Turn signals not working.

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Bucolic
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Turn signals not working.

Unread post by Bucolic » September 6th, 2019, 7:03 pm

So my son gives me one of those light bulbs that's also a buzzer. It goes in the turn signal mounted on the steering column. At first I really liked it. It let me know when the signals were activated. But it seems that when installed, it becomes a critical part of the turn signal wiring. Seems as how if that bulb/buzzer does not work, neither do the turn signals.
The bulb/buzzer quit working and so did my turn signals. I did the usual chase downs and found nothing. I replaced the bulb/buzzer with the correct bulb and the signals now work fine.
1964 M151 A1

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m75
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Re: Turn signals not working.

Unread post by m75 » September 29th, 2019, 10:38 am

Same theme, different situation:
I replaced the cracked/broken A2 tail lamp assemblies on my truck recently. Just prior to that I replaced the turn signal control assembly and verified that the turn signals were working properly on all four corners.

After replacing the tail light assemblies, now the turn signals don't work at all. Brake lamps work fine. The indicator lamp on the control lights but remain steady-on, no flash, in any left/right/4 way position on the control.

Ideas?
Jim Peterson
SGM, 31B Retired 2015
1961 M151 -Sold
1974 M151A2, Working It!

Mark
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Re: Turn signals not working.

Unread post by Mark » September 29th, 2019, 1:21 pm

Maybe the flasher on the floor isn't grounded/bad?, try holding the lock out lever, then running the switch lever thru all the positions back and forth to clean the contacts.Main light switch lever set for road use?Aw, you probably already did all of this.
The steering column switch wire 467 is the power wire for the direction lights.It gets power from the light switch same number.
mark


1968 m274A5
1960 m151
1981 m151A2
1964 m416
1971 m416

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m75
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Re: Turn signals not working.

Unread post by m75 » September 29th, 2019, 1:55 pm

Yeah, tried the suggestions before I posted the original. There was power before changing the rear light assemblies, as the previous signals blinked at all four corners. It was only after changing the lights at the rear that the failure to blink happened. And yesterday I pulled the taillight wire covers from the wheel wells and verified that all wires are properly connected to each other. And there is power, as the brake lamps work just fine.
Jim Peterson
SGM, 31B Retired 2015
1961 M151 -Sold
1974 M151A2, Working It!

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rickf
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Re: Turn signals not working.

Unread post by rickf » September 29th, 2019, 4:20 pm

The last thing done before failure was the light change so you know you need to concentrate there. You know you have power to the brakes. What I would do is take the lenses off and turn the turn signal on and see if you have power to the socket. If not then go back to the plug in the wheelwell and check there for turn signal power. If you do have power then it is a bad ground. I am not even going to try to figure out why the brake lights would work and the turn signals not with the ground issue but it could be one of those electrical magic tricks that I used to try to figure out for days when I was in that business. The indicator staying on tells you it is a blown bulb or an open circuit, same thing to the signal control. So maybe the wires on the light are labeled wrong? Do you have bulbs in your blackouts? If not then maybe the turn signals are wired into a blackout light.
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

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rickf
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Re: Turn signals not working.

Unread post by rickf » September 29th, 2019, 4:24 pm

I just reread your description of the problem and I see that the indicator stays on for four way also? I believe four way should flash no matter if a bulb is out or not. You didn't plug one of the turn wires into a ground did you? That might have taken out the control. Do the checks above first. Do the front turn signal lights come on but not flash? If they are not coming on at all it my be the controller but you need to verify that wiring so you don't take out a second one!
1964 M151A1
1984 M1008
1967 M416
04/1952 M100
12/1952 M100- Departed
AN/TSQ-114A Trailblazer- Gone

Hambone
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Re: Turn signals not working.

Unread post by Hambone » September 29th, 2019, 6:24 pm

I would double check wiring first, have you checked power on pin b on the flasher box, should get flash out of pin A, how about power to signal controller? there is a process for checking the signal controller in the manual, will it work with the old tail lights?

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m75
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Re: Turn signals not working.

Unread post by m75 » November 5th, 2019, 12:11 pm

Well, I jumped under the dash and saw that the signal controller was of a type I did not recognize. Did some on-line comparisons and found that what was mounted was an older style, suggesting that perhaps it was past it's prime. I ordered a standard replacement (the type I DID recognize), swapped out the new with the old, and voila, flashing signals!
Jim Peterson
SGM, 31B Retired 2015
1961 M151 -Sold
1974 M151A2, Working It!

Hambone
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Re: Turn signals not working.

Unread post by Hambone » November 6th, 2019, 11:20 am

Glad to hear you got it working. :D

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