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1968 Odd turn signal problem...

dalorzo_f

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 7, 2006
Messages
1,886
Location
Brisbane Australia
Headlights off, both sides work fine.

Headlights on, LH works, RH does not...

Lights off, hit RH... blink-blink-blink... turn on the lights without touching the turn signal lever and it quits. Lights off... blink-blink-blink...

Weird. New wiring, bench tested, in both buckets. All OK there.

???
 

franklinair

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Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
4,740
What happens if you pull the HL switch to only the first detent (Parking lights)?

Neil
 

Ruppstang

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May 22, 2009
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3,032
Sounds like a voltage drop you might measure the resistance. I bet Steve will have some ideas. Marty
 
OP
OP
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dalorzo_f

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Jan 7, 2006
Messages
1,886
Location
Brisbane Australia
Hmmmm..... I did the test without the engine running. Maybe tomorrow, if the rain stops, I'll test it with the alternator pumping juice....
 

Ruppstang

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Joined
May 22, 2009
Messages
3,032
The head lights circut might not be grounded properly and when you turn on the head lights it is back tracking for ground through the turn lights. I know just enough about this to be dangerous! Marty
 

James476

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2011
Messages
18
Location
Texas
Had almost the exact same problem in a 70 Mach 1. Replaced the voltage regulator and the issue disappeared.
 

robert campbell

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Joined
Apr 10, 2007
Messages
4,321
I have had headlight switches do weird things before. Steve (rvrtrash) is the resident electrical expert. Grounds grounds grounds. It is always a ground. Mostly at times. Marty is right on, and some times you can just get a wire and hook a supplemental “ground” all the way to the battery. I have a couple of long wires with alligator clips on each end. Real helps out ground trouble shooting.

Rob
 

rvrtrash

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Joined
Apr 25, 2003
Messages
3,649
Sorry guys, I've haven't checked in for a while. Agreed on checking the grounds first. If memory serves, there are several that ground at a single point on either side of the radiator support. You want to make sure it's got a good connection with no broken wires. The feedback suggestion is good to. Strange as it may sound, if you have a bulb that's internally shorted, or have the wrong bulb installed, or wires with the insulation worn away, it will cause just this problem. I once saw a single element, two terminal bulb installed in a turn signal socket that did exactly what you're describing. The element grounded by going through the low beam filiment of the headlight on it's way to the body ground. When the headlight was turned on, the ground for the turn signal became a "high" and it quit working. Pull the parking light and turn signal bulbs and check them with a meter. Don't forget to do the same with your hood lights. If that doesn't solve the problem, we'll get deeper in to it.

Steve
 
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dalorzo_f

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Joined
Jan 7, 2006
Messages
1,886
Location
Brisbane Australia
Have not had time to get deeper into this. But I did bench test the assemblies. All bulbs are dual filament and worked preoperly when connected to power. One terminal lit up all 3 (brakes) and the other three one-by-one lit up the second element on each bulb (turn signal, common hot on GT/CS but separte leads to allow sequential).

Going to be next weekend at the earliest, away on biz all this week so no hobby time in the evenings...
 
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