SleeperScamp
Well-Known Member
1970 Plymouth Duster..As stated above. Are the side marker lamps also turn signals??Thanks..
Are side marker lamps suppose to blink???
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powerwagonpaul
Well-Known Member
not originaly, but they can be made to function that way.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Yes, and they are a real "trick."
They are not grounded. The two conductors from the lamp connections hook to the turn signal on that side and to the parking light or tail light buss
Here's how they work, there are several different configurations
DAYTIME, parking lights off. Turn signals off. No power to side lamps, they are out.
If you turn on the turn signal, the signal power goes to one wire of the side lamp on that side, and it "gets a ground" "in series" through the UNpowered parking lamps to ground
So in this situation, the lamp blinks on along with the signal lamp
NIGHT, parking / headlamps ON, turn signal OFF
In this case, the parking/ tail buss feeds power to one side of the side marker lamp, and it "goes to ground" through the UNpowered turn signal lamp, so the side lamp lights
NIGHT, parking/ head ON, turn signal BLINKING
In this case, in the blinking cycle, WHEN the main signal lamp is OUT, the side marker is ON just like above, because the side lamp is "getting a ground" through the UNpowered signal lamp to ground
BUT WHEN the signal lamp FLASHES ON, now you have power on BOTH SIDES of the side marker --power on one side of the lamp from the parking / tail lamp buss, and power on the other side of the lamp from the turn signal
SO IN THIS CASE the side marker blinks OFF when the main signal lamp blinks ON
They are not grounded. The two conductors from the lamp connections hook to the turn signal on that side and to the parking light or tail light buss
Here's how they work, there are several different configurations
DAYTIME, parking lights off. Turn signals off. No power to side lamps, they are out.
If you turn on the turn signal, the signal power goes to one wire of the side lamp on that side, and it "gets a ground" "in series" through the UNpowered parking lamps to ground
So in this situation, the lamp blinks on along with the signal lamp
NIGHT, parking / headlamps ON, turn signal OFF
In this case, the parking/ tail buss feeds power to one side of the side marker lamp, and it "goes to ground" through the UNpowered turn signal lamp, so the side lamp lights
NIGHT, parking/ head ON, turn signal BLINKING
In this case, in the blinking cycle, WHEN the main signal lamp is OUT, the side marker is ON just like above, because the side lamp is "getting a ground" through the UNpowered signal lamp to ground
BUT WHEN the signal lamp FLASHES ON, now you have power on BOTH SIDES of the side marker --power on one side of the lamp from the parking / tail lamp buss, and power on the other side of the lamp from the turn signal
SO IN THIS CASE the side marker blinks OFF when the main signal lamp blinks ON
That was going to be my next question. lol
SleeperScamp
Well-Known Member
So if the bulbs are good (side markers work with park lights on) and they do not blink, then where do I start?
powerwagonpaul
Well-Known Member
if you look at the wiring diagram:http://www.mymopar.com/index.php?pid=27 the side marker lights have NO connection to the blinker circut. your side marker lights are not turn signals
SleeperScamp
Well-Known Member
OK... Thanks..
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Actually I MAY BE WRONG for some cars. My original 70 shop manual shows both RR and Valiant/ Duster should blink, but the "MyMopar" diagram shows they do not. (Side lamps are grounded.)
So I would guess that 68/69 mostly were simply marker lamps on the tail light circuit, and mostly 70 blinked, with some possibility that some early production did not.
My 70 RR had this "feature."
If one of your turn signal bulbs either in the front or back is in wrong it will make your side markers blink.
Turn your lights on and turn your blinkers on and start pulling turn signal bulbs till the side markers stop blinking.
I have seen bulb sockets shorted as well,but I bet one of your turn signal bulbs is in backwards.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
Oh, HELL. I guess I'm finally going senile. They are in fact tied to the BK ground in the headlight harness. Maybe I'm remembering working on a GM that did this, or maybe I rewired the old 70 so it WOULD do that.
Anyhow, I led you astray on this one. GeeZUS I had that firmly in mind.
I agree,and since it is not.The turn signal bulbs are dual filament bulbs and if put in backwards will feed the park light and side marker light causing them to blink.
Diagrams for how to make side markers blink can be found at Daniel Stern lighting website. Here's the key though. Your side marker fixtures will need isolated bulb sockets and a ground wire ( 2 wires, 1 filiment ) a metal chassis ground bulb socket wont work.
I made the little round side marker lights on a 68 fish blink with the turn signals by changing there bulb sockets.
I made the little round side marker lights on a 68 fish blink with the turn signals by changing there bulb sockets.
slantsixdan
=..=
RedFish is correct. The how-to page is here. A front side marker light that has two wires (one feed, one ground) can be made to flash by just moving one wire. A front side marker that has only one wire (feed) and gets its ground via the lamp housing to body sheetmetal can also be made to flash, too. It's not quite as simple, but it's not difficult, either. Several methods are discussed at the linked page.
67Dart273
Well-Known Member
That surely is what I did with my 70RR some "all those years" ago. SOMEHOW I had it firmly implanted in my mind that they DO flash from the factory.
I had my hands into a number of cars "I'm so confused."
My 70 already had isolated bulb sockets. Just had to move the ground wire over to the signal lamp circuit.
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