Turn signal / parking light problem
June 22nd, 2014, 07:49 PM
#1
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Location: Bass capital of Texas , Lake Fork
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Turn signal / parking light problem
1972 convert cutlass
Problem I'm having is the fallowing:
With parking lights on
All lights work
Hit flashers and everything works but the rear side markers are real dimm, driver side flashes different than pass its like they lights in bumper don't go out all the way befor next flash like the pass side does. Haz button doesn't stay in I have to hold it in.
Turn driver blinker on and front lights take turns blinking I know it sounds weird but side comes on and bumper goes out and vice versa.
Rear driver does fine
Turn pass on and it doesnt flash on its own , no light on dash either , front does same thing as driver when manuely switched
Now the rear side does fine
Rear bumper pass side goes out as you try to flash it. Both top and bottom light.
Rear bumper pass top light turns off when hit brakes.
I think I've checked all grounds , in trunk, at both headlights on core support, ground from batt to core support, batt to motor, motor to firewall at voltage reg.
I've got all new bulbs in bumper .
When I turn headlights on everything works though driver side bumper lights are a little brighter.
Driver side blinker only blinks with parking lights on.
Everything I've read says crazy things happen when you have a bad ground but like I said I've cleaned all the ones I could find . What am I missing or doing wrong here I have no Manuel and I'd appreciate all help as I've run myself ragged for weeks .
I though maybe a turn sig switch until tonight when I tried with parking lights on , because with lights off everything works but they don't blink on their own , well beside pass brake light issue.
Problem I'm having is the fallowing:
With parking lights on
All lights work
Hit flashers and everything works but the rear side markers are real dimm, driver side flashes different than pass its like they lights in bumper don't go out all the way befor next flash like the pass side does. Haz button doesn't stay in I have to hold it in.
Turn driver blinker on and front lights take turns blinking I know it sounds weird but side comes on and bumper goes out and vice versa.
Rear driver does fine
Turn pass on and it doesnt flash on its own , no light on dash either , front does same thing as driver when manuely switched
Now the rear side does fine
Rear bumper pass side goes out as you try to flash it. Both top and bottom light.
Rear bumper pass top light turns off when hit brakes.
I think I've checked all grounds , in trunk, at both headlights on core support, ground from batt to core support, batt to motor, motor to firewall at voltage reg.
I've got all new bulbs in bumper .
When I turn headlights on everything works though driver side bumper lights are a little brighter.
Driver side blinker only blinks with parking lights on.
Everything I've read says crazy things happen when you have a bad ground but like I said I've cleaned all the ones I could find . What am I missing or doing wrong here I have no Manuel and I'd appreciate all help as I've run myself ragged for weeks .
I though maybe a turn sig switch until tonight when I tried with parking lights on , because with lights off everything works but they don't blink on their own , well beside pass brake light issue.
June 22nd, 2014, 08:24 PM
#3
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Location: Bass capital of Texas , Lake Fork
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June 22nd, 2014, 08:27 PM
#4
Connoisseur d'Junque
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: The Hudson Valley
Posts: 21,183
You have to actually check continuity between each socket and a good ground.
There should be 0Ω resistance.
If the ground isn't good enough, the current will go to the base of the bulb, then back through the other filament, and feed into all of the other bulbs in the circuit, and then to ground through their sockets.
- Eric
There should be 0Ω resistance.
If the ground isn't good enough, the current will go to the base of the bulb, then back through the other filament, and feed into all of the other bulbs in the circuit, and then to ground through their sockets.
- Eric
June 22nd, 2014, 09:21 PM
#5
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: Bass capital of Texas , Lake Fork
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You have to actually check continuity between each socket and a good ground.
There should be 0Ω resistance.
If the ground isn't good enough, the current will go to the base of the bulb, then back through the other filament, and feed into all of the other bulbs in the circuit, and then to ground through their sockets.
- Eric
There should be 0Ω resistance.
If the ground isn't good enough, the current will go to the base of the bulb, then back through the other filament, and feed into all of the other bulbs in the circuit, and then to ground through their sockets.
