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I drive a 73 F250 Highboy. My turn signals quit working a while back, I asumed that it was the switch, and I finally got around to changing it out. I pulled another switch from a salvage yard, still no blinkers. I put in new flashers but it still didn't work. I was wondering if anyone has had this problem or knows what the fix is?
Symptoms.
Brake lights work, except when I put on the turn signal to turn left, the back left brake light goes out. The same for the other side.
The flashers work, but only when the brake isn't depressed. When I push the brakes all the turn lights come on but don't flash. If I remove the brake light switch then the flashers work fine.
I have rulled out a bad ground to the tail light asembolies because brake lights and flashers work. And its getting power. So I am stumped.
My next move is to brake out the continuity tester and start stabbing wires, but that is pretty time consuming. So I thought I would pick the minds of all you ford masters out there.
I would apreciate any reply.
Thanks
Derek
It is normal for the emergency flashers to stop when the brake pedal is pushed.
Your switch is working in the brake light goes out on the same side that you turn the turn signal on. Are you sure that you replaced the turn signal flasher and not the 4way flasher? I believe that they are different.
Well it isnt the bulbs, wiring from turn signal switch to rear of truck or grounds at the light....because the brakes and turn signals share the same ones. That is why when you turn on the left blinker and step on the brake the left brake light goes out. It is trying to flash the left blinker.
Could be you changed the wrong flasher unit, there are two as pointed out by lxman1, they can be the same physically but they are two seperate units.
Since the 4way flashers work try swapping that flasher unit into the turn signal spot and see if the turn signals work. That could be the problem.
Or you could have a bad power wire to the turn signal switch from the flasher unit, should be a blue wire. Also could be the fuse.
Good luck.
not to be contrary but I had a similar problem with mine (brake lights working but no signals) and it turned out that all it needed was a good cleaning at the sockets, after i pulled all of the bulbs, front and back, and cleaned the sockets my signals worked fine. Its worth a try, and its doesn't cost you anything.
My 1976 Highboy did the exact same thing.I checked fuses, grounds,flashers, etc and finally ended up pulling my steering wheel off. There was the problem. A broken switch Ford part #D3TZ-13341-A cost $47.76.
Thanks to everyone that replied to my problem.
I finally figured it out. After I cleaned out all my bulb sockets it still didn't work. So I decided to clean off all my fuses for good measure. After I reconnected the battery and tried the turn signal it worked for about two seconds and then stopped again. So I began to wiggle wires going into and out of the fuse box. Then I wiggeled the fuse to the turn signals and the signals turned on then off. So I pushed and held the fuse in and they worked. So I took the fuse box off and cleaned the terminals that holds the fuses, and I clamped them together a little for better connection. And all my lights work.
Just to let everyone know; 90% of turn signal problems with these older Ford trucks are that the switch won't return to center. It's because the plastic return arms are broken off. I once looked at steering columns in several junk yards, and all of them had broken off signal return arms!!
Most folks think this means a new entire switch (which includes the harness and emergency flasher switch, but the "Help" company, which makes lots of odd small repair goodies, offers the plastic return arm by itself for about $10. Pretty easy fix and cheap too! Polkat
Naw...I threw away the packaging, but "help" parts all come in little red packages and are made by Motormite, a division of R&B, Inc. Any store that carries them, particulary Kragen and Pep Boys has them on display and keeps a catalog under the counter. I believe it is the only part of it's kind that "Help" sells. Polkat
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