1978 f250 lighting help
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From: lipan, Texas
1978 f250 lighting help
Hey guys can anyone give me a idea .On my old truck the front turn signals are going crazy . With lights off they work fine but when I turn the lights on the arrows on the dash stay lit, and the outside blinkers work but I dont have parking lights .I have checked the bulbs and they are ok . I was thinking a bad ground?? Anyone out there have an idea ? Thanks Mark 
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I also concur to check the grounds. Each lighting pigtail is grounded to the core support near each headlight.
Josh
Josh
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fmc400,Thanks for the bad news .lol. I will start poking around tomorrow maybe i will get lucky . Thanks Mark M
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Also check the bulbs and make sure they are TWO filament bulbs(for blinking)
Take a look at the harness to see if there are any cracks or splits in them.
I always start with the easiest and cheapest things first when i am not sure.
MSEE
Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Austin, TX
I've heard a flasher referred to as a relay in several other places, but it's not correct. The true definition of a relay is a switch that is controlled by another circuit. The control signal is "relayed" to the switch, hence the name.
A relay can have three terminals at a minimum. The flashers in these trucks have only two terminals. The current through the switch itself opens and closes the switch through the use of a heating element - hence the term "thermal flasher." Because the control signal is not separate from the switch itself, it is not a relay.
No offense meant at all - the only reason I'm bringing this up is because if you tell me to look for a relay, I'm going to look for a little square box, like the horn relay. Then I'm troubleshooting the wrong circuit. If I need to be looking for a flasher, tell me to look for the flasher.
A relay can have three terminals at a minimum. The flashers in these trucks have only two terminals. The current through the switch itself opens and closes the switch through the use of a heating element - hence the term "thermal flasher." Because the control signal is not separate from the switch itself, it is not a relay.
No offense meant at all - the only reason I'm bringing this up is because if you tell me to look for a relay, I'm going to look for a little square box, like the horn relay. Then I'm troubleshooting the wrong circuit. If I need to be looking for a flasher, tell me to look for the flasher.
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a current relay with a bimetal strip (2 points on it)....STILL A RELAY almost like a thermostat relay.. same component, different application. The other RELAYS you are talking about I believe have the coils in them
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Yep, the sockets have gone bad on three dents I've had. The ground wire for the bulb is near the top of the bulb close to the glass. When that rusts away you cant tell it was or should be there. 
Dash lights for blinkers come on when no ground is present.
They are supposed to do that.
Dash lights for blinkers come on when no ground is present.
They are supposed to do that.
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I just checked the sockets and you were right . I rigged up a ground wire and bang working like normal . Will order new sockets . Thanks guys for all your help with this ,Mark M
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Zack Hughes
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