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Sorting out messy unfused hacked-up wiring on my '73 P-400, and confused about the combination turnsignals/brakelights. I looked up wiring diagrams but could only find them for F-series, which apparently had the hazard switch (HS) combined with the turnsignal switch (TS) and that assembly has 7 wires. Mine has a 6-wire TS, two 2-wire flashers, and a separate hazard switch (HS) mounted on the dash. The HS is powered through one flasher that's always hot, and connected to the TS with a red wire that's shared with the brakelight switch (BS. No, really!...) There's also a blue wire from the other flasher, hot in ON only, to the TS. Seems the system operates like this:
If the TS gets voltage on the blue wire, it powers whichever side is selected by the stalk, front and rear. If no side is selected, or if the key is OFF, nothing happens.
If the TS gets voltage on the red wire, it powers all four corners regardless of stalk position or key position. Because the brakelights are combined with the rear turnsignals, getting voltage from either the HS or the BS powers up the rear lights.
UPDATE: this turned out to be my mistake. If the TS gets voltage on the red wire, it powers only the rear lights, not all four. When the HS is switched on, the rears get power through the TS but the fronts directly from the HS.
Question: how does the TS know not to power up the *front* turnsignals when receiving voltage from the BS? Is mine wired wrong (wouldn't surprise me), or am I missing something?
Possibly related question: my BS is fed from a separate terminal on the light switch than all other lights. Why is that? Shouldn't it be either always-hot or ignition-hot and have nothing to do with the light switch at all?
That switch looks right, but I'm sure the relevant wiring is outside the switch. The TS is on the column right under the steering wheel, the HS and LS are on the dash, and the BS on a bracket above the brake pedal. Between Bill's number and this Fleabay listing, the switch is also used on 56-60 F-series? Time for more homework...
I was able to find the below diagram for a '58, as well as a few other diagrams for other Fords (Galaxie?) of the era that also show a 6-wire TS. But am I blind or is there no hazard switch? Bill - is there an HS for your application list?
So if I got this straight, the only Fords with a 6-wire TS are either older normal models with no hazards, or later medium-duty rigs like mine. That does not bode well for finding diagrams - any suggestions where to look?
At this rate I'll just live with either rear-only hazards or have my front turnsignals light up with the brakes
So if I got this straight, the only Fords with a 6-wire TS are either older normal models with no hazards, or later medium-duty rigs like mine. That does not bode well for finding diagrams - any suggestions where to look?
At this rate I'll just live with either rear-only hazards or have my front turnsignals light up with the brakes
What colors are the wires? One horn contact, or two? And is this a manual or automatic column?
Maybe it's similar to the '66-'73 Bronco switch with the hazard switch in the dash.
Might have six wires, might have seven. I don't remember and can't see them all very well in the pic Bronco Turn Signal Switch
That dash looks a different from mine but is obviously for a stepvan, not a pickup. Hazard switch looks about right too. The dash on mine is alu sheet and looks like it was built with the body, not the chassis.
Originally Posted by 1TonBasecamp
What colors are the wires? One horn contact, or two? And is this a manual or automatic column?
There's a red one and a blue one and a green one and a yellow one, and a green/white one and blue/white one... and they're all made out of ticky-tacky, and they all look just the same
One horn contact and it's way down at the steerbox. Manual column with no collapsing safety feature as far as I can tell.
Maybe it's similar to the '66-'73 Bronco switch with the hazard switch in the dash.
Might have six wires, might have seven. I don't remember and can't see them all very well in the pic Bronco Turn Signal Switch
Paul
The instructions to that switch show 2 horn wires, 4 turnsignal output wires, a brake input, and a flasher input. Apart from the horn that's the same six-wire layout as mine, so look like Broncos are what to reference for how they handled brakes vs hazards. Thanks!
Yeah, the two horn contacts was how Ford did it early one, when the full current flowed into the button, then out to the horn. A long path and susceptible to contact burn-out (or carbon scoring/buildup?) from the heavy current draw of a typical horn.
The single contact switches came out for the '74 model year when they changed to using a relay. The horn button then served only to ground the trigger circuit for the relay. Much better design.
I can only assume, but it sounds like your single contact version would need a relay to activate the horn.
Yup, it has a horn relay that looks factory-installed (I can tell because the previous owner's wiring is... to put it politely, not factory-looking), with a still rather fat blue/yellow wire to the steerbox. Mine however should be a 1973 model - chassis built in June '73, body in August. Might have something to do with why parts catalogs won't show a 1973 P-400, only a -350.
Horn relay is great but they really should've done the same with the headlights too. Dinky little wires going through two switches = low light output. My 81 Toyota also passed all headlight current through the switch. When I rewired it to use 8-gauge wires and 30A relays, it took brand new Hella headlights with 65W bulbs from "not bad" to "who needs HID?" The housings are rated for 100W bulbs but I haven't yet dared to use those. They're somewhat universal and may well fit in my P400.
Yup, it has a horn relay that looks factory-installed (I can tell because the previous owner's wiring is... to put it politely, not factory-looking), with a still rather fat blue/yellow wire to the steerbox. Mine however should be a 1973 model - chassis built in June '73, body in August.
Might have something to do with why parts catalogs won't show a 1973 P-400, only a -350.
1968/77 P350/500. The slash between 350 & 500 means it fits: 350/400/500. You'll also see a slash like this in parts catalogs: F100/750 which means F100/250/350/500/600/700/750.
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Turn/brake wiring
only a -350.