Turn Signal Help needed please.

[Bill McC]

Yes I searched, but unlike the posts I found, I do not have hazards and all that extra "modern" stuff on the 63 FJ FST. Okey Dokey.....

My signals stopped working yesterday as I was driving about. The 5A fuze was blown. And before or after this the flasher just clicked once and no indication on the dash where perviously there was. After fiddling, not really doing anything but figuring out which fuze was which, the flasher just buzzes at 60Hz more or less.

Could this just be a blow bulb in the turn signal or do I need to do more digging?

Your guidance and help is appreciated.

Bill

PS: Does the flasher ground through its case and the bracket that holds it which is bolted to the firewall?

 

[Cruiser_Nerd]

Yes I believe that flasher needs a ground through the case to work. It could be a bad ground, flasher or something else. Does the fuse blow when you replace it?

You should be able to unplug the flasher and put in a jumper, when you use the turn signal it would just stay "on", if it does, something is up with your flasher.

 

[Living in the Past]

Maybe it's time to start some stickys with early FJ40 information. I've got a early FSM I could scan all the wiring

 

[Bill McC]

Well crap on a cracker. I spent the day running errands, going to vet, and then working on the cruiser.

First the flasher: I switched out the flasher with a similar but not identical flasher from a newer 40. Same thing. Buzz to the left, squeaky fart noise to the right. The sounds are coming from either flasher. Both bad? Then I took the $3 brand new flasher (very light weight, 1/3 the length) and it blinked once and blew a 15A fuze.
I have checked the wires coming off the steering column and they all match up with their corresponding colored wire (green w/ blue stripe to same, etc.) No difference. Some seemed loose but that may have been from unwrapping the tape holding the mess together. I have checked all the bulbs and all are ok. Driving lights and brake lights work great. One time while checking the status of the turn signals both rear lights were lit when I was turning (L?? or R??) the other direction lit no lights. At no time did the front turning lights light.

At no time in all of the above did the dash indicator lights light.

So I am frustrated. Tomorrow I am going to check grounding of the flasher.

Second the instrument cluster: I saw a bulb hanging down so I thought what the heck, I'll pull the cluster and take a peek. Well I did, and now not only does that particular bulb (LH speedo) not work the oil indicator (which is working backward; it stays lit unless the psi drops) lamp has stopped working too. I am also going to sand/polish things back there around the lamps and such. I may also add a grounding wire to the assembly.

If anyone has a checklist for flasher/blinker work I would love to see it.

 

[Living in the Past]

I'm not sure your looking for a ground problem but a short. Blowing fuse usally means a direct short causing over amperage. Disconnect each light and then try it. If it stills humming you probably have a short in the wiring. If not try connecting one light at a time. When one causes the humm or blow the fuse your closer to finding your problem. When I say diconnect the light I might the whole not just the bulb. Unplug the rear wiring, at the front at the terminal on the front by the bib.

Easier way is to check the rear lights first. With the turn signal switch in the middle (off) turn on the tail lights. Do they would work. Then have someone push the brake pedal. Do both lights get brighter? If all that works turn the turn signal on for each direction. The way you switched it that brake light shouldn't work. You should be able to check all of this without even have to turn the key on. If everthing seems to work then the rears are probably okay. If not clean the dual element sockets out for the rear turn signals. Once everything is okay in the rear move to the front.

I have a few FSMs. The whole early one is about the size of just the wiring manual for my 2000. These early one are not to hard to figure out. My 2000 scares me.

 

[Bill McC]

Turn Signals working, all other lights are not.

DoubleU TEE Eff!??!?!!?!!

What color wire and from where are the parking, brake, and headlights supplied with power?

Blinkers work great though..... It may have been the the new flasher and a lot of junction cleaning.

Fuses are all ok. I didn't even touch the light switch. If there is a particular wire that supplies those lights please give up the knowledge.

 

[Bill McC]

Another day, another few hours spent on the "40."

With the help of a friend we figured out the wiring problems. They boiled down to a bad fuze panel. I knew the "restoration" guys wired it backward to account for the fact they installed the panel upside down. They also sand blasted the fuze panel with the fuzes in. That may have loosened up the riveted construction of it. So after checking voltage along the lighting circuit I noticed that it wasn't making it across the fuze. I squashed the little clamps tog ether some and voila.

On the down side the wire leading from the "light fuze" began to stink and was hot. On further inspection I noticed the solder from the fuze had melted and dripped into the panel cover. Yet the fuze was intact?? My only guess is a crappy connection creating the heat.

Do you agree? The fuze was and is the proper 15A.

 

[3jvj]

Another day, another few hours spent on the "40."

With the help of a friend we figured out the wiring problems. They boiled down to a bad fuze panel. I knew the "restoration" guys wired it backward to account for the fact they installed the panel upside down. They also sand blasted the fuze panel with the fuzes in. That may have loosened up the riveted construction of it. So after checking voltage along the lighting circuit I noticed that it wasn't making it across the fuze. I squashed the little clamps tog ether some and voila.

On the down side the wire leading from the "light fuze" began to stink and was hot. On further inspection I noticed the solder from the fuze had melted and dripped into the panel cover. Yet the fuze was intact?? My only guess is a crappy connection creating the heat.

Do you agree? The fuze was and is the proper 15A.

Shouldn't be warm to touch. I'd say your short to ground is on that curcuit.

 

[Bill McC]

Shouldn't be warm to touch. I'd say your short to ground is on that curcuit.

Ok, sounds reasonable. BUT why won't the fuze blow? Could a high resistance connection cause the heat? It seemed the heat may have originated on the downstream end of the fuze, where the solder melted out of the fuze.

Of course with this mystery keeping me working, I now have a horn that is now not working. I haven't looked into it. Wife and I took a spin and I noticed only after we were back.

 

[3jvj]

If you have a volt meter you can find it. Hold one end to frame and the other to each wire. With the key off it'll "zero out" if it's grounding.


I have seen resistance generate heat. I had to bypass a connector in my power wagon for just that reason. Forgot all about that until you mentioned it again. Ohm test and dialectric grease will solve all those problems (unless you've fried a couple).

 

[Living in the Past]

Poor connections in the fuse block will cause heat. The metal in the fuse block is tempered. once it has got hot from a loose fuse connection it no longer any good. If the metal that hold the fuse seems soft and no no longer wants to spring back on it's own it bad. Can't remember how many A/C disconnects I've changed because loose wires acted like a resistor causing the fuse holder to get hot. Replacing the fuses doesn't solve the problem. Whne a fuse it hot it will no longer be the same amperage rating. The hotter it gets the lower the rating. which means is will blow at amperage lower than the rating. Most times the source of heat is the problem area. Normally the fuse blows on before it ever get hots.

 

[Bill McC]

I have replaced the upper most and bottom most fuses with inline fuses. Funny, now everything works swell. I still am using the new flasher as it is loud and lets me know the blinkers are working. No more heat.

The upper and lower most positions on the fuse blocks were both a bit loose, especially on the right hand side.

Thanks for everyone's help and ideas.

 

[Dobster]

You gotta love MUD. Great work.