Major turn signal and brake light problem.

D

dfast1

Power Stroked
Joined
May 26, 2001
okay this makes no since to me! First when i turn my drivers side signal hear the turn signal go tick but no l signal light on the dash and they are not working in the front or back of the car. When i turn the pass side signal no tick noise and the r light on the dash stays solid. The turn signal on the front bumber stays lit and dooes not pulsate and only one light in the rear comes on. Also the same light is the only brake light the comes on to!!! Okay i turn my headlights on and all the lights come on which show me the bulbs are good. Then all the brake lights work. I checked all the bulbs the day before when i put it back together from getting painted and evertything worked fine. Also my key ign just went bad because it no longer shuts the car off!!! Is this connected in any way. I also checked all the fuses and they are all good.
Please help!!
 
I just had a problem like that recently. It sounds like your flasher unit crapped out on you.
I would switch out the flasher unit to see if that fixes the problem. A new flasher is a couple bucks at any autoparts store. The flasher unit is located under the driver's kick panel. It is a little metal cylinder with some wires going to it. Very easy fix. Should get you back to normal
 
Sweet i'll do that tomorrow. Any have an idea how much the ignition might be???
 
check the rods...your ignition switch actually moves some rods that operate switches located lower on the steering column (towards the fire wall) on the top side.. If they are out of place or not fully engaged they will do certain things but not others.

NOW...I've never been into a Regal setup so they might not even have the rods but I do know other GMs of the late 80s early 90s did you use the rod actuation (somebody verify?)
 
I know that the brakes and turn signals are tied into the turn signal switches in the column. You can loose brake lights and have funky turn signals. Gey a steering puller and a lock plate compresser and have a look.
 
Where's the flasher at??? I checked and saw a flasher that is in the top left in the fuse box and replaced that one and it did not help. I removed the kick panel and did not see any kind a flasher.. I looked and looked for under the kick panel and could not find it. The flasher i replaced, is that for the haszards? Thanks for the help so far.
 
Are you using 2057 bulbs? I goofed once and bought 1157s (old school dual filament) and they don't work. With the recent paint job, a bad ground is somewhat likely as well.
 
I found the turn signal flasher underneath the steering wheel and replaced it. Now the right side works but the left still dosen't.
Only one brake light works in the rear and that is the right side. I will double check the bulbs when i get home. I might have used the 1157 but i only replaced two. I am getting closer. Thanks for the help.
 
Since you mentioned painting and you have had it apart I would go and check your grounds. If your ground wires are located where painting was done, you will need to make a good metal to metal contact to get good grounds. Ground issues have aleways plagued GM vehicles.
 
I am so pissed off right now. okay this is what it is doing. you can HEAR The fuel pump puslate with the turn signals. I replaced the flasher and it helped but really did not fix the problem. The right side is puslating really fast and barly blinking. When you turn on the parking lights the rear lights barley light up and when the brakes are applied they light up just a little bit more. I took it to the college automative class and they couldn't figure it out. The lights problem will change. The back won't light up then later it might light up. I painted the outside of the vechical and i checked all the bulbs when i put it back together and everything worked fine. It has to be a ground because all the lights aren't getting enough power and not working right at all. The left turn signals still do not work at all. this is really wierd.
 
Made some progress! i changed the flasher again and the works better but still not right. now all the signals work just dim. When i turn on the lights then the left side stops pulsating. i also noticed that my boost guage and water temp gauge lights would pulsate with the flasher. They are powered off the fuse panel in the plug in for the lights. Any ideas??
 
Tell us more about your paintjob. Did you remove parts prior to the paintjob? What did you reinstall? Like you say, it's pointing to a bad ground. Did you take the headlights out? I think they are grounded just behind the core support on ring connectors. Try cleaning underneath them to bare metal, oil that spot just a bit, and reinstall. Clean as many as you can find, but check your progress after each one. Then if you get the right one early, you won't have to waste as much time. There's a fairly large ring connector right behind the battery on the inside of the fender for a ground I think. I'd start there.
 
I did not undo any wires when i painted. All the grounds are either in the trunk or engine compartmnet which we did not paint.
Anyways this is what it is doing now. The turn signals flash until i turn the lights on then the left side stops flashing but the right side works. i put a test light and the flasher terminals and they both had power going to them even when i turned on the lights it just would stop making noise but that was only on the left turn signal the right side would work fine. I tried more flashers and they all do the same thing. I checked the grounds with the test light and they all seemed fine and i doubled checked all the ones that went to the lights. The front flasher in the headlight bezel barley comes on. i double checked that ground that went to that light and it made no differece.
 
Okay this is what i got going on now. Most of it fixed except the left side is the problem.When ever i turn on the headlights then use the left turn signal the the right rear lights go really dim the the turn signals don't work. When ever the lights are off they work fine. Also when the lights are on thats when i have the aftermarket guages pulsate.
 
I have some extra help now. Now when the left signal on ALL the lights flash including the rear. I am now taking the steering column apart to see if its something in there. That spring that holds that metal pieace over the signal stuff is being a b!tch to remove. I love this car sooo much. Its always wants all my attention.
 
This is becoming a nightmare. Now all the lights flash when the left turn signal is on. The right side works fine. We checked grounds, flashers, traced the wiring for shorts and found nothing. The interior lights in the dash also flash when the left turn signal is on. These leaves only on thing to change which is the turn assembly in the steering column. That was a couple hours of fun to do. I'll replace that and that better fix it or i am screwed.
 
Well what you have is the left side dash and parking lights are crossed with the flashing blinker lights.

Could be a bad or incorrect bulb in the tail or front lamps.

Dual bulb element could be shorting accross both sides.

Get a NEW 1157 and try it in the tail lamp locations and check all the lamps for wiring or shorts in the sockets.
 
Whoa which bulbs do i use the 1157 or the 2057?? Larkin said i was supposed to use 2057's? I have 1157 in there now.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Digi_Tails
Replies
0
Views
246
Chatmanboy
C
S
Running Tail Lights don't work?
Replies
2
Views
388
1986 Buick GX1
1986 Buick GX1
F
Dash Brake Light Tropubleshooting
Replies
4
Views
461
fitz3820
F
T
Resume/Accel Function on Turn Signal Switch
Replies
1
Views
628
salvageV6
salvageV6
S
Need help
Replies
4
Views
712
SuperStud28
S
Top