blinkers and flashers not working - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

71Rat · 05-12-2003, 09:23 PM

well i put my dash all back in the other day and my seat in tonight, so i took it out to see how the seat felt..... but none of my flashers worked. is this a relay or something that went bad? ohh yeah there is nothing on the truck except for motor, trans, rat, cab, inner wheel wells, and now a nice seat

... my neighbors hate me, kinda dumped the clutch going out of my driveway

, i wanna get this truck on the road in about 2-3 weeks with paint and everything... please help me out, thanks everyone

Michael

kershawd · 05-12-2003, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 71Rat
well i put my dash all back in the other day and my seat in tonight, so i took it out to see how the seat felt..... but none of my flashers worked. is this a relay or something that went bad? ohh yeah there is nothing on the truck except for motor, trans, rat, cab, inner wheel wells, and now a nice seat ... my neighbors hate me, kinda dumped the clutch going out of my driveway, i wanna get this truck on the road in about 2-3 weeks with paint and everything... please help me out, thanks everyone
Michael

did u have all the light bulbs in their sockets, if so i would check for a ground wire loose or broken

Gordo · 05-12-2003, 09:33 PM

Assuming there are no fenders yet, you'll need the exterior lights hooked up and grounded in front and rear before the signals in the dash light up.

71Rat · 05-12-2003, 09:40 PM

all my lights are hooked up except for the rear, when i was putting on the new steering wheel the blinkers worked, it seems to have been, when i went to got the seat and put it in and then started the truck the lights seems to have given out, or is there a ground i might be missing that is not leting it work right? the lights in the dash work ok.

thanks for all of your help, tom. i am going to work harder on finding out what is the problem, just thought one of you guys might be able to give me a heads up

LowSeventy · 05-13-2003, 12:29 PM

Make sure your instrument cluster is grounded to the dash. I took mine out to replace the bezel and I couldn't get anything to work. I ended up making a ground wire to go from the back of the housing to the cab, and now everything works great. It just took a whole saturday chasing down every possible problem.

71Rat · 05-13-2003, 07:14 PM

ok well i played with it a lil today, the blinkers and flashers work when the headlights are not on, but once u turn them on they don't work anymore, just the arrows in the dash stay lit up, but both of them, and that is just with the lights on.... i dunno if it is supposed to be like that because i never had the dash lights on before. thanks for everyones help

bpmcgee · 05-13-2003, 08:08 PM

71Rat,

I had a problem with weird turn signal behavior that I eventually tracked down to a short in the dashboard circuit board.

If you have a 71, you ought to be able to pull the connector off of the back of the dashboard and see how your turn signals behave then.

Brian

Class of 69 · 05-13-2003, 09:18 PM

Your headlights may not be grounded to the core support, and are using the signal circuit for a ground. Make sure the black ground wires from the headlight sockets are grounded to the core support, and the support grounded to the frame.

71Rat · 05-14-2003, 08:10 PM

would it make a difference since my bed is not on and those lights are not hooked up? as for the other things i really can't find anything that is wrong

Class of 69 · 05-14-2003, 08:30 PM

If the harness to the tail lights is unplugged, it shouldn't make a difference, but electrical problems are funny! Did you add, remove, or change anything electrical in the engine compartment? Have you tried changing the flasher? They can act really wierd. If you buy a new one, be sure to get a heavy duty one, not the wimpy standard one.

71Rat · 05-14-2003, 09:48 PM

see thats the thing, i didn't change anything with the lights. thats why i am really lost on this one, guess i will be pulling the dash again. thanks everyone for your help

72gmcshorty · 05-15-2003, 03:25 AM

I'm having the same problem too. I plug my harness to the battery and my blinkers and front turn signal lights come on steady. My dash cluster lights up on the right side only. I turn on headlights and only right headlight turns on (left bulb is NOT burnt out) and blinkers and front turn signal lights stay on as well. I hit the high beam and all lights work..

herauf · 05-15-2003, 10:01 PM

did you check the blinker fluid level?

