What have I done - A side blinker story

[Lari Cheltsy]

Well I've always wished that the side indicators on my '73 Valiant could blink for safety reasons in town and thanks to
http://danielsternlighting.com/tech/...rkerflash.html

I was able to make just that happen cheaply, quickly, and easily.

BUT NOW


When my parking lights or head lights are one, so are the turn indicators in the instrument cluster speedometer. Not blinking, but steady.

What can I do to either remedy this, or to just do away with the cluster indicators? Because if it comes down to it, I'd feel better/safer with blinking side lamps than having working indicators.

[mcnoople]

Does everything else work as it should? How fast do the turn signals flash: Fast, slow, normal? Are all bulbs properly bright?

Stuff like this usually happens from a poor ground and the current has to find a path back to ground wherever it can.

[TrailBeast]

It's a bad ground like stated above.

[Lari Cheltsy]

Everything seems to be working as normal. Blinking is a bright and rhythmic as always.

[mcnoople]

Two approaches come to mind

1. measure voltage drops and circuit resistances on each individual leg of the running light circuit.

2. pull 1 bulb at a time until the indicator is no longer lit up. This is the method I would try first. The power that is lighting up the indicator has to be coming from somewhere and this method is interrupting circuits that might be supplying the power.

Your suspect bulbs are dash lights, taillamps, front running lamps. Does turning the dimmer switch have any effect on the turn indicator?

[67Dart273]

It's -- a -- ground -- problem

Up front

[TrailBeast]

Like park/signals up front probably.

[briankaplan]

If you are running the turn signal power and the running lites power both
to the side markers. You need a one way diode in line. Kind of like the boxes
for the old trailer lights. to run the turn signals and the brake lites together.
Not to sure how you should set it up though.
Just my 2 cents worth. Not a ground problem.

[RedFish]

It's been a very long time since I messed with this lighting setup.
If I'm not mistaken you have to reroute the factory ground path so the only path is through the little marker lamp bulb.
Not so easy to try if you have chassis grounded metal fixtures such as your fender top fixtures.

[67Dart273]

Originally Posted by RedFish

It's been a very long time since I messed with this lighting setup.
If I'm not mistaken you have to reroute the factory ground path so the only path is through the little marker lamp bulb.
Not so easy to try if you have chassis grounded metal fixtures such as your fender top fixtures.

This stuff can REALLY throw ya. When I was in the navy, several friends had mid 60's chivvies, which have part of the lamps mounted on the trunk LID. These cars were a nightmare to keep the lights working, until you solder grounds to the lamp shells, and run a flex ground wire from the trunk lid to the body.

[RedFish]

Originally Posted by 67Dart273

This stuff can REALLY throw ya. When I was in the navy, several friends had mid 60's chivvies, which have part of the lamps mounted on the trunk LID. These cars were a nightmare to keep the lights working, until you solder grounds to the lamp shells, and run a flex ground wire from the trunk lid to the body.

Yep, the GM products are a little different in some places and a lot different in others. Their blinking side markers or cornering lamps were wired similar to what \6Dan suggests. 89 Cutlass comes to mind as a example but my memory has failed me.