OK, here goes. -67 442- I thought I had my electricals sorted out (except for fuel gauge) but yesterday I switched my battery on, trunk light came on as usual, and when I closed trunk lid the left front turn signal started blinking (not the rear). Ign off and turn signal stalk in "neutral". I have new signal switch and rear harness. I started checking connections etc and when I got to the front blinker connection and moved it a little the blinker stopped. However, the dash indicator still glows dimly. Both turn signals operate correctly. Went ahead and cranked car and drove to alignment shop, all systems ok except for the glowing indicator light. When I got home I played with it a little and at one time (play spooky music) even the radio was turning on and off. All this with the switch off. My first thought is a bad ground somewhere. I would think that a short would blow a fuse or worse. (?) Anyone have any idea of the most logical place to start? I'm not very good at troubleshooting electricals but I do know bad grounds can cause crazy things, especially in the blinker system. Honest, I hadn't been in the cooler yet. Thanks for any ideas and please don't send the guys in the white jackets after me.

 

Bad ground for sure. Check your body to frame and body to engine grounds. I think the wiring harness under the dash is also grounded either through a connection or through the components themselves which requires that the body be grounded. Check the battery connections too.

 

Thanks Trip. Yeah, tonight I will just take my time and go thru all grounds. Just had a thought-since my battery is in trunk and I have to slam it pretty hard to close I might have shaken it loose at the frame. Had too much going on last night to really get into chasing the problem. Thanks again for response.

 

If it were a Christine it would repair itself....

Check around where you worked on it last. Grounds are definitely a pain in the butt sometimes. It causes 12v to back feed to places it does not belong.

 

[QUOTE=oldcutlass;561634]If it were a Christine it would repair itself....

HAH! u r right!

Thanks much!

 

With a trunk mount battery (track pack) I assume the neg is grounded somewhere at the rear on the frame in the standard W30 location? If so you should put a dedicated neg cable from the engine block to the frame up front. Use battery cable. Also use a braided strap from the block to the firewall off the rear of one of the heads. You cant rely on the neg to find its way from the rear of the frame up to the front. The large gauge dedicated ground in the engine bay will insure the path of least resistance...or it should.

 

Yep, I did use all the w30 type ground cables (repo) and straps but I will check and clean them all. Thanks much!

 

Unfortunately, Mike's potential "Christine" wouldn't be able to repair itself from this :

rev1-10.jpg

 

At that point being well insured pays off.

 

As I used to say at work. You have to do BCSTS, basic common sense trouble shooting. I had the same problem sort of. I didn't have a trunk light. Found a bad ground so. I agree with the other posts about that.
Alb

 

Thanks for all the responses! I hope to check her out tonight and will let you all know if I have any luck. I'm planning to take her to glass shop tomorrow for new windshield so I would really like to get it fixed. I appreciate all the info.

 

So far I have not isolated the gremlin in my electrical system. Cleaned all grounds (that I could get to). Still have other things to check out...will post results. Thanks again for all help.

 

FOUND THE GREMLIN! Sometimes the hardest problems have the easiest answer. Mine turned out to be the hazard switch. It was pushed partly on. Guess when I slammed the trunk it vibrated enough to make contact with the left front circuit. Now that I know what it is it seems really obvious and simple. At lease I got all my grounds clean and tight. Now on to the backup lights. Adjusting the switch does not turn them on. Fuse good. New switch so hope it hasn't gone bad. So far I haven't been able to get to the harness connector to test for power. This one might have to wait until I change the engine so I can get to it without having to remove the brake booster.

 

Remember, they could both just be burned out. Who notices a burned out backup bulb?

- Eric