Need some turn signal school

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j par

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After 4 years of drag racing and minimal Street use it's getting more Street use now and needs turn signals finally. LOL
I do have brake lights and running lights. The dome light wires are ran I believe and I think I can put a bulb in there but I don't have a cover. I think the trunk light worked at one point. The door jams doubtfully work. Absolutely nothing on the dash is working except for the light switch. It has a 10 gallon fuel cell in the back and a battery in the back. I have a 3 gauge underneath and and all system seem to be charging and working well in the charging system. All wires and switches from the engine compartment have been brought underneath the dash. Or on the inside of the firewall. it'll probably be awhile before I ever get concerned about windshield wipers or a heater. Right now I would rather air conditioning LOL that's another story.
I do have a good signal I believe as far as the switch on the steering wheel goes. That is all in good working order externally anyways and I think I remember taking a couple different steering columns to make this 4 Speed steering column all the good pieces. With no steering lock out. but I did put in my good switch and all and it has seemed to work fine but with no signal coming on.
I still rotate the key for the starter but the ignition is on a switch with an MSD. The fans the field pump all my gauges and tachometer are all on their own fused switch.
I have a couple marker lights that go up on top of the front fenders but until I get signals working. I also was thinking of hooking those two my shift light on my tach.
Well I'll start with my schematics and maybe a flasher switch but I can't imagine I hadn't tried that already.
And thank you ahead of time for anybody experience.
I'm sure I left things out so let me know what anybody needs to know and I'd be more than willing to bring you up to speed of what I can figure out.
 
You didnt say what year and model. I believe Allpar.com has wiring schematics for some cars that you can download. See if you can get those and a DVM and start tracing the signals. Google it if Allpar doesn't have it. If its a 68 or 69 Dart I have that one. Does it have the original harness because that will help a lot tracing this stuff out.
 
You didnt say what year and model. I believe Allpar.com has wiring schematics for some cars that you can download. See if you can get those and a DVM and start tracing the signals. Google it if Allpar doesn't have it. If its a 68 or 69 Dart I have that one. Does it have the original harness because that will help a lot tracing this stuff out.
It's a 1973 duster and I'm pretty sure it was a slant six air conditioning car automatic on the column. yes I've been a bit of an advocate for finding the schematics online and just having one of The Office Depot's making a copy. And I actually have one in color. I've been taking a little time to get familiar with it but haven't got the time to get to the car and make a specific shot at this. I was hoping to gather a little bit of the do's and don'ts and don't try this and definitely try this kind of stuff. let me get into it here over the next couple days and I'll have some more specific questions hopefully. Thank you so much for your response.
 
Happy to help. I just replaced the wiring harness in my 69 Dart with an after market one from Jegs. I learned a lot from doing that. Of course the dash was out of the car which made it possible. Good luck with your project.
 
I guess when I think about it I would think to see if I'm looking for the wire that sends power to the signal indicator that I assume sends power to either the right or the left when activated?
 
What happens when you pull the headlight switch out? do you have headlights? or do the markers, turn signals, and turn dash indicators all illuminate?
 
The turn signals get power through the ignition switch. Check the red wires on the switch inside the column or the connector just outside the column. You may just have a dirty connection or a broken wire. You should have power when you turn the key to run not start. For your purposes teh Duster and Valiant are the same.

Plymouth All Models Parts | Ignition Switch | Classic Industries

Turn Signal Switch without Tilt Column for 73-79 Dodge Plymouth Chrysler 191213402900 | eBay

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1973/73ValiantB.jpg

http://www.mymopar.com/downloads/1973/73ValiantA.jpg
 
What happens when you pull the headlight switch out? do you have headlights? or do the markers, turn signals, and turn dash indicators all illuminate?
Everything comes on and the brake lights work as they should. Thank you for asking.
 
Everything comes on and the brake lights work as they should. Thank you for asking.
I chased an issue in the past where my signals stopped working also, and i also lost headlights....but when I pulled out the headlight switch, the turn signal indicators, marker lights etc all illuminated...some kind of cross feed. So just wondered if you were dealing with the same thing. Following to see what you find. Best of luck.
 
I chased an issue in the past where my signals stopped working also, and i also lost headlights....but when I pulled out the headlight switch, the turn signal indicators, marker lights etc all illuminated...some kind of cross feed. So just wondered if you were dealing with the same thing. Following to see what you find. Best of luck.
well I got a few minutes now and I'm jumping on it. I've got the steering wheel pullers out and getting that pulled off. I just went under and check to make sure everything was connected. This is been a drag car for 4 years or so a lot of things weren't needed. I think it will be a little bit of a process but surely when I pull the headlights or even the Park lights out all the lights illuminate and the brake lights work so I know the two-way lights work in the back.
 
Stick your hand straight out the driver's window to the left and that means you're turnin left. Stick your hand out the driver's window with your hand stickin straight up that means you're turnin right. Stick your hand out the driver's window stickin straight down, palm facing the rear means you're stoppin. See the accompanied pitcher.

