1971 Dodge Dart Swinger Turn Signals and Reverse Lamps

[bfranz]

Hi, I am working on a 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger we recently got running and am having issues with the turn signals and reverse lamps. According to the schematic I have pulled from MyMopar the wiring changed from the 70 in which I own, and it appears that the black wire to the turn signal flasher is fed from the neutral safety switch while on my 70 it is fed directly from the fuse panel. Is this correct or is it a misprint? If it is correct, does the neutral safety switch jump power from the starter relay to that circuit? Whether or not it is worth noting, the gas gauge and temp gauge also do not work on the cluster, which could also line up with the ‘70 feeding the voltage limiter. I have replaced the voltage limiter on the dash and that was not the fix, and I can’t seem to get up there with a test light to test for power. Thanks!

 

[bfranz]

I just figured I would add that I am questioning the wiring schematic because I am not getting any power to the turn signal flasher whatsoever and from my understanding is there should be power to the flasher as soon as the key is turned on. The only wire I have power going to in the turn signal switch is the horn. The 4 way flashers do function.

 

[Mattax]

Those diagrams are occassionally useful but the better ones are in the service manuals in the back of the electrical section. In general I don't bother with the aftermarket ones. scans of 1971 chassis manual is also available from the same website you were at.

 

[Mattax]

power to the flasher as soon as the key is turned on.

Yes. To the flasher unit. It's a long route. On the factory diagram follow wire X1 to B1 to D1. (B1 is power to the back up light switch.)

If the connector or harnesses to the reverse light switch has issues (like grounding to the case) then the fuse will blow, or at minimum there will be no power to the turn signal flasher because it found a shorter route.

 

[bfranz]

Thank you, I will do some digging around when I get back to it!

 

[bfranz]

scans of 1971 chassis manual is also available from the same website you were at.

Can you point me to the direction where the chassis manual are at? The only one I could locate was the body manual

 

[Mattax]

You'll have to use Plymouth Chassis and Body Manuals for '71

Service Manuals – MyMopar

mymopar.com

AFAIK the wiring diagrams and the same between Valiant and Dart
The instrument panel harnesses may be different. I forget which years the Valiants and Darts began to get the same standard instrment panel. But before that the harness its elf is obviously a bit different.

 

[bfranz]

Okay, that’s the one I was using and got kinda lost in there because I was looking for duster. I’ll take a look in there again

 

[Mattax]

Some Dusters got ralley instrument panels.
That's the one with the round gage clusters and includes and oil pressure gage.

 

[bfranz]

That may be a future down the road project to swap a rallye cluster into the car. We just need to figure out how much cutting of the dash we have to do and locate pigtails for that. I did manage to find a 1971 Dodge Chassis service manual here: Service Manuals, Parts Catalogs & How-To Guides

It says for Challenger but it covers all Dodge platforms for MY1971. I am suspecting that the two pin connector in the engine bay going to the NSS is unplugged. I will let you know of my findings, and thank you for your help!

 

[67Dart273]

That may be a future down the road project to swap a rallye cluster into the car. We just need to figure out how much cutting of the dash we have to do and locate pigtails for that. I did manage to find a 1971 Dodge Chassis service manual here: Service Manuals, Parts Catalogs & How-To Guides

It says for Challenger but it covers all Dodge platforms for MY1971. I am suspecting that the two pin connector in the engine bay going to the NSS is unplugged. I will let you know of my findings, and thank you for your help!

If you look on page 8-144, of that manual you referenced, "Dart inst. panel wiring", here is how the flasher gets power. It's a bit roundabout, and misleading. The power lead for the flasher is D1-18BK. Follow that to the bulkhead connector terminal W. That terminal is used as a junction for the flasher power. Out it goes on B1-18W. Follow that over and up and you'll see that it ends at the RED wire terminal of the radio connector. They are merely robbing power from that (radio) circuit. Now follow the red, X12-18R, and it goes over and off the page to the right. Continue on the other page, 8-145, coming in off the left of that page. Finally, you'll see that connects to the bottom of fuse "C" in the fuse box. Look to the tops of fuses ABC and you'll see a buss. That is the "ACC" buss, fed from the ignition switch, and is live only in "run" or "acc" positions of the key. To the right, fuses DE are fed off the "hot buss" hot all the time. and the last fuse to the right, "F" is a trick circuit for the dash light dimmer circuit.

 

[bfranz]

Thank you for pointing that out. I read the other day that they were pulling power from the radio circuit for certain things but couldn't piece together as to how. Some of these circuits can really send a guy on a wild goose chase if the time is not taken to understand them properly as I am learning.

 

[Mattax]

Same method applies to figuring out the wiring to the switch for the back up lights.
Go to the engine bay diagram. Find the W position in the connector. Follow the wire marked B1A from W.
In this illustration they show both halves of the connector so we have to put them together.
They also show two options; cars with manual transmission and cars with automatic transmissions. Its a little confusing because normally when there is no symbol for a wire junction it means the wires cross. But in this case it means optional.
Lets follow B1A to the automatic transmission and ignore the manual transmission.

It goes to the combination neutral safety switch and back up lamp switch on the transmission.
B2 is the continuation of the circuit that eventually connects to the back up lights. B2 circuit doesn't show on the instrument diagram. For that we have to go to the Body wiring diagram.

PS. The wire codes work like this:
First letter sometimes represents the circuit name. For example B = Back up light. R is alteRnator, G is for gage. They are not all obvious. A is for bAttery, but no idea why Q is for 'Accessory' but it is.
After the letter is a number and sometims a letter. These indicate the branch and segment.
The number and letters after the dash are SAE wire gage and insulation color.
For example B2 -18Bk* is the second Back-up circuit - 18 gage wire with Black insulation and a tracer stripe.

 

[Mattax]

I am suspecting that the two pin connector in the engine bay going to the NSS is unplugged.

Lets finish this thought.

If the engine bay back up connector NSS is unplugged, then the back up lights will never work.
Could that effect the turn signal?

The answer is no.
The branches can be disconnected and the main line will still carry power.

Conversely, the radio and backup lights can be on, and the turn signals will still work.
More electrons are needed, but the supply wires are big enough to carry to carry the current to all of them at the same time.

But if a branch wire is touching ground, or any other wire with less resistance to ground, the electrons will take the easy path to ground and completely avoid the more difficult route.
Since there are turn signal issues along with a reverse light problems, if disconnecting the reverse lights solves the problem, then there is probably a short in the back up light circuit. Just like this guy found (see post 87)

Turn signals not working, blowing fuse

The switch is shown on page 160. B1 is the wire that comes from the fuse which keeps blowing. B2 is the wire that comes back from the switch. You should be able to follow that on the diagram to connector CB1. Then switch to the next page to find the Dart wiring from CB1. Again. I don't know...

www.forabodiesonly.com

In that case it was a direct short to ground so it was blowing the fuse.