Help, Turn Signal Troubles

[BigPinoyHunk]

i have this problem a few times before but its mostly the left side, when i want the left turn signal on, it works fine. when i go to put on the right signal, all it does is light and won't blink. all it'll do is stayed illuminated.

all the bulbs are replaced on the car so thats not the issue here and i made sure the bulb isn't blown.

what gives? previous occassions, it'll just eventually come back but not this time. to make sure i don't get some kind of ticket, i have to manually signal it but keep flipping it on and off.

 

[don29163]

replace that tired old flasher. and check your grounds if that doesn't fix it.

 

[goodnigh]

i have this problem a few times before but its mostly the left side, when i want the left turn signal on, it works fine. when i go to put on the right signal, all it does is light and won't blink. all it'll do is stayed illuminated.

all the bulbs are replaced on the car so thats not the issue here and i made sure the bulb isn't blown.

what gives? previous occassions, it'll just eventually come back but not this time. to make sure i don't get some kind of ticket, i have to manually signal it but keep flipping it on and off.

Interesting problem:huh: Have you tried your emergency flashers? Uses a different flasher box.

mike

 

[OLE PONY]

I'm leaning towards it being a ground problem. I had this problem many years ago, but I don't quite remember how I fixed it. My 04 Mach 1 did this but it turned out to be a bad bulb, but you said all your bulbs are good. Good luck.

 

[73mach1429]

I second the weak flasher. Try a new flasher.

 

[BigPinoyHunk]

I second the weak flasher. Try a new flasher.

Do they make new flashers?

i have this problem a few times before but its mostly the left side, when i want the left turn signal on, it works fine. when i go to put on the right signal, all it does is light and won't blink. all it'll do is stayed illuminated.

all the bulbs are replaced on the car so thats not the issue here and i made sure the bulb isn't blown.

what gives? previous occassions, it'll just eventually come back but not this time. to make sure i don't get some kind of ticket, i have to manually signal it but keep flipping it on and off.

Interesting problem:huh: Have you tried your emergency flashers? Uses a different flasher box.

mike

I do believe they work!

 

[marks73]

There is also the possibility that the contact in the coloumn has seperated. it's a relatively easy replacement plus a great opportunity to replace a worn out steering wheel. At least that's what I told my wife!!

 

[Tnfastbk]

I would bet it is a ground issue:idea:

 

[cobra3073]

+1 what Roy (TNFASTBK) said. I strongly believe it is a grounding problem as I have periodically had this problem on my '73 Mach 1.

Check the sockets that holds the bulbs closely as sometimes there is corrosion or other impediments to a good ground.

BT

 

[URUGUAYAN_FASTBACK]

Yeah... i´ll go for the ground too... It also can be the flasher but as we all do always, start by the obvious... check the grounds here and there and clean the contacts of the bulb switches to start.. if it does not get better, can be the flasher...

I don´t remember is this cars have a flasher relay or something.. if they do, it can be it too..

 

[Blueoval71]

It would be worth cleaning/sanding the contact pads at the bulbs. Also swap the bulbs from left to right for reference. My personal opinion is that it is related to the hazard switch. I see this all the time on mid to late 90's Chevy trucks and SUV's. On those, the hazard switch is a pass through for the signals and the contacts become misaligned. In this case the hazard switch is old and may have oxidized contacts. Try working the switch in and out several times then pull it partway while the signal is on to see if there is any change.

Good luck!

 

[72HCODE]

pull the right side front grill blinker bulb out and turn on the right blinker, note if the rear taillight blinker is working correctly.

put the bulb back in note if the blinker is malfunctioning, if that is the case, you might have a bad socket on the sport grill.

there are 3 wires that come out of the connector one is common ground the 2 others are running light and blinker.

you can try spraying electrical cleaner into the bulb socket.

there should be a ground on the rad support on both sides near the lights, unscrew them and clean them put a little dielectric grease on them and put them back and try again.

now you can also test the tailights the same way, pull the rear taillight blinker on the right side pull the bulb and see if the front grill is working correctly then you know the problem is with the rear socket.

the rear socket is notorious for bad grounds the common ground is plugged into a tab in the center of the tail light socket and always rusts and rubs the housing causing a short.

 

[BigPinoyHunk]

I would bet it is a ground issue:idea:

where exactly is the places i should be looking for ground issues? but this is somethings i found this morning.

the emergency lights work fine. when the running lights are on, the right signal isn't as bright (only one of the little lines inside are lighting up) while the other light has both lines lighting up brightly. however, i tried to swap the bulbs and the same probably exsist. when i go to actually signal, the right signal stay really bright and it looks like both lines inside the bulb are bright. the other side isn't bright with only one of the lines inside is lit up.

we thinking flasher?

 

[Tnfastbk]

Im still thinking ground, If I remember correctly the Ford sockets are notorious for bad socket to bulb grounds.

 

[marks73]

You'll see a black wire that is scewed to metal close to the lamp. If painted or coroded, just remove the wire and sand the ring connector and the area it's mounted to to get good metal contact.

 

[Blueoval71]

I would bet it is a ground issue:idea:

where exactly is the places i should be looking for ground issues? but this is somethings i found this morning.

the emergency lights work fine. when the running lights are on, the right signal isn't as bright (only one of the little lines inside are lighting up) while the other light has both lines lighting up brightly. however, i tried to swap the bulbs and the same probably exsist. when i go to actually signal, the right signal stay really bright and it looks like both lines inside the bulb are bright. the other side isn't bright with only one of the lines inside is lit up.

we thinking flasher?

Ok......If the hazards work correctly when the running lights are on or off, then I'm 99% positive it will not be a ground issue. The most common side effect of a poor ground is the wrong bulb illuminating because it will pull ground through the next filament in line. If the ground were faulty it would not discriminate between signals/hazards. The flashers are inline on the power supply wires for the respective circuits (hazard/signal). In other words there is one wire to supply power to the signals. On vehicles I've seen do this the hazards worked fine and one or both signals refused to flash.

The Hazard switch was the culprit, however they were not big body mustangs. The principal is the same though.

The outer housing of the bulb socket is the ground. Run a lead from the battery - to the housing and see if there is any change. This will eliminate the ground variable. The "preferred method " would be to measure the voltage across the bulb on both sides. If the offending side reads lower voltage then you have a bad ground or a "ground loop".

 

[73mach1429]

Swap the flasher from the hazards and see if works in the circuit. I changed my flasher with a heavy duty one in the 80's because only the r/s blinked and l/s would not.

 

[FastE]

Go with a new flasher.Peaple say they either work or they do not. That is false! Keep it simple, a flasher is cheap. I had one do the same on my Mach 1 years ago. I could not find the problem and finally in desperation changed the flasher. That's all it was. When I was in the parts buisness saw this on at least two other occasions,differant cars.

 

[jjr329]

If the problem follows the bulb then it could be a bad bulb. I had a similar issue. Right front was weak and with the headlights on wouldn't blink at all. Hazards worked fine. Cleaned ground contacts on both sides without luck. Swapped bulbs from left to right and it worked fine under all situations. Checked the bulb and one of the little posts that help lock it in place was missing. Good luck