(sorry had to)
ryan.

71Rat · 05-15-2003, 10:59 PM

thanks everyone for the help, as for the fluid it was topped off and actually overflowing..... i was talking to a mechanic today and he said that because i didn't have the parking lights on the blinkers with the lights on would not work... so i put them on and no difference.... he also said the blinkers should blink opposite but mine don't

beast71 · 05-26-2003, 02:17 PM

had the same problem if any of the bulbs or grounds are bad on the turn signals the dash lamp will stay solid when lights are on but usually they will still work when looking at them but the dash just stays solid.

Longhorn Man · 05-26-2003, 05:36 PM

Quote:

the blinkers should blink opposite but mine don't

Some do, and some don't. I have ran a poll on this and found no rhyme nor reason as to why it is like this.

Quote:

so i put them on and no difference

Did you have the lights grounded to the frame/body panels? If not, it would still do like you described.

71Rat · 05-26-2003, 09:40 PM

yeah i grounded them to the motor, but nothing changed.. i was talking to my dads mechanice (well the one he has now, before i get done with college) and the one guy is a eletrical wiz and said that the rear lights have to be hooked up and the bed has to be on to make the ground connection, so we will find out when the bed goes on if that was the problem. hopefully that will b within 2 weeks thanks for all the help everyone

05-12-2003, 09:23 PM	#1
71Rat ran out of money Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: northern, NJ Posts: 925	blinkers and flashers not working well i put my dash all back in the other day and my seat in tonight, so i took it out to see how the seat felt..... but none of my flashers worked. is this a relay or something that went bad? ohh yeah there is nothing on the truck except for motor, trans, rat, cab, inner wheel wells, and now a nice seat ... my neighbors hate me, kinda dumped the clutch going out of my driveway, i wanna get this truck on the road in about 2-3 weeks with paint and everything... please help me out, thanks everyone Michael __________________ Modify everything, leave nothing alone!~

05-12-2003, 09:33 PM	#3
Gordo Registered User Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Killingworth, CT. USA Posts: 3,378	Assuming there are no fenders yet, you'll need the exterior lights hooked up and grounded in front and rear before the signals in the dash light up. __________________ 1971 C10 swb stepside 350/700R4/3.73posi (retired as of 4/22/03) 1998 S10 short bed 2002 S10 Blazer 1942 Oldsmobile 1958 Massey Harris Pony 1951 Wife Killingworth, Connecticut May those who love us, love us, any of those who do not love us, may God turn their hearts. And if God is unable to turn their hearts, may he turn their ankles so we may know them by their limping. A man who works with his hands is a laborer; a man who works with his hands and his brain is a craftsman; but a man who works with his hands and his brain and his heart is an artist.

05-12-2003, 09:40 PM	#4
71Rat ran out of money Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: northern, NJ Posts: 925	all my lights are hooked up except for the rear, when i was putting on the new steering wheel the blinkers worked, it seems to have been, when i went to got the seat and put it in and then started the truck the lights seems to have given out, or is there a ground i might be missing that is not leting it work right? the lights in the dash work ok. thanks for all of your help, tom. i am going to work harder on finding out what is the problem, just thought one of you guys might be able to give me a heads up __________________ Modify everything, leave nothing alone!~

05-13-2003, 07:14 PM	#6
71Rat ran out of money Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: northern, NJ Posts: 925	ok well i played with it a lil today, the blinkers and flashers work when the headlights are not on, but once u turn them on they don't work anymore, just the arrows in the dash stay lit up, but both of them, and that is just with the lights on.... i dunno if it is supposed to be like that because i never had the dash lights on before. thanks for everyones help __________________ Modify everything, leave nothing alone!~

05-13-2003, 09:18 PM	#8
Class of 69 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Stillwater MN Posts: 1,166	Your headlights may not be grounded to the core support, and are using the signal circuit for a ground. Make sure the black ground wires from the headlight sockets are grounded to the core support, and the support grounded to the frame. __________________ 69 GMC K10 ..some restoration required....still..

