'84 Carrera turn signal/ hazards weirdness

[fast911ray]

OK guys/girls..here's one that has me baffled. Hopefully someone has encountered a similar problem. The car is a 1984 Targa with 20,000 miles and in showroom condition. This morning while road testing I noticed the left front turn signal wasn't flashing, but the interior green arrow was brightly blinking at double speed. I used the hazard switch to check the other three signal lamps. They all flashed merrily, as did the interior indicators. Parking and head lamps well all good too, except the side markers. ..all four were blown. When I removed the non-flashing right front bulb it appeared to be fine..so I moved to the fuse box. There I found #8 fuse (I believe that was the number) to be bad, and replaced it. No problem one would think, right? Wrongo! Before reinstalling the left front lens' I flipped the signal lever to left and was greeted by a DIM green arrow flashing at normal speed. Outside the car neither left lamp worked at all...well the rear glowed very dimly while flashing. With hazard switch pressed all I got were interior green arrows blinking dimly. and super dim blinking exterior right side signals. With the replaced fuse removed right side signals work fine, hazards on that side work normally as well. What's really confusing me is that everything worked just fine until I replaced that bad fuse! HELP!!! Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions will be gratefully appreciated! The only upside is that least the side markers are working

[spoke]

Originally Posted by fast911ray

OK guys/girls..here's one that has me baffled. Hopefully someone has encountered a similar problem. The car is a 1984 Targa with 20,000 miles and in showroom condition. This morning while road testing I noticed the left front turn signal wasn't flashing, but the interior green arrow was brightly blinking at double speed.

Double speed is called hyperflash and is expected when an exterior bulb is not working.

I used the hazard switch to check the other three signal lamps. They all flashed merrily, as did the interior indicators. Parking and head lamps well all good too, except the side markers. ..all four were blown. When I removed the non-flashing right front bulb it appeared to be fine..so I moved to the fuse box. There I found #8 fuse (I believe that was the number) to be bad, and replaced it.

I don't know what the #8 fuse goes to. Got a schematic of the car? What does the owner's manual say about the fuse? Seems like it's for the left front turnsignal. There might be a short somewhere pertaining to that light fixture.

No problem one would think, right? Wrongo! Before reinstalling the left front lens' I flipped the signal lever to left and was greeted by a DIM green arrow flashing at normal speed. Outside the car neither left lamp worked at all...well the rear glowed very dimly while flashing.

OK, since the flasher was flashing at the normal speed, there was a heavy (>2 bulbs) load. That the bulbs were dim is not good. Rear bulb got some voltage but the front none. Did you try removing the front and retest?

What about the right side? Did they flash normally?

With hazard switch pressed all I got were interior green arrows blinking dimly. and super dim blinking exterior right side signals.

So both right side turnsignals lit with the 4-ways on? Try them separately and see that they flash normally. This will eliminate them from the issue.

With the replaced fuse removed right side signals work fine, hazards on that side work normally as well.

The fuse must be for the left side lights although not sure if its just for the front turnsignal. With the fuse removed again did the left rear turnsignal flash normally? Seems like there's some type of short with the front left turnsignal bucket. With the front turnsignal bulb removed and fuse replaced, does everything else flash normally?

What's really confusing me is that everything worked just fine until I replaced that bad fuse! HELP!!! Any ideas, thoughts, suggestions will be gratefully appreciated! The only upside is that least the side markers are working

So no work was done on the car before this? No bulbs replaced? It seems the issue is with the front left turnsignal bucket having a short. You might have to disassemble it and inspect.

[Paul Crowther]

Do you ever get this sorted out? I just posted a very similar head-scratcher today that you might find less than amusing as well....