HAND SIGNALS.jpg
 
Stick your hand straight out the driver's window to the left and that means you're turnin left. Stick your hand out the driver's window with your hand stickin straight up that means you're turnin right. Stick your hand out the driver's window stickin straight down, palm facing the rear means you're stoppin. See the accompanied pitcher.

View attachment 1715229104
Well how do you think I've had it for 4 years!??
So my next question is I've got this all apart and grounded my test light and obviously when I hit the horn one that makes the horn go off LOL (ouch my head) but with the ignition switch on I don't get anything out of any of the signal connections that are there underneath the steering wheel in the plastic thing?
I'm wondering is there a way to just put a fused wire directly to the signal switch?
 
Well how do you think I've had it for 4 years!??
So my next question is I've got this all apart and grounded my test light and obviously when I hit the horn one that makes the horn go off LOL (ouch my head) but with the ignition switch on I don't get anything out of any of the signal connections that are there underneath the steering wheel in the plastic thing?
I'm wondering is there a way to just put a fused wire directly to the signal switch?

I refer you to post #11.
 
Stick your hand straight out the driver's window to the left and that means you're turnin left. Stick your hand out the driver's window with your hand stickin straight up that means you're turnin right. Stick your hand out the driver's window stickin straight down, palm facing the rear means you're stoppin. See the accompanied pitcher.

That's the old one, there's four now.:D

blurredfinger.jpg
 
You should have 12 volts at the red wire on the signal switch when the ignition switch is in run. If not you either have a break or someone that has hacked into the wiring. There are two or three red wires at the ignition switch. Check them all for voltage when the switch is in the run position (not start) and that at least one of them has continuity to the red wire on the turn signal switch. If not then that's your problem. You really need a DVM to figure this out. Get one at Harbor Freight for $6. Digital Volt Meter best tool in my shop and I have a Fluke, High dollar ($400) I never use. Im happy to help if you can get the DVM. Forget the hand signals, do it right!
7 Function Digital Multimeter
 
You should have 12 volts at the red wire on the signal switch when the ignition switch is in run. If not you either have a break or someone that has hacked into the wiring. There are two or three red wires at the ignition switch. Check them all for voltage when the switch is in the run position (not start) and that at least one of them has continuity to the red wire on the turn signal switch. If not then that's your problem. You really need a DVM to figure this out. Get one at Harbor Freight for $6. Digital Volt Meter best tool in my shop and I have a Fluke, High dollar ($400) I never use. Im happy to help if you can get the DVM. Forget the hand signals, do it right!
7 Function Digital Multimeter
I'm thinking down the lines that you are that there should be some power in there somewhere. I have the Harbor Freight voltmeter. And I'm semi okay with using it, but sometimes need direction.
A couple of the questions you're asking I'm not sure if you read all my gibberish at the beginning? But I did mention maybe it's been a drag car for 4 years and this last year I had the dashboard out and redid all the stuff that goes out into the engine and out to the front and everything is inside. I didn't have the harness out but I believe I just put everything back as it was.
 
Ok sounds good, but you will still need 12V on that red wire on the turn signal switch from the ignition switch. Good luck and let me know if I can help.
 
Ok sounds good, but you will still need 12V on that red wire on the turn signal switch from the ignition switch. Good luck and let me know if I can help.
Thank you I may go out and get a start on a here in a little while. I got the wheel off last night and got into it and then of course life jumped in the way. Again, thank you.
 
Life got in my way for 14 years trying to build my 69 Dart. I think the ignition switch and turn sig switch harness runs outside the column so you might be able to do your tests there instead of tearing it all down. Just remember if you unplug the connectors the circuit is broken. You cab get a safety pin or sharp object and pierce the insulation to get a reading on the wires. That way the connectors stay connected. It could be just dirt. Unplug them and look at them then plug back in and see if it works.
 
Life got in my way for 14 years trying to build my 69 Dart. I think the ignition switch and turn sig switch harness runs outside the column so you might be able to do your tests there instead of tearing it all down. Just remember if you unplug the connectors the circuit is broken. You cab get a safety pin or sharp object and pierce the insulation to get a reading on the wires. That way the connectors stay connected. It could be just dirt. Unplug them and look at them then plug back in and see if it works.
I actually just did that on a Trans Am last week. Blinkers hadn't worked in a long time and it was just a bad connection at the steering column.
Very very doubtful a the case here. So I have the steering wheel off and I've grounded my test line and I'm getting no power to anything except the horn LOL I haven't went down to the ignition harness underneath.
 
If you can't get it working at least there's always post #11.
if you've been reading closely you'll see that I'm going to repeat myself here again and again and again LOL that's what I've been using post number 11 since I bought the car.
 
From what I can gather for my 79¢ Office Depot home job wiring map here I need to put a fuesed 12v to that red ignition wire going to the signals?
IMG_20180929_214011.jpg
 
There are two wires going to the column for power, one from the brake light switch and one from the signal blinker.
Under normal conditions (no turn) the connection of the brake light power is connected to both rear turn lights.
When you turn on the turn indicator you disengage the brake power from that side and connect the blinker power to both the turn lights on that side.

The turn signal switch is a complicated animal.


Alan
 
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