Signal indicator lights on hood and in instrument panel don't work - Help!

[RViolet]

The the turn signals work fine - though they seem to flash a bit slower than I remember. Unfortunately, the indicator lights in the dash and on the hood don't light up/flash. I'm not sure where to look - and have no fuse box chart to tell which fuse goes where? Could it simply be a bulb in the cluster doing all of this - or is there some relay I need to find? Thanks for any help. 1973 Dodge Dart Sport 318

 

[67Dart273]

First, run over to MyMopar.com and download the 73 service manual FREE

You will have to learn how to use that, because they completely changed the wiring diagrams from 72/ earlier, for A bodies, and in the 74 manual they changed all of them

The indicators branch off from the wiring leading to the front lamps. There are no extra fuses just for the indicators, which means that if the front lamps flash correctly, the indicators should, too

What could be wrong........? Wiring hacked up? Bad grounds at the indicators? Bad lamps?

I'll be back.........

Page 8-153 is part of the alpha index of the electrical system. Note that right at top left is lamps, indicator, "A-18" and "D-15" and "E-18" These are coordinates for the diagrams Wander on down to page 8-154 and note the letters to left, and numerals along the top. Get down to A-18 and you'll see the indicator lamps. The CI-14 in the oval is simply a reference to a drawing on down past the diagrams.

Notice the two wires coming off, D10--18LGN (left), and D0-18T (right). EG D10 is the circuit designation, -18 is the wire size, and LGN is Light GreeN. T is for Tan. Pick one and follow it. If you go back (up) one page, magically, there is the turn signal switch at top right. There you'll see that those two wires are branched right off from the TS switch connector.

Then you can go down below, notice the CI-23 in the oval

CI-14, previously, and this CI-23, means, "Connector, Instrument" and the connector number

Now go down to page 8-164. Notice connectors depicted "CE" series. Theses are, "Connector, Engine bay." If you go down just a bit, on the left, find the bulkhead connector. This shows all the wire numbers coming out into the engine bay

Go on down to page 8-168. Now starts the CI (instrument panel) connectors. Just down from the top right is the circular instrument cluster connector, showing where the D9 and D10 connect.

Down a bit more, page 8-169, top center, is CI-23, which is the turn signal switch connector. Towards the bottom you can see that the front lamps and indicators are branched off from that connector.

Now go back up to page 8-157. Find the LGN coming out of the switch once more. Follow that down, and you can see several connections there, which result in feeding the left signal lamp filament, and the left fender indicator. As before, you'll have to chase down the connector numbers on the pages I noted earlier.

PITA? You bet. Well, LOL I am not the guy who wrote them.

But the point is, the indicators are feed right off the TS switch to the cluster, and the fender mounts are fed branched off the engine bay wiring. There is no common failure point, like a fuse. Pick one, pretend it is a unique problem and chase it down. EG one of the fender indicators may be a bad ground, the opposite one may be a bad lamp

 

[67Dart273]

By the way, the 73 manuals got there because of some of us right here

 

[Murray]

The car either has dash indicators or fender indicators not both. Check the fender indicator bulbs. Are they connected to the main loom at the firewall?

 

[RedFish]

The car either has dash indicators or fender indicators not both. Check the fender indicator bulbs. Are they connected to the main loom at the firewall?

Not so. The bean counters thought they would save a dime by omitting 2 bulbs from the inst' panel but didn't spend a single coin to omit a place in the inst' panel for them. Owners returned to complain. Service techs installed a lot of bulbs a no charge. The cost savings disappeared quick. The omit bulbs practice disappeared too. Anyway,,, A couple of warning lamps have their own ground source. Illumination and signal indicators ground at the inst' housing to dash. If illumination works signal indicators should also. Do you have a 69 Dart that didn't go back to the dealer for 2 more bulbs?

 

[67Dart273]

The car either has dash indicators or fender indicators not both. Check the fender indicator bulbs. Are they connected to the main loom at the firewall?

That is not true. My 67 had both. It was a GT I have seen others. I don't know if they were an option, or dealer added, or what

 

[RedFish]

Dodge didn't attempt deleting 2 dash bulbs until the 69 model. This didn't last a full year. Maybe AI can get yalls history straight. I won't try. Is that Galen Glover guy still around? It was odd 1st and last name. The man that had all the production numbers and stats. Ask him.

 

[RViolet]

First, run over to MyMopar.com and download the 73 service manual FREE

You will have to learn how to use that, because they completely changed the wiring diagrams from 72/ earlier, for A bodies, and in the 74 manual they changed all of them

The indicators branch off from the wiring leading to the front lamps. There are no extra fuses just for the indicators, which means that if the front lamps flash correctly, the indicators should, too

What could be wrong........? Wiring hacked up? Bad grounds at the indicators? Bad lamps?

I'll be back.........

