Replaced factory cluster w aftermarket. Turn signal issues

-
Im thinking of doing the same modification to my cluster so im gonna follow this one just in case I have the same bugs to work out. The partial picture of yours looks really nice. I like it do you have a picture of the entire thing?
 
I recommend focusing on what has been changed. If it worked before, the chances of it failing as you changed the instruments is highly unlikely.

As far as the flasher goes, it wouldn't blink slowly due to the LEDs. If a bulb burns out, it flashes really fast. The burned out bulb has reduced the load on the circuit and now the flasher hits it's amperage faster. This causes the thermal contacts in the flasher to open much quicker. LEDs reduce the load quite like a burned out bulb would. The LED flasher has a higher amperage to trip which slows the flash rate.
 
dartfreak75 said:
Im thinking of doing the same modification to my cluster so im gonna follow this one just in case I have the same bugs to work out. The partial picture of yours looks really nice. I like it do you have a picture of the entire thing?
Click to expand...
Thanks. Loving it so far. Just a couple more wrinkles to iron out.

A004E774-92B8-4AA4-9300-84D1DA576240.jpeg
 
sport74 said:
I recommend focusing on what has been changed. If it worked before, the chances of it failing as you changed the instruments is highly unlikely.
Click to expand...

That was my first thought also. Just trying to cover all my bases and it won’t hurt to check the grounds out front either way.
 
Just had a couple minutes so I didn’t get to work much on these yet or do the tests that were described. But right away I see that while both front t/s bulb sockets do have grounds hooked to them and to the rad support - both ground tabs appear rusty and one even felt a little loose at the tab. The rust on the outside of the socket has me concerned about what the inside in the bulb contact area will look like. Will be working on the grounds on this as soon as I can get back out there.

699F1FE1-2D8E-4222-AA6F-16A97BFAD294.jpeg


3904004B-61AD-4741-A56F-C7C22E2BEAB5.jpeg
 
This may have been discussed already and I just missed it but where is your light switch now I noticed its not in the dash anymore? Maybe its not grounded properly?
 
dartfreak75 said:
This may have been discussed already and I just missed it but where is your light switch now I noticed its not in the dash anymore? Maybe its not grounded properly?
Click to expand...
It’s in there now. That picture was just a test fit but both switches are now in their correct locations.
 
One more thing while I wait to be able to get back out to work on it some more - can anyone confirm what this black wire is for that went to the original cluster? (It’s the furthest to the left in the photo) Best I can tell from my diagram the only black wire here was for some kind of voltage limiter. If that’s the case is it ok that I didn’t hook it to anything when I wired my new harness in?

4A9D7550-4ED1-4AB6-81BE-ECAB9EEED211.jpeg


9086C850-B8A6-4CF3-822E-2FB9F1A12B3B.jpeg
 
Edit: I couldn’t find one for my 71 that shows the cluster plug. But in this one posted in another thread for a 72 it seems the black wire could be a ground for some of the gauges?? Just want to make sure so I can check that off my list before I (hopefully) button it all up shortly.

AC320298-4344-4364-9F88-A58030D4E297.jpeg
 
We just recently went through this with another owner. There are up to 3 components that require switched 12 volts. Gauge voltage limiter, oil warning lamp, and brake warning lamp.
If you dont have a blue with white tracer the only switched 12 volts to the inst' panel will be black. They changed this in different models. In some builds the blue with white tracer supplied the gauge voltage limiter only which is grounded to the panel. In other builds the blue with white tracer supplied 12 volts to all 3 components. In other builds a second switched 12 volts was black and supplied the oil warning lamp and brake warning lamp. In later builds the blue with white tracer was deleted. The single black wire supplied all three components.
Those lamps are grounded at those remote switches. That's why these lamps had 2 copper traces to wires instead of grounded to the panel like illumination and indicator bulbs. For example, oil warning lamp got 12 volts on the black or blue w/white and ground on gray. The brake warning lamp could get ground from 2 switches. One at hand brake switch inside and one at brake fluid system pressure switch on proportion valve. I think those wires were either black or tan. I'm really only guessing but I believe the black wire you refer to is to brake warning switches. Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
I looked again and I think you’re right. The path of the black wire traces over to where the brake warning light is. Next is gray witch traces to the oil pressure warning light. And next to that is the blue with white tracer that also goes to those two as well as a path to the voltage limiter on the right. The blue/white is switched 12v and I used that as the power wire for all the new cluster. Looks like I’ll be ok with the black wire not being hooked to anything, I just wont run a brake warning light.

