Well my 76 D100 turn signals do not work right. The right side blinks but very slowly and the left side only blinks if I do it manually by hand every few seconds. My hazards do not come on at all unless I turn them on and turn the turn signal at the same time. I am thinking turn signal switch but before I order it I wanted to see what you guys thought. Also what do I have to do to replace it. are there any special tools I will need.
Turn Signal Switch?
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First step: make sure all those bulbs are properly grounded...pull each one out, clean the base and the socket well (electrical contact cleaner for starters, a little emery cloth might also help brighten up the brass).
Also, make sure the tail and front turn signal housings are solidly grounded to the body--I use a portable electric drill with a wire brush on the end and clean up the metal around each screw mounting hole until it's bright and shiny (I'm talking about where the metal on the housing contacts the metal body). If your mounting screws are rusty, consider replacing them.
A thin coat of dielectric grease on the areas you cleaned up (including the bulb bases) will help retard future corrosion. Grote Ultraseal (available at NAPA, elsewhere) works great.
Bad grounds make for very wacky signal light behavior, you'll be chasing your tail endlessly trying to troubleshoot it. So start there, and then if the problems persist, you can start looking at the wiring harness and the switch (I bought a replacement switch at my local Carquest for about $12).
Also, make sure the tail and front turn signal housings are solidly grounded to the body--I use a portable electric drill with a wire brush on the end and clean up the metal around each screw mounting hole until it's bright and shiny (I'm talking about where the metal on the housing contacts the metal body). If your mounting screws are rusty, consider replacing them.
A thin coat of dielectric grease on the areas you cleaned up (including the bulb bases) will help retard future corrosion. Grote Ultraseal (available at NAPA, elsewhere) works great.
Bad grounds make for very wacky signal light behavior, you'll be chasing your tail endlessly trying to troubleshoot it. So start there, and then if the problems persist, you can start looking at the wiring harness and the switch (I bought a replacement switch at my local Carquest for about $12).
My bet is corrosion in the light sockets. That's been an ongoing problem with my '73, especially the fronts. Combine the crud in the sockets with crappy Chinese made bulbs, and you have a difficult problem to solve.
The worst problem with my front lights is the crimp that holds the socket into the housing. It's difficult to get a good ground between the socket and the truck frame.
Also make sure your bulkhead connector is making good contact.
The worst problem with my front lights is the crimp that holds the socket into the housing. It's difficult to get a good ground between the socket and the truck frame.
Also make sure your bulkhead connector is making good contact.
my lights still light up but there is no clicking when I use the turn signal. When i put it into the turn position there is no clicking and the light remains on in the dash and the outside marker and tailights. Do you still think this could have to do with a ground or rusty sockets
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You might replace the flasher controllers mounted in your fuse box.
I would still clean everything up though--it'll eliminate a whole host of potential headaches.
I would still clean everything up though--it'll eliminate a whole host of potential headaches.
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"Dielectric grease cleaner"? Hmmmm...it's either grease, or it's some sort of cleaner, like a solvent, not sure how it could be both.
What I use is electrical contact cleaner, which is some sort of fast-drying solvent that doesn't harm electrical components:
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But you don't have to get all fancy, you could probably just use some plain 90% alcohol, hell you could even probably get away with Kerosene. Just get all the oil, dirt, and corrosion out of those metal contact areas. I usually squirt a tiny bit in, wipe it with a clean rag, if need be wrap some emery cloth around a finger and rotate it around until the metal is nice an shiny bright.
You get the idea.
What I use is electrical contact cleaner, which is some sort of fast-drying solvent that doesn't harm electrical components:
But you don't have to get all fancy, you could probably just use some plain 90% alcohol, hell you could even probably get away with Kerosene. Just get all the oil, dirt, and corrosion out of those metal contact areas. I usually squirt a tiny bit in, wipe it with a clean rag, if need be wrap some emery cloth around a finger and rotate it around until the metal is nice an shiny bright.
You get the idea.
Yeah, I've got about four cans of that CRC stuff ... Works great!
I've also got a little speciality tool, I've had for about 20+ years now..
It's like a small battery terminal brush on a screwdriver handle.. Made to clean out the sockets for 1157/1156/1034/etc sized bulbs. I don't even know if they make them anymore, as everything is moving away from that style bulb...
I've also got a little speciality tool, I've had for about 20+ years now..
It's like a small battery terminal brush on a screwdriver handle.. Made to clean out the sockets for 1157/1156/1034/etc sized bulbs. I don't even know if they make them anymore, as everything is moving away from that style bulb...
