Are my turn signals wired correctly?

24flys · 24flys's Garage

I'm trying to figure out if I have my front turn signals wired correctly. I haven't been able to get my turn signals to work in a long time and I think I may have the wires crossed.

For my side marker lights I have the red and white(or gray) wire at the top, and the brown wire at the bottom.

For my front lights I have the brown wire at terminal 31, the green and black wire at terminal BL, and the red and gray wire at terminal 57.

I've looked at the color wiring diagrams and I still can't figure these things out. Does anyone know if these are correct. It would be at least one more thing I could eliminate as the problem.

24flys

philinjax · 11-19-2001, 04:40 AM

From what I can determine, you have the fronts wired correctly.
To help you with this problem, you need to explain in detail what all of the indications of your turn signals are. What happens when you select left and right turn signals, do the backs work and not the front, can you hear the flasher relay working, do your emergency flashers work, etc.
Phil

24flys · 24flys's Garage

Well,

I started working on these a while ago. they worked a long time ago but when I got the thing going again they weren't working. I messed with the wires a bit and ended up burning the turn signal relay. I replaced the relay but they still won't work. if the relay is in, it will "click" even when the turn signals aren't turned on. if they are turned on, they still won't work. I have all new bulbs in the lights, front and back. I haven't replaced the turn signal switch yet. I've probably tried other things that I just can't remember right now. This has been one of those problems that you get frustrated with then quit working on it for a while before you take it out on the car.

24flys

philinjax · 11-19-2001, 11:46 AM

Recommend the first thing you do is check for grounds at all the GY/RD and the GY/BK wires to the turn signals, both fore and aft, with the turn signal switch in the neutral position, the emergency flasher off and the ignition off None of these wires should be grounded. If you find a ground on any of these wires, then pull the bulbs out, one at a time, fore and aft, and see if the ground disappears. If the ground is eliminated by this method, then you have screwed one of the lamps in 180 degrees out, which can be done with a little force.
If you still have a ground on any of the wires with the lamps out, then you, obviously, have a short elsewhere. BTW, I am assuming here that you have a 74 or earlier 914.
Let us know what you find.
Phil

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

BTW, the flasher relay will also "click" any time the handbrake is on, or when the M/C switch has been set (as happens when you bleed the brakes). This is because the flasher relay also runs the brake warning light--so that behavior may be normal.

--DD

24flys · 24flys's Garage

I have bled the brakes, could I have set the M/C switch, if so, how would I fix this. It may not be the main problem but it could be part of it.

24flys

philinjax · 11-19-2001, 04:37 PM

If your brakes are working well and you are not bleeding any fluid on the ground, then it is not likely that there is a defect there.
To be sure, pull the electrical wire connections off the M/C and see if it makes any difference with the flasher operation. BTW, if your M/C warning light is on due to the switch on the M/C, then you will not have braking capability on the rear or the front, depending which way the shuttle valve switch is activated.
If this has occured, you will have to replace the M/C.
Phil

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Hold on, hold on!! Don't go replacing master cylinders yet!

Remember that most (but not all!) M/C switches will not re-set themselves once the pressure imbalance goes away. They have to be re-set by hand. To do that, you find the master cylinder, find where the wire(s) plug into it, and search right around there for a rubber "nipple". Press that nipple inward, this will press the reset button on the switch.

If you don't have any luck turning the steering wheel all the way to the right and reaching in behind the left-front wheel, you may need to jack the front up and remove the gravel pan. But once you've seen it, you won't have to pull the gravel pan to hit the reset button again.

--DD

philinjax · 11-20-2001, 10:22 AM

Your are correct, DD,

I forgot about some M/C s having a reset, although, I have changed rebuilt a dozen or more M/C s and only saw one that
had the reset. Coincidence, I guess.
Phil

24flys · 24flys's Garage

Well,
I got my turn signal relay to stop clicking all the time by resetting the mc like dave said, at least it stopped for a while. After I got done messing around with them today it started clicking again.
I was trying to check various places for power today and I got something to happen. I used a multimeter and put the black on some metal, and with the red I was probing the turn signal switch ends. Somehow, I could get the turn signals to work by doing this, like the turn signal switch wasn't grounded before. Should it be? Do I need a new turn signal switch or is there a ground that goes to the switch that may be loose?
Phil, when you say to test for ground at the lights, do I test this by using an ohm meter, putting the red on a ground and the black on the GY/RD and GY/BK wires. when I did this the ohm's went from 1 to 0. When I took the bulb out and retested it, it went from 1 to 0 again.

24flys

philinjax · 11-22-2001, 02:58 PM

24flys,
There is no ground wire in the turn signal switch on the steering column. (There is a ground on one of the pins on the flasher relay. It is supposed to be there). Also, the master cylinder has nothing to do with your turn signals not working. There could be a problem with the M/C, that would cause the flasher to continuously operate but, it is not related to your turn signal problem. Your turn signals should still work.
The first thing to do is check those wires (which I mentioned before) to ensure they are not grounded. Do this using the lowest scale of the ohmmeter, touching the black lead to ground and the red lead to each GY/BK and GY/RD wire, in turn, on each side of the car. The ohmmeter needle should not move, which would indicate infinite resistance, that is, no short). If the needle moves to near zero, you have a short. If this happens, pull the bulbs both front and rear on that side of the car and check resistance to ground again on the same wires. If the short disappears, you have a bad bulb (not likely) or the bulb was installed incorrectly (possibly). If the short remains, that wire is obviously grounded.
I have seen this problem on several cars and in each case, one of the two wires indicated above was shorted to the sheetmetal of the fender, was shorted to the brown wire terminal or was connected to the wrong terminal on the light socket.
Let us know what you find.
Phil