Turn signals & high beams

[michael lang]

My car has been having a problem of engaging the highbeams when the turn signal lever cancels after making a left & right turn when the headlights are turned on. To minimize this when driving at night and behind someone I just hold the lever as if I were changing lanes to keep from the highbeams engaging. However recently, when using the right side signal, the light flashes very fast which usually indicates there is a burned out bulb. I have installed a new front and rear turn signal bulbs eventhough they both flash when the t/signal was used. Still having the problem. I have checked the wiring at the lamp assemblies to make sure everything was connected AND compared that wiring to the left side lamp assemblies. Everything appears to be correctly connected and all exterior lights illuminate. Given the highbeam engagement issue, I suspect the problem for both issues is in the multifunction switch. Is there anything that I am forgetting to inspect or go after before I dig into the steering column to install a new multifunction switch? Is there anything else that I should be doing WYIT of having the steering column disassembled? Thank you in advance for any advice/direction you can offer.

[timmy2]

My brand new turn signal switch started doing the same within a few months after the old one shorted out!
I made an adjustment to the contacts inside the switch as described in the linked thread. Been fine for years now.
turn signal switch quick fix pictures

[michael lang]

Thanks Dennis, this will be helpful. I have not disassembled anything yet but will now that I have clarity on what to look for.

Did you also experience an issue where one of the turn signals would blink rapidly as if there was a burned out light bulb eventhough all the exterior lights were operating normally?

[brianlay]

I think you have two separate issues.
Dennis is right, the high beam contacts can be adjusted (bent) to work more reliably. In my experience these contacts can be stressed by the high current of the high beams. You should consider adding a high beam relay to prolong the life of the switch.

For the turn signals, I recommend comparing all the flasher lamps to make sure they all shine with equal intensity. If one on the right side, in your case, has a higher resistance connection it could seem to the flasher like a burned out bulb.

I would test this by connecting +12v to each turn signal circuit and inspecting for equal brightness. No need to have the car on for this test.
At the fuse panel, jumper 12V to the top of fuse 9 or 10 and compare brightness all around.

[darrin]

michael -- one of the reasons the turn signal/high beam issues arises is that, as delivered, our 911s route all of the headlight current through the turn signal stalk/high beam switch. Thus, this is a good time to also consider adding headlight relays, which bypass the headlights' current from the turn signal stalk

[michael lang]

brianlay, you may be right but it's awefully coincidental that both issues started at approximately the same time. I did start with the most obvious and install new front & rear marker/turn signal bulbs thinking that the bulbs might have different polarity or different contacts so I installed new as a starting point and yes they do appear to be equally as brilliant. Nothing, turn signal still flickered on right side. Then I went to the wiring, nothing on the rear but the front had a loose connection at the marker light. So I snugged it down. There was an extra female connector inside the marker but no male contact to connect it to. The turn signal started working normally so I figured I was done with that and all I had to do was figure out the highbeam issue.
On the next drive, the right side t/signal went back to flickering. Thinking back to that extra connector, I opened the left side marker, it too had the same thing so that theory went out the toilet. Through process of elimination, all the exterior lights turn on, the issue is related with only the right side t/signal but both front and rear signals actually blink and the problem with the high beams engaging after completing the turn signal cancels, I was thinking that I have a malfunctioning multifunction switch.
In the next day or two I will follow the suggestions made above and report back. From what I am reading, the multifunction switch adjustment is pretty quick and easy. Maybe I'll get lucky and the t/signal gets fixed also. Of all the issues with a car, I hate dealing with electrical issues the most!!!.

[michael lang]

Update:
The high beam issue was exactly as pre-described. High beam contact in the multifunction switch being out of adjustment. That was way easier than I thought it would be. Not the case though with the turn signal problem.

I kept reconnecting the wiring harness inside the t/signal assembly, trying all different combinations of connections and still nothing. Right side continued to flicker eventhough all the lights were operational. Nothing with the relays because the left side worked normally. I kept seeing one extra connector tab that I wasn’t seeing in the left side. I noticed on the bulb socket there was a tab about the same size as the connector so I hooked it up and viola, turn signals operate normally on both sides. I just do not know how I overlooked that.



It was the white wire that is connected to the brown wire and is routed to the other side of the light socket that I kept missing.

[adias]

Related question: On that turn-signal/position-light assembly is the lower tab attached to the socket the turn signal and the top one the position light?

Or another way to solve the same problem: On the dual filament bulb one a thin wire, the other a coiled wire, which one is the blinker turn signal?

[adias]

Originally Posted by adias

Related question: On that turn-signal/position-light assembly is the lower tab attached to the socket the turn signal and the top one the position light?

Or another way to solve the same problem: On the dual filament bulb one a thin wire, the other a coiled wire, which one is the blinker turn signal?

Found the answer to the bulb filaments:

Thin filament - position light
Coiled filament - turn signal light