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dodged100
My father had my truck before me and converted the /6 to a 318 When I got old enough to drive her I realized that my hazards only worked when I turned on the key and turn the turn signal at the same time. I always thought that is how the old girl worked until I found this site and asked some questions. After some electrical trouble shooting for myself I found out that for some reason (most likely the idiot who converted the /6 to 318) while doing some electrical work took one of the wires from the hazard and put it on the turn signal so the hazards only worked if I turned on the turn signal also. I don't know if this is your problem, but it couldn't hurt to take alook and see if it is wired up correctly.
-PD
My father had my truck before me and converted the /6 to a 318 When I got old enough to drive her I realized that my hazards only worked when I turned on the key and turn the turn signal at the same time. I always thought that is how the old girl worked until I found this site and asked some questions. After some electrical trouble shooting for myself I found out that for some reason (most likely the idiot who converted the /6 to 318) while doing some electrical work took one of the wires from the hazard and put it on the turn signal so the hazards only worked if I turned on the turn signal also. I don't know if this is your problem, but it couldn't hurt to take alook and see if it is wired up correctly.
-PD
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Here's a tutorial I put together last year when I had to replace my ignition switch--you won't have to tear it down that far to do the turn signal switch, but it should help get you there:
http://www.edgeis.com/projects/truck/ignition_switch.html
Wait defore taking the column apart; I'd bet you have a bad bulb on 1 side (maybe more and a bad flasher. A tip on flashers; Many factory ones are "color-coded"; a green one is designed to flash "X" number of bulbs at such a rate (frequency or second or maybe per minute), a blue one, a yellow one a pink one, thye are all different. Each bulb represents so much resistance in the system and too much resistance makes them act goofy. Anyone who has ever towed a trailer and wondered why their turn sigs work goofy has seen this.
The aftermarket ones are "heavy duty"
Also the not blinking is a "safety feature" they built in so you know to check for bad bulbs. from the factory since they started doing the color coding they ALWAYS use a different flasher for the 4-ways from the turn signal. (twice the number of bulbs) the 4 way one will work fine in the t/sig slot but not the other way around. Any one you buy at Wal Mart, or the parts store (most common number is a 552) will work in there. There are 2 prongs on them at a 90* angle. They always said to replace these with a heavy duty version for towing anyway.
and most of the replacement ones, won't "not" blink with a bulb outage.
I'd bet a bulb (or a few) and a flasher, maybe clean up a bulb socket here or there and you will be good to go. Remember the rear tail lights are a dual filament setup. ("2 bulbs in one") Park lite on one and brake/turn on the other filament. so your park lite may work, but the other 2 not work.
On my truck I gotta cut/solder in replacement pigtails on the driver rear, especially on the b/u lite since the socket is so corroded it won't hold a bulb. License plate lites too, cheap excuse for the cops to go on a "fishing trip"; they are great for using that as the reason to pull you over, possibly to wind up costing you much more with the "Oh by the way's" and write you up for other thing(s). Ba$tards.
The aftermarket ones are "heavy duty"
Also the not blinking is a "safety feature" they built in so you know to check for bad bulbs. from the factory since they started doing the color coding they ALWAYS use a different flasher for the 4-ways from the turn signal. (twice the number of bulbs) the 4 way one will work fine in the t/sig slot but not the other way around. Any one you buy at Wal Mart, or the parts store (most common number is a 552) will work in there. There are 2 prongs on them at a 90* angle. They always said to replace these with a heavy duty version for towing anyway.
and most of the replacement ones, won't "not" blink with a bulb outage.
I'd bet a bulb (or a few) and a flasher, maybe clean up a bulb socket here or there and you will be good to go. Remember the rear tail lights are a dual filament setup. ("2 bulbs in one") Park lite on one and brake/turn on the other filament. so your park lite may work, but the other 2 not work.
On my truck I gotta cut/solder in replacement pigtails on the driver rear, especially on the b/u lite since the socket is so corroded it won't hold a bulb. License plate lites too, cheap excuse for the cops to go on a "fishing trip"; they are great for using that as the reason to pull you over, possibly to wind up costing you much more with the "Oh by the way's" and write you up for other thing(s). Ba$tards.
Just about anywhere you go theres a 99% chance youy will end up with a #552. Some older parts stores might have a #536, many are marked with both numbers. Vehicles much beyond 10-15 years old or so, they are pretty much a 1 size fitz all part. BUT some times you get a choice between a fancy "electronic" one a "quieter" one or a "clicking" (noisey) one. but that depends where you go. The clicker will drive you crazy, all 3 will do the job equally well. A decent counter guy (one with much of a pulse at all, and older than, say 25-30ish) should be able to point you the right way without looking it up on a computer.
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