This just popped up, everything on the right side is fine. The left side blinks at the same frequency as the right side, but every bulb barely lights from dash, fender, front and rear. Ground issue somewhere?
Dim turn signal on left side.
- Thread starter Zymurgy
- Start date
I'd say grounds are the first thing to check.
I had a full trunk last weekend, seems like the first ground to check. Thanks.
Dan Scully
Well-Known Member
Perfect just ordered it, thanks!
1970FuryConv
Old Man with a Hat
Agree with check grounds.
Bad grounds and dim turn signal lights has happened to me several times before.
It's probably your new wheels causing electromagnetic interference. You should just trade me for my stock 15" steels with wheel covers.
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
Grounds always make weird and/or random stuff happen, (starts now ten minutes from now will not crank). Total failure of a item function is usually a open or loss of power. Shorts (super grounds before the load) are usually blown fuses, popped breakers (headlight switch) and melted wires.
These rules of thumb will usually narrow your focus enough to track it down without looking from one end to the other.
Check with the headlights on, if it is worse it's at the rear. Same it's at the front. Pre'69 cars are easy because front marker lights go out with headlights on.
Long live simplicity!
These rules of thumb will usually narrow your focus enough to track it down without looking from one end to the other.
Check with the headlights on, if it is worse it's at the rear. Same it's at the front. Pre'69 cars are easy because front marker lights go out with headlights on.
Long live simplicity!
Nice try LOL
^This^
Diagnosing a bad ground can be difficult at best. Using a test light or meter might not give you the whole story as you might have a good enough connection to light the test light or show continuity on your meter, but then it doesn't have a good enough connection where once there's more current draw, the ground connection won't carry that amount of current.
The best, and cheapest way to test (IMHO) is a simple length of wire with alligator clips on both ends. Takes less than a minute to hook up and test the light(s).
70bigblockdodge
Old Man with a Hat
That power probe posted earlier is a lifesaver. I have one with a extender wire, for using on my semi-trailer. They provide a ground, both probed and clipped, you can power up items at the probe, and it works like a test light with different tones and LED light colors for power and ground. A absolute great tool. It is powered by clamping to battery so you can be sure of solid ground without the chassis (very helpful with a fifth wheel plastic lube plate.
I sold a lot of them on the tool truck. A 9 volt battery and a test light bulb was a great test bench and sales tool.
Problem solved feeling kind of stupid. First thanks @Dan Scully for the electronic diagnostic tool suggestion, very slick tool.
I checked continuity at every location and they were fine. Then I discovered the bulb at a rear location spun but filaments were fine, that has got to be it, no it wasn't. Then I thought I'll check the hazard lights. Everything flashed perfectly, bright, and at the correct speed. I turned off the hazard lights and tried my turn signal and they worked perfectly.
Here was the problem, the hazard switch got bumped forward just slightly but didn't engage the hazard lights. When I switched it completely off, everything was fine again. I could duplicate the problem by moving the switch just slightly towards me.
I should have tried the hazard light before I tried anything else, but I may have never realized the problem, which had actually occurred.
I checked continuity at every location and they were fine. Then I discovered the bulb at a rear location spun but filaments were fine, that has got to be it, no it wasn't. Then I thought I'll check the hazard lights. Everything flashed perfectly, bright, and at the correct speed. I turned off the hazard lights and tried my turn signal and they worked perfectly.
Here was the problem, the hazard switch got bumped forward just slightly but didn't engage the hazard lights. When I switched it completely off, everything was fine again. I could duplicate the problem by moving the switch just slightly towards me.
I should have tried the hazard light before I tried anything else, but I may have never realized the problem, which had actually occurred.
1970FuryConv
Old Man with a Hat
Glad you found the problem, regardless of the problem.
I think the thumbwheel dimmer in my Fury conv has gone bad. It's always something.
I think the thumbwheel dimmer in my Fury conv has gone bad. It's always something.
You are definitely right that there is always something, I just hope that most of the time that it is something doesn't prevent me from getting home.
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