Page 8-153 is part of the alpha index of the electrical system. Note that right at top left is lamps, indicator, "A-18" and "D-15" and "E-18" These are coordinates for the diagrams Wander on down to page 8-154 and note the letters to left, and numerals along the top. Get down to A-18 and you'll see the indicator lamps. The CI-14 in the oval is simply a reference to a drawing on down past the diagrams.

Notice the two wires coming off, D10--18LGN (left), and D0-18T (right). EG D10 is the circuit designation, -18 is the wire size, and LGN is Light GreeN. T is for Tan. Pick one and follow it. If you go back (up) one page, magically, there is the turn signal switch at top right. There you'll see that those two wires are branched right off from the TS switch connector.

Then you can go down below, notice the CI-23 in the oval

CI-14, previously, and this CI-23, means, "Connector, Instrument" and the connector number

Now go down to page 8-164. Notice connectors depicted "CE" series. Theses are, "Connector, Engine bay." If you go down just a bit, on the left, find the bulkhead connector. This shows all the wire numbers coming out into the engine bay

Go on down to page 8-168. Now starts the CI (instrument panel) connectors. Just down from the top right is the circular instrument cluster connector, showing where the D9 and D10 connect.

Down a bit more, page 8-169, top center, is CI-23, which is the turn signal switch connector. Towards the bottom you can see that the front lamps and indicators are branched off from that connector.

Now go back up to page 8-157. Find the LGN coming out of the switch once more. Follow that down, and you can see several connections there, which result in feeding the left signal lamp filament, and the left fender indicator. As before, you'll have to chase down the connector numbers on the pages I noted earlier.

PITA? You bet. Well, LOL I am not the guy who wrote them.

But the point is, the indicators are feed right off the TS switch to the cluster, and the fender mounts are fed branched off the engine bay wiring. There is no common failure point, like a fuse. Pick one, pretend it is a unique problem and chase it down. EG one of the fender indicators may be a bad ground, the opposite one may be a bad lamp

Thanks so much for the Manual link! I have come to realize - since I never drive this car at night - the whole instrument cluster is out/no lights. I got in the car last night and tried to see and the dash is no longer illuminating - it used to. The light for the radio works and as I mentioned the directional signal lights front and back are working. I had had a guy working on my wipers - he never fixed them - he actually made them worse (A-hole), but I am guessing in all his screwing around he probably pulled a wire or jacked something up because as I mentioned everything USED to work. Now - any suggestions on that one? Is it possible it's something simple? I am no good with electrical, great with body work, which is not helpful currently. lol Thanks everyone.

 

[RViolet]

The car either has dash indicators or fender indicators not both. Check the fender indicator bulbs. Are they connected to the main loom at the firewall?

I'm not sure what you mean. The indicator lights in my dash cluster panel are not going on - and the indicator lights on top of the hood are not going on either. Don't know if they are separate issues or connected. Electrical is not my strong point.

 

[RViolet]

By the way, the 73 manuals got there because of some of us right here

I thank you.

 

[Mattax]

Now - any suggestions on that one? Is it possible it's something simple? I am no good with electrical, great with body work, which is not helpful currently.

No time like the present to learn!
Seriously. You'll be very lucky to find someone with the knowledge and experience with electrics to be efficient and reasonable. You'll know more than most soon enough.
1. Amperes (amps) are a bunch of electrons moving. Similar to CFM on the air compressor for your spray gun.
2. Volts is potential energy level. Similar to pressure on the air system.

the whole instrument cluster is out/no lights. I got in the car last night and tried to see and the dash is no longer illuminating - it used to. The light for the radio works and as I mentioned the directional signal lights front and back are working.

The indicator lights in my dash cluster panel are not going on - and the indicator lights on top of the hood are not going on either. Don't know if they are separate issues or connected. Electrical is not my strong point.

Lets work backwords and forwards.
Radio light and the instrument lights are on the same circuit. So the circuit is working, just not the instrument lights.

The turn signals are a different circuit, and are powered only with the key in Run or Accessory position.

Based on those two combined, I'd suspect the instrument cluster feed or grounding.

 

[Mattax]

lets look at how these circuits are powered.
Here's a redraw of the wiring diagram with just the main circuits, and the feed to the turn signal flasher

Key in Run, engine running, the alternator (pump) is producing power at 14+ Volts. With the indicator on and working, current flows to the flasher as well as the ignition circuit.

A useful thing to know about the '73 turn signal flasher is that it shares a fuse and feed with the heater fan, the radio and the reverse lights. So if they work, then you know there is power at least up to the location where each of those splits off.

The instrument and radio illumination circuit splits off from the parking light power inside the headlight switch.

If the instrument lighting is out, but the radio lamp works, how about the shift indicator lamp?
Then we can look at the wiring diagram and see what is in common and also where they connect.

If the '73 manual has harness drawings, that will also help with where to look. Otherwise, there are probably photos posted here that will give you guidance.