Turn signal Switch
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From: Northeast LA
Turn signal Switch
I read a few posts a long time ago about being able to wire up a trailer turn signal switch and bypass the one in the column but I can't find them when I do the search. I was wondering if anyone remembered these posts and could point me in the right direction.
A year ago I posted about having a problem iwith the turn signals not working and one of tail lights being brighter than the other. All of this was posted in a thread last year. Years ago the turn signal cam was broken and the weight of the selector arm made the left blinker stay on all the time so I set it in the middle and unscrewed the arm so then I had no blinkers but the brake lights and tail lights worked fine. I finally got around to buying one of those cams from the HELP section and putting it in. I never could get it to work correctly. Now it blows the fuse everytime I turn on the hazards or the blinkers. I even took the cam out so it was not contacting anything in the column and it stills blows fuses. The indicators on the cluster don't work either. I need to get this resolved so it will pass inspection so I can get insurance and drive it again.
I have a 77 F100 with a 302/ Automatic C-4. Any help I would appreciate it!
(EDIT) After going back and reading what I had written it makes little sense that the switch is the problem because I said I took the cam out and it still blew the fuse so I am at a loss! I'm not sure what to do.
Jason
77 f100
A year ago I posted about having a problem iwith the turn signals not working and one of tail lights being brighter than the other. All of this was posted in a thread last year. Years ago the turn signal cam was broken and the weight of the selector arm made the left blinker stay on all the time so I set it in the middle and unscrewed the arm so then I had no blinkers but the brake lights and tail lights worked fine. I finally got around to buying one of those cams from the HELP section and putting it in. I never could get it to work correctly. Now it blows the fuse everytime I turn on the hazards or the blinkers. I even took the cam out so it was not contacting anything in the column and it stills blows fuses. The indicators on the cluster don't work either. I need to get this resolved so it will pass inspection so I can get insurance and drive it again.
I have a 77 F100 with a 302/ Automatic C-4. Any help I would appreciate it!
(EDIT) After going back and reading what I had written it makes little sense that the switch is the problem because I said I took the cam out and it still blew the fuse so I am at a loss! I'm not sure what to do.
Jason
77 f100
Last edited by jsutton; Apr 3, 2006 at 12:47 PM.
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From: Virginia
Which fuse is blowing? Here is a diagram of your truck. It shows a fuse for the directional signals feeding the flasher, and also a fuse for the hazard/stoplight circuit.
http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/g...3d800ce985.gif
Maybe we can narrow the problem down. You are right though, changing the switch around is not going to fix the fuse blowing problem(unless the problem is in the column near the switch).
If you get the fuse blowing problem fixed, there is a way you can use a regular toggle switch with a trailer convertor box to make the signals work.
http://www.autozone.com/images/cds/g...3d800ce985.gif
Maybe we can narrow the problem down. You are right though, changing the switch around is not going to fix the fuse blowing problem(unless the problem is in the column near the switch).
If you get the fuse blowing problem fixed, there is a way you can use a regular toggle switch with a trailer convertor box to make the signals work.
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Its the 20A Hazard/ Stop light fuse that keeps blowing.
The toggle switch with trailer convertor box is the other posts I was talking about. But maybe the switch is not it. I went back and did another search for post by my user name and I came up with one that you told me it sounded like a ground problem but I don't remember what I did back then to see about it. So i'll look at the grounds when I get home this afternoon and clean all of the them up and reconnect them.
But anyway the Hazard/stop light is the fuse that keeps blowing if I turn on the Hazards or Blinkers.
Jason
77 f100
The toggle switch with trailer convertor box is the other posts I was talking about. But maybe the switch is not it. I went back and did another search for post by my user name and I came up with one that you told me it sounded like a ground problem but I don't remember what I did back then to see about it. So i'll look at the grounds when I get home this afternoon and clean all of the them up and reconnect them.
But anyway the Hazard/stop light is the fuse that keeps blowing if I turn on the Hazards or Blinkers.
Jason
77 f100
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From: Virginia
The fuse blows if you turn on the hazards.
Does it blow if you push on the brake pedal only?
I guess you have the turnsignal locked in the center? But I was wondering if the same fuse blows when you use the turnsignal only. It shouldn't, since the turnsignals are on a seperate fuse.
Since you have been messing around in the column, I am leaning toward a wire or something that is rubbing the metal of the column around the switch or down inside the column somewhere. You could try unplugging the switch and see if the fuse still blows.
Does it blow if you push on the brake pedal only?
I guess you have the turnsignal locked in the center? But I was wondering if the same fuse blows when you use the turnsignal only. It shouldn't, since the turnsignals are on a seperate fuse.
Since you have been messing around in the column, I am leaning toward a wire or something that is rubbing the metal of the column around the switch or down inside the column somewhere. You could try unplugging the switch and see if the fuse still blows.