- Eric
June 22nd, 2014, 10:06 PM
#6
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 48,255
The ground is the sides of the socket, not the wires (both of those are hot when the lights are on). You need to test from the inside of the socket side to a known good ground. Be sure to use a high impedance ohmmeter to get an accurate reading. Cheap meters like the ones Harbor Freight gives away can read low ohms due to a low current flow. An even better test is to use a test light and a battery.
June 22nd, 2014, 10:27 PM
#7
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Location: Bass capital of Texas , Lake Fork
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The ground is the sides of the socket, not the wires (both of those are hot when the lights are on). You need to test from the inside of the socket side to a known good ground. Be sure to use a high impedance ohmmeter to get an accurate reading. Cheap meters like the ones Harbor Freight gives away can read low ohms due to a low current flow. An even better test is to use a test light and a battery.
I've got a few hours in the morning I can test it all out so trying to make sure I've got my ducks in a row.
Thanks a bunch
June 22nd, 2014, 10:54 PM
#8
Old(s) Fart
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 48,255
The side markers actually ground through the other lamp filaments. When the lights are on, the side marker grounds through the turn signal filament. When the turn signal flashes "off" (or isn't being used), the smaller side marker lamp filament glows but the larger turn signal filament doesn't. When the turn signal flashes "on" the turn signal filament glows but the side marker goes out because there is +12V on both sides of that filament. The side markers flash out of phase with the main turn signal lamps.
With the lights off, the opposite happens - the side marker lamps ground through the parking light filaments and flash in phase with the turn signals.
June 23rd, 2014, 06:52 AM
#9
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EDIT: Sorry, I completely missed, the "side marker" part. DOH!
The side markers actually ground through the other lamp filaments. When the lights are on, the side marker grounds through the turn signal filament. When the turn signal flashes "off" (or isn't being used), the smaller side marker lamp filament glows but the larger turn signal filament doesn't. When the turn signal flashes "on" the turn signal filament glows but the side marker goes out because there is +12V on both sides of that filament. The side markers flash out of phase with the main turn signal lamps.
With the lights off, the opposite happens - the side marker lamps ground through the parking light filaments and flash in phase with the turn signals.
The side markers actually ground through the other lamp filaments. When the lights are on, the side marker grounds through the turn signal filament. When the turn signal flashes "off" (or isn't being used), the smaller side marker lamp filament glows but the larger turn signal filament doesn't. When the turn signal flashes "on" the turn signal filament glows but the side marker goes out because there is +12V on both sides of that filament. The side markers flash out of phase with the main turn signal lamps.
With the lights off, the opposite happens - the side marker lamps ground through the parking light filaments and flash in phase with the turn signals.
June 23rd, 2014, 08:21 AM
#10
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Location: Bass capital of Texas , Lake Fork
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HOT DOG!!!!!! I made progress . So now the pass brake lights working , cleaned socket real good .
Driver turn signal is working on its own with parking lights on and off but pass side will not blink. Also no green light on dash for pass side either what do you think about that?
Driver turn signal is working on its own with parking lights on and off but pass side will not blink. Also no green light on dash for pass side either what do you think about that?
June 23rd, 2014, 08:41 AM
#13
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Ok so what's the best was to clean all the old goop out of these light sockets? I used brake cleaner on the one brake light and then real fine sand paper to scuff up the sides so it would get better ground and it worked but there wasn't much goop in the socket like some of the others . It's soft and gooey I'm sure it was to keep corosion down right
June 30th, 2014, 11:47 AM
#14
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Location: Lehigh County Pennsylvania
Posts: 679
Get a spare turn signal switch and plug it in to test. Its about $20-30 for a new one at rock auto.
I replaced a turn signal switch to replace years of headaches like you are having only to have the new switch do the same thing.
Old switch was bad and new one had 1 wire out of sequence. Matched the wires on the old one and it worked.
Take your time and seat the screws back in slowly.
I replaced a turn signal switch to replace years of headaches like you are having only to have the new switch do the same thing.
Old switch was bad and new one had 1 wire out of sequence. Matched the wires on the old one and it worked.
Take your time and seat the screws back in slowly.
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