Thanks for clearing that up.
 
If I had a penny for every time someone drove around with the park brake on...even with the warning lamp. On Dec. 3rd there was a small fire at the gas pumps in front of my local convenient store. I arrived post excitement. The SUV was being towed away. We later learned that the lady had been driving with the park brake on.
The low system pressure warning can be a good thing too but... who looks at warning lamps? Right
I see many owners here spending their time and money on lots of aftermarket gauges. I can't help but wonder will they look at those gauges reports/needle positions after the pretty new bling becomes the norm. I would sooner spend my money to add a warning lamp to all of my OEM gauges.
Good luck
 
RedFish said:
If I had a penny for every time someone drove around with the park brake on...even with the warning lamp. On Dec. 3rd there was a small fire at the gas pumps in front of my local convenient store. I arrived post excitement. The SUV was being towed away. We later learned that the lady had been driving with the park brake on.
The low system pressure warning can be a good thing too but... who looks at warning lamps? Right
I see many owners here spending their time and money on lots of aftermarket gauges. I can't help but wonder will they look at those gauges reports/needle positions after the pretty new bling becomes the norm. I would sooner spend my money to add a warning lamp to all of my OEM gauges.
Good luck
Click to expand...
I actually think I will go back and add the brake warning light if I can figure out how to wire it. Always good to know if the brake system pressure is low and the park brake reminder will be handy when I swap to the 5 speed and will use the park brake more. My kit came with 4 leds and I saved the red one for warning light (2greens for turn signals and I used the amber for high beam even though oem was red)

In your earlier post you mention the brake warning light gets its ground from two sources - at the prop valve and inside at the park brake handle. Do they both then run into one wire that ran to the cluster? This would make sense as the black wire I described earlier.

This is where I get confused. If that wire comes from a ‘ground’ for those positions mentioned, could it still ‘power’ the light? For example, the tan wire powers the right indicator light, and I just ground the other side. Hope I’m saying that where it makes sense.

Thanks again for your replies.
 
the (+) to your warning LED will need to come from switched 12 V , the blue with white. This black goes to (-) side of the LED. The rest of factory wiring going to those 2 switches that complete the ground should still be there.
 
RedFish said:
the (+) to your warning LED will need to come from switched 12 V , the blue with white. This black goes to (-) side of the LED. The rest of factory wiring going to those 2 switches that complete the ground should still be there.
Click to expand...
I have the blue/white wired to the switched 12 v from the new harness. It does have a provision for park brake light (2 separate ones it seems here, pink and tan.) As long as one of those is switched 12 v I assume I could use that for the + side of the LED and I will hook the - side of the LED to the factory black wire that ran to the old cluster. The factory wiring on the other end of that circuit should be unchanged as you mentioned at the other two locations.

47D51E96-22DA-4034-A0BD-9792329C4D83.jpeg
 
Also. I wanted to say thanks to Redfish and Del for suggesting grounding issues with the front turn signal lamps. Cleaned contacts and replaced grounds on both and everything seems to work as it should now. No more indicator lights on when the headlight switch is pulled! Went ahead and upgraded the old flasher to a new electronic unit and that seemed to help with the slow blinking issue as well. Thanks to all for their time and input on that issue.
 
I don't know much about aftermarket harnesses. Just edumacted guessing. Looking at the pic, Pink appears to be ignition or switched 12 volts to everything.
The tan wire,,, Maybe some applications require a wire back toward the firewall or kick panel where the factory wire from switch is accessible. I'm considering all those with foot operated park brake. The switch would be there. Tan wire would route from the (-) side of LED back that direction on the tan wire. You probably could use that smaller Tan from the (-) side of LED and attach it to the factory black wire somewhere besides right behind your inst' panel.
 
Yes sir! Cleaned the ground post and installed new ground wires at the turn signals since the connectors there were old and wouldn’t stay tight. That seems to have corrected the issue.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top