05-13-2003, 12:29 PM	#5
LowSeventy Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Pasadena, CA Posts: 67	Make sure your instrument cluster is grounded to the dash. I took mine out to replace the bezel and I couldn't get anything to work. I ended up making a ground wire to go from the back of the housing to the cab, and now everything works great. It just took a whole saturday chasing down every possible problem.

05-13-2003, 08:08 PM	#7
bpmcgee Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Northern Illinois Posts: 2,181	71Rat, I had a problem with weird turn signal behavior that I eventually tracked down to a short in the dashboard circuit board. If you have a 71, you ought to be able to pull the connector off of the back of the dashboard and see how your turn signals behave then. Brian

05-14-2003, 08:10 PM	#9
71Rat ran out of money Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: northern, NJ Posts: 925	would it make a difference since my bed is not on and those lights are not hooked up? as for the other things i really can't find anything that is wrong __________________ Modify everything, leave nothing alone!~

05-14-2003, 08:30 PM	#10
Class of 69 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Stillwater MN Posts: 1,166	If the harness to the tail lights is unplugged, it shouldn't make a difference, but electrical problems are funny! Did you add, remove, or change anything electrical in the engine compartment? Have you tried changing the flasher? They can act really wierd. If you buy a new one, be sure to get a heavy duty one, not the wimpy standard one. __________________ 69 GMC K10 ..some restoration required....still..

05-14-2003, 09:48 PM	#11
71Rat ran out of money Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: northern, NJ Posts: 925	see thats the thing, i didn't change anything with the lights. thats why i am really lost on this one, guess i will be pulling the dash again. thanks everyone for your help __________________ Modify everything, leave nothing alone!~

05-15-2003, 03:25 AM	#12
72gmcshorty Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Delta, British Columbia Posts: 1,344	I'm having the same problem too. I plug my harness to the battery and my blinkers and front turn signal lights come on steady. My dash cluster lights up on the right side only. I turn on headlights and only right headlight turns on (left bulb is NOT burnt out) and blinkers and front turn signal lights stay on as well. I hit the high beam and all lights work.. __________________ 1992 Gmc 2wd 1972 Chevy Blazer 2wd

05-15-2003, 10:01 PM	#13
herauf Registered User Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: san jose, ca Posts: 209	did you check the blinker fluid level? (sorry had to) ryan. __________________ 1987 k5 4x4...FOR SALE!!! (email for details) will eventually be replaced by a 70-72 4x4 k5

05-15-2003, 10:59 PM	#14
71Rat ran out of money Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: northern, NJ Posts: 925	thanks everyone for the help, as for the fluid it was topped off and actually overflowing..... i was talking to a mechanic today and he said that because i didn't have the parking lights on the blinkers with the lights on would not work... so i put them on and no difference.... he also said the blinkers should blink opposite but mine don't __________________ Modify everything, leave nothing alone!~

05-26-2003, 02:17 PM	#15
beast71 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 16	had the same problem if any of the bulbs or grounds are bad on the turn signals the dash lamp will stay solid when lights are on but usually they will still work when looking at them but the dash just stays solid. __________________ 1971 c20 prerunner

05-26-2003, 09:40 PM	#17
71Rat ran out of money Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: northern, NJ Posts: 925	yeah i grounded them to the motor, but nothing changed.. i was talking to my dads mechanice (well the one he has now, before i get done with college) and the one guy is a eletrical wiz and said that the rear lights have to be hooked up and the bed has to be on to make the ground connection, so we will find out when the bed goes on if that was the problem. hopefully that will b within 2 weeks thanks for all the help everyone __________________ Modify everything, leave nothing alone!~



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