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You know I never pushed the brake pedal to see if it would blow? I just knew everytime I hit the blinker or hazards it blew. I'll check on the brake blowing it this afternoon after I get off work or if I go home for lunch. Yes just using the turn signal makes the same fuse blow. I hope it is just a wire and we can get it figured out. I checked the grounds and they were all tight and didn't look corroded or anything. And just to clear something up I'm not driving it when this happens I have been watching the fuse while I hit the switch and FLASH fuse blows. Thanks
Jason
77 f100
Jason
77 f100
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From: Northeast LA
Okay I replaced the fuse and gave the brake pedal a try. The fuse did not blow but it is just like with the lights on, the drivers side rear is brighter that the passenger side. Then I pulled on the hazard switch, one click and boom fuse blew! I hope this helps to narrow down the problem.
Jason
77 f100
Jason
77 f100
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From: Virginia
The brakes did not blow the fuse, so we know the rear turn wiring from the column all the way to the rear taillights is good.
We do not know if the problem is up front with the wires that go to the front turnsignals. If you could find a place to un-plug them, you could do the fuse test again. The main firewall plug may work for this.
If you are able to unplug the front turn light wiring, and the fuse still blows, the problem has to be in the column.
We do not know if the problem is up front with the wires that go to the front turnsignals. If you could find a place to un-plug them, you could do the fuse test again. The main firewall plug may work for this.
If you are able to unplug the front turn light wiring, and the fuse still blows, the problem has to be in the column.
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Okay, I'll work with the front lights either at lunch or after I get off. Thanks for helping me get this worked out.
Jason
77 f100
Jason
77 f100
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From: Northeast LA
Okay heres what I found out. I disconnected both front parking and marker lights at the little black plug on the fender wells. I hit the hazzards and boom fuse blew! I replaced the fuse to mess with the brake lights again. I took my lenses out because I'm about to paint the truck. So now I can see the bulbs and I had my daughter push the brake pedal while i watched the bulbs. Here is what happened, with the lights off both brake lights work but the reason the passenger side is dimmer than the driver side is because the top filament is the one lighting up on the passenger side and the lower one on the driver side. Now if I turn on the lights both top filaments come on but when you step on the brake on the driver side the lower filament comes on so both filaments are on. But the passenger side goes out completely! So I think one of my problems is the socket on the passenger side I don't know what the other problem may be. I ran out of fuses I have blown 2 packs of fuses messing with this.
Jason
77 f100
Jason
77 f100
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From: Virginia
You are correct. The passenger side has a grounding problem. This could be a problem where the brass part of the bulb contacts the little tang in the side of the socket, or a problem in the socket, or a problem with the short ground wire leaving the socket that is grounded to the bed.
Both filaments you are looking at have seperate wires feeding them for seperate functions(as you know already). The other side of the filaments are tied together inside the bulb, and then go to the ground wire. But if this ground wire is no good, then when the current runs through one filament, it will instead go backwards up through the other filament, and run backwards through the wiring up front.
This is not your fuse problem though.
Both filaments you are looking at have seperate wires feeding them for seperate functions(as you know already). The other side of the filaments are tied together inside the bulb, and then go to the ground wire. But if this ground wire is no good, then when the current runs through one filament, it will instead go backwards up through the other filament, and run backwards through the wiring up front.
This is not your fuse problem though.
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Okay I'll replace the socket for the passenger side. But what about the fuse problem do you think that it is in the column some where? Any suggestions, I'll pull the steering wheel off and take the switch loose from the column this afternoon when i get home and look at the backside of the switch or something, try to inspect the wires and stuff. I bought another pack of fuses while I was on lunch.
Jason
77 f100
Jason
77 f100
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Okay, I got home yesterday and took the socket on the passenger side completly out and covered the wires. I looked aroud under the dash and found a black plug with 4 wires (should have got a pic) that was half way disconnected and touching the underside of the dash. So I push it back together and replace the fuse and hit the flashers and they work!! the fuse didn't blow!!! BUT the arrows on the dash still didn't flash. I'll try to mess with the turn signal cam today to see if I can get them to work now! Thanks for the help. I'll let you know what happens with the turn signals tomorrow.
Jason
77 f100
Jason
77 f100
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YAHOO!!! It all works!! the indicator lights in the cluster didn't light up because the contacts where a little dirty, I cleaned them up and now the arrows light up just like they are supposed to!! and all the turnsignals, parking lights, side marker lights, and hazards work. So from all your help I found out that the problem was under the dash and now it all works again without having to spend 70 bucks on a new turn signal switch! I am so glad that it all works! Thanks for sticking with me and helping me figure this out I really appreciate it!
Jason
77 f100
Jason
77 f100
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