Blinkers

[midlife]

You can't change the 7172 grill lamps to running lamps easily. They are powered directly by the headlight power to the dimmer switch. You can either have them come on only with the headlights, or cut one of the wires going to the dimmer switch and splicing that line into the parking lamp signal (if you have it) or create a toggle switch to power them on. They consume a fair amount of power, so best to have it fused as well. The issue is determining which of the two wires going to the dimmer switch is incoming and which goes on to the grill lamps.

 

[Kilgon]

Even though I read all of this post not for sure if you solved your issue. I had a similar problem and it ended up being the connector going into the instrument cluster was not making a good connection. If your problem just started after having your cluster out, I would check there.

 

[Stanglover]

You can't change the 7172 grill lamps to running lamps easily. They are powered directly by the headlight power to the dimmer switch. You can either have them come on only with the headlights, or cut one of the wires going to the dimmer switch and splicing that line into the parking lamp signal (if you have it) or create a toggle switch to power them on. They consume a fair amount of power, so best to have it fused as well. The issue is determining which of the two wires going to the dimmer switch is incoming and which goes on to the grill lamps.

Yeah, thanks, I figured it would be above my pay grade. It sure would be useful these days with so many drivers not seeing past the end of their car's hood. Last week I was driving home from a show and had this idiot pull out to pass another car. I'm bloody sure he never saw me until I pulled the headlights on. He pulled back in behind the other car thankfully.
As for power at the grill lamps, I use LEDs, so a lot less draw I would think.
Could I not isolate the grill lamps completely, power them through a relay with one side connected to a keyed power source? Would that work?

 

[midlife]

Yes, but you'll still have to terminate the red/orange wire that normally powers them from the dimmer switch.

 

[Stanglover]

Yes, but you'll still have to terminate the red/orange wire that normally powers them from the dimmer switch.

Ah, so it might be doable. This is something I've often thought about. Most driver here in Ontario and probably most, if not all the rest of Canada, expect cars to have DRL's. I'm not sure about the US, but DRL's save lives.

 

[Paul M]

Paul, this may be a mute point as I'm sure you already know, but if you put LED's in your dash circuit, they are polarity specific. Also if you have idiot lights, the ALT bulb MUST remain an incandescent bulb. Also cheap LED's don't always work. I buy from Bill at HiPoParts.com.
As for sockets, maybe try to find some originals from someone like MotorCityMustangs and the like.

I used incandescent bulbs on the signals and one of them is bad. I wonder if I had one in the alt? Good point. Ye one of my cheap leds was bad also. The reason I didn't use them on the signals. I might buy all new LEDS from that source, these looked chinchy. I need to bring the car in to the shop & look at it. I've got the space reserved at the moment for a homemade shifter linkage project on another car. The mosquitoes are taking over though

I forgot about the alt gauge on this it's a 3 gauge cluster on this one. Anyway, these stock amber type lights suck & I like the idea of running a cpl LEDS through a relay. I can't see very good at night in this

 

[70cobrascj]

Ok I temporarily mounted my front valance and my blinkers work for the most part
With the key in the run position the front and rear blinkers work. With the running or parking lights on the fronts don’t work but the rears do. Same thing with the emergency flashers. The rears will work with no lights on or just running lights and with all lights but not the fronts.

 

[Stanglover]

I forgot about the alt gauge on this it's a 3 gauge cluster on this one. Anyway, these stock amber type lights suck & I like the idea of running a cpl LEDS through a relay. I can't see very good at night in this

Paul, if you have gauges and no idiot lights, you'll be good with all LED's in the dash. It's only with idiot lights you MUST use an incandescent bulb in that socket.
If you're talking LED headlights, I have posted extensively on my choice and improvements. Let me know if you need help with that. Believe me it will be worth it.

 

[Stanglover]

Ok I temporarily mounted my front valance and my blinkers work for the most part
With the key in the run position the front and rear blinkers work. With the running or parking lights on the fronts don’t work but the rears do. Same thing with the emergency flashers. The rears will work with no lights on or just running lights and with all lights but not the fronts.

Are you using GROUNDED electronic flashers for LED's? If you are, make sure the ground is good. I had a problem with that too.