Turn Signal Problem

[BaileyJD1]

Took my 1955 Eighty Eight in to get the state inspection this morning. Everything worked when I left the house. Everything but the front passenger turn signal worked at the inspection place. Bulb is fine. Rear turn signal works. Any ideas?

[Lady72nRob71]

Sounds like an intermittant connection to me...

Rusty socket? Bad ground connection?
Bad/rusty joint between socket and lamp housing?
Bad contact at any connections in the wiring harness up to the turn signal switch?
Does the bottom contact plate in the socket still have 'spring' in it?

Maybe turn signal switch? (Hope it is not...)

[Dapapadon]

Wow! I didn't know any states still did inspections. I think Lady72nRob71 covered everything. I always start with a 12 volt test light at the socket w/ the turn signal on. If you've got power then the problem is in the socket or a ground. No power, much bigger problem.

Don

[rocketraider]

Wow! I didn't know any states still did inspections.

Come East. I can't think of many that don't. Cars wearing antique plates are exempt from safety/emissions inspections and personal property tax here in Virginia, but a couple of revenue-hungry legislators are doing their damnedest to end that under guise of SAFETY!

Bullhockey. True hobbyists go above and beyond the state inspection requirements- they want their car RIGHT. If DMV would quit issuing antique plates to every rattletrap that comes along, the problem wouldn't exist anyway. But instead of forcing DMV and law enforcement to do their jobs correctly, the GA went after antique plate owners.

We have a Goodyear tire plant here. You go thru that parking lot, and every POS beater in there has antique plates. They've figured out how to beat the system and DMV lets them. They keep a brand new car and truck around but buy a 25+ year old POS to drive to work and put antique plates on it which are: a one time license fee (now $50, up from $11 before the GA went to work); exempt from inspection and PP tax, and are cheap to insure. So they have this unsafe POS that basically is costing them nothing to drive, while the legitimate hobbyist takes it up the poop chute.

And the local lawmaker who sponsored the legislation was surprised when I told him not only would he never get my vote again, I would actively work to unseat him. Came within 600 votes (2% of total) of doing it too.

[Dapapadon]

Sounds like you DO have a problem. When I moved from Indiana in 1981 they still had it. I remember my brother telling me Illinois would ticket Indiana cars w/o inspection stickers when Indiana first did away with inspections. Not sure how that ended.

When I got to Texas they didn't have inspections. But the weather (heat) there tends to weed out the cars that aren't maintained. I do remember having to get a emission/brake test when I lived in Arlington (DFW area, mid 90's).

Calif. and Oregon only do emissions. But law enforcement tends to focus on neglected cars. And Calif. encourages residents to report 'smoking' vehicles w/ 800 phone numbers. I believe Washington state is about the same. And it seems to work. Oh, the 25 years exemption got dropped a few years ago, 1975 and above must smog test now.

Not sure on the antique plates in CA & WA. I think here in Oregon you need to find year correct plates. Then you can register similar to what you have with your antique plates. One time fee & that's it.

BaileyJD1 - Sorry to thread jack. I still think your best bet is to start with a 12 volt test light.

Don

[J-(Chicago)]

Originally Posted by rocketraider

If DMV would quit issuing antique plates to every rattletrap that comes along, the problem wouldn't exist anyway.
We have a Goodyear tire plant here. You go thru that parking lot, and every POS beater in there has antique plates. they have this unsafe POS that basically is costing them nothing to drive, while the legitimate hobbyist takes it up the poop chute.

Same deal here in Illinois.
I'll admit I've been guilty of this, If I plan on having a parts car sit around for more than 6 months, I'll transfer my antique plates onto the 1/2 taken apart P.O.S. so the police can't hit me with unregistered vehicle tickets. Comes in handy when the village lawn police come by and tell me I should re-paint my fascia every year. As far as the parts car goes.... If anyone asks, I'm rebuilding it at the moment lol.
With Illinois AV plates, you only have to buy the $78 sticker every 5 years.

Also, Illinois gave up on emissions for anything that isn't obd2. So pretty much 92 and earlier, you can do whatever you want to them for the time being.

[BaileyJD1]

There is not power to the connection prior to the bulb. Why does Lady72nRob71 say you hope is not in the signal switch?

By the way, I live in Texas and they do require inspections. Several people have suggested I go the antique plate route, but I want it right.

[Dapapadon]

Originally Posted by BaileyJD1

There is not power to the connection prior to the bulb.

I'm not familiar with 1955 cars. It could be in the 'flasher'. Hopefully someone familiar with 55 wiring will chime in.

Originally Posted by BaileyJD1

Why does Lady72nRob71 say you hope is not in the signal switch?

Because the switch is in the steering column. And requires disassemble to replace.

Originally Posted by BaileyJD1

By the way, I live in Texas and they do require inspections. Several people have suggested I go the antique plate route, but I want it right.

