back of the light socket managed to scoot itself over to the side of the housing (ground). All I had to do was push it back to the middle and it quit blowing fuses. This condition happened as a result of replacing a burned out bulb.

 

[Devilmans Hand]

I dunno about the older style turn signals, but on my '78 i had grounding problems and a blown fuse once. Enough corrosion had build up so the running light housing and turn signal housing did not properly ground. I added crimped terminal connectors on wires to the housing screws to connect everything. I ran those ground wires under the fender into a common ground under the hood.

 

[RWBeringer4x4]

2nd - my 75's turn signals come and go as they please - when they fail, I usually just have to shake the stalks around, or the wires underneath, a little bit, and they'll come back to life (did it in the inspection lane to get it through ).

if you lost them all at once, both sides, I'd look to the hazard switch first, but don't discount the grounds. So far about 75% of the electrical issues I've run into have been ground issues.

PS - love your truck!

I dunno about the older style turn signals, but on my '78 i had grounding problems and a blown fuse once. Enough corrosion had build up so the running light housing and turn signal housing did not properly ground. I added crimped terminal connectors on wires to the housing screws to connect everything. I ran those ground wires under the fender into a common ground under the hood.

 

[Pin_Head]

The hazard switch is often the culprit. if it was bad grounds, then all of them would have to be bad at the same time. Not likely.

 

[Coolerman]

Though the Hazard switch can be a pain to remove from the dash (depending on how much of the heater system you have installed) once out it's very easy to take it apart. Just bend the 4 metal tabs off the phenolic circuit board with needle nose pliers. Then lift the circuit board straight off to avoid parts going everywhere. Clean all the old grease off then polish the little brass contacts till they shine. Apply a small amount of dielectric grease to the contacts and the moving parts, place the circuit board back on top then bend the tabs down tight. Unless the board is cracked or the contacts burned beyond salvage it should last another 40 years.

Here is a diagram of how a 71 switch is wired. and a pic of one taken apart for cleaning and re-greasing.

 

[DSRTRDR]

if both turn signals are not working, could also be that the rod at the turn signal switch is loose - bouncing around will do that

 

[Tim71FJ40]

Claudia suggested this to me also and she's right. The ring lower on the column that holds the rod was loose and would twist slightly and the turn signals would stop working.

 

[tedzo]

Fuse, flasher, switch, bulbs, ground in that order...

I need to chime in on this thread....
Ok, my hazards work and the left turn works, but no right turn.
I replaced old rusty tailight, still no right turn.
It will light up for a second when i use the switch, but then goes off.
The flasher just clicks once when i do that too.
Am i to believe it is the flasher?
74 40

Thx,
Ted