Testing my memory here, I moved to Texas in 81 and I do remember safety inspections at first. Sorry, I really had to think about that one. But the last ten years all I remember was that time in Arlington. Maybe it was because I was in small towns. Or my memory could be worse than I think. When I left (1999) the vehicle registration sticker went in the lower left hand corner of the windshield.

Don

[Lady72nRob71]

>>
>>Why does Lady72nRob71 say you hope is not in the signal switch?
>>Because the switch is in the steering column. And requires disassemble >>to replace.

Exactly... It ~could~ be a pain to obtain and replace the switch. Best thing would be to trace that front signal wire all the way back to the switch connector. The connection at the firewall could be suspect, too.
Do you have a volt meter or test light? An ohm meter with the sharp needle probes are great as you can carefully piece the wire insulation with the probe in any spot and the insulation will 'heal' when the probe is removed. I have even used sewing pins to do this with.

Unfortunately I have no experience with the 50's or 60's cars, so my info is rather generic (but should help you out.)

BTW Bailey, where in TX are you at?? I am near Plano.
At least in TX we just have to do the cheap safety inspections. (The place I go to gives a free car wash with each one, so with 5 vehicles, I never have to pay for a wash! (I always get the rainchecks.))

[BaileyJD1]

Thanks guys. Hopefully I can post on Monday to let you know it is working.

BTW I am in Midland, Texas and yes the inspection cost is relatively cheap, but everything must work.

[Dapapadon]

Originally Posted by Lady72nRob71

>>At least in TX we just have to do the cheap safety inspections.

Darn, I was hoping it wasn't my memory! Mixed emotions!

Don

[rocketraider]

I'm looking at 54 shop book and I imagine 55 is similar. I think there's a junction strip or connector underhood on these cars that the H/L and T/S wiring runs thru, and I'd start checking there for a loose connection. There's another one at the base of steering column; check there too. If the switch itself were bad, stands to reason the rear light would also be affected. You have to pull the steering wheel to access the switch.

You didn't say whether the associated park lamp is working. My guess is the socket is corroded or the tension spring is weak and not holding the bulb against the wire contacts in the socket. A socket cleaning wire brush should be in every old car owner's toolbox.

54 wiring diagram shows a dark green wire feeds passenger side turn signal all the way from the turn signal switch, thru the connector, to the lamp. Yellow wire feeds the driver side, and a white wire feeds park lamps. Probe all these with test light or continuity tester to find where it's open.

###

The state inspection procedure is one argument we in VA used for exempting antique cars from it. How many state inspectors do you think would be remotely familiar with old car mechanicals and electrics? They'd tear up more than they were capable of fixing.

The last state inspection my blue 64 Starfire went thru before putting antique plates on it, 20-something doing the inspection had 1) never seen a HydraMatic and had trouble finding reverse, and 2) then tried to ding me on backup lights not working- he had the selector in "N". OK, let me show you how this works.

VA inspectors are required to pull one front and one rear wheel to check brakes. Kid pulled the LF wheel. The speedometer drives off the LF wheel. He jammed the dust cap back on and broke the end off the speedo cable, and the speedometer quit working. Me and the shop owner had a fairly heated discussion over that, with me finally giving him the choice of finding me a new AC speedometer cable or me turning the shop in to the State Police for damaging my car during inspection. No, I will not accept a parts store generic replacement cable. It was working when it came in here, and now it's not. You find the parts and repair it, and no I do not think I'm being unreasonable.

[Lady72nRob71]

Originally Posted by Dapapadon

Darn, I was hoping it wasn't my memory! Mixed emotions!

Don

To clarify, here in dallas, we only have to do the cheap safety inspection if the car is 25 years old or older. >>>How many state inspectors do you think would be remotely familiar with old car mechanicals and electrics? Answer - nor many! I took my 78 Ford in several years ago and they failed it because one brake light was not working. Well, everything was working BEFORE I took it in... They changed the bulb, but did not fix it. THis was the first time any of my cars failed an inspection. Reason they failed it? After having checked the turn signals, the inspector left the turn signal lever to "left" and shut the engine off. When he hit the brakes, the left one did not come on - it is the way the switches work. I took it back and told them what they did wrong, so they just slapped the new sticker on and I was out of there. The place I go to now has an old timer there doing inspections and he drives a 55 T-bird and knows old cars and loves them. Heck, the first time I took Lady in, he only seemed to have checked the headlights - he was too busy looking at the car and talking to me!!

[BaileyJD1]

Got it working. It was a loose wire under the dash. Will try again this week. Maybe he will remember how to release the parking brake, turn on the windshield wipers, put in reverse, etc... It was worth the price of admission.

Thanks again.

[Dapapadon]

If you think that's funny... I bought a 1957 Chrysler at a local auction a few years back. I knew it ran because they cranked it up during the auction. But have you ever started an old Chrysler with push button automatic? The ignition switch doesn't have a start (cranking) position. Took over two hours for me & a buddy to figure that one out. A couple of other friends stopped by to see the new project only to leave laughing about me not being able to start my 'new' car.

Don