Turn Signal Issue

[horndog]

I have an 87 GN that I am having issues tracking down the following problem:

When the lights are on the "right turn" idiot light is lit all the time.
The idiot light is only on when the lights are on
Once the right turn signal is on, it will flash quickly in sync with the lights.
The blinking is also a bit faint.

Left side seems OK.

With the lights off, it is still faint and blinks fast, but it is not as obvious.
Hazard produces faint and fast blinking as well.

What I have done:

Checked the ground on the passenger side in the engine bay visibily along with verification that it is bare metal is exposed(did not test it with a multimeter).
Replaced the front turn signal bulbs
Replaced rear taillight bulbs
Replaced the 3rd brake light bulb
Replace the flasher

 

[dartguy340]

I don't have time to ask you 20 questions back and forth, so for now....
Did this come on all of a sudden or were you working on something else and then this problem popped up?

 

[horndog]

I don't have time to ask you 20 questions back and forth, so for now....
Did this come on all of a sudden or were you working on something else and then this problem popped up?

Thanks for the quick response.

No I inherited the issue when I purchased the vehicle. I am working with the previous owner, but we are kind of at a loss.


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[horndog]

Also to add the body was completely repainted including the engine bay so I am not sure where to look.


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[dartguy340]

First off, if I disappear it's because I got busy here and won't be back tonite.
My first thought would have been a bad bulb, second was it installed correctly. Don't laugh at that one! I once looked at a car that
had been at Walmart because 1 side turn signal wasn't working. They didn't fix it so my friend asked me to look at it. I took out the bulb, it came out harder than hell, it had been installed
wrong! They forced it into the socket 180 degrees off from where it should have been. One pin/tit is closer to the contact end of the bulb than the other and these guys apparently did not know that!
Third, since it was painted recently check the grounds in the trunk area and area around the rear and maybe the front bumper fillers.
They could have taken all of them off when it got painted and screwed them back on over a painted area, hence no ground.

 

[dartguy340]

When you turn on the lights and an indicator comes on in the dash, that is always the first
indication that either you have a bad ground or a bad light bulb and it is causing "feedback"
which in turn lites up the indicator on the dash.

 

[horndog]

When you turn on the lights and an indicator comes on in the dash, that is always the first
indication that either you have a bad ground or a bad light bulb and it is causing "feedback"
which in turn lites up the indicator on the dash.

Thanks! Now to trace back all the grounds. Do you happen to know where they all are?

I tried to take a plain wire and took it to the ground of a socket of a bulb and touched it to a bare part of the chassis with no change. I am sure I had the right idea but wrong method.

I won't be able to look at it until tonight, but I think I may need to look at it thru at least 6 beers.


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[Heskahoka]

I had nearly the exact same problem. Right turn signal light on the dash would come on when the headlights were turned on. It would also flash quickly with the headlights on and turn signal activated.
I traced it to a bad ground.

On mine, there was a black wire coming from the passenger headlight assembly that had a ring terminal on it. This ring terminal was hanging loose. I connected the ring terminal to the passenger ground by the battery and all was normal again.
I am guessing that my mechanic forgot to reconnect during the engine swap.
Hope this helps, it is most definitely a ground issue.

 

[horndog]

I had nearly the exact same problem. Right turn signal light on the dash would come on when the headlights were turned on. It would also flash quickly with the headlights on and turn signal activated.
I traced it to a bad ground.

On mine, there was a black wire coming from the passenger headlight assembly that had a ring terminal on it. This ring terminal was hanging loose. I connected the ring terminal to the passenger ground by the battery and all was normal again.
I am guessing that my mechanic forgot to reconnect during the engine swap.
Hope this helps, it is most definitely a ground issue.

Thanks! I will check out the headlight ground!

 

[horndog]

Update:

This morning I checked the ground that attaches to the frame underneath on the passenger side and made sure there was a clean connection without paint interfering.
I double-checked the ground on the the passenger side under the hood to the side wall by the battery. that connection had some copper corrosion on the loop connector.
The loop connector I can see where the ground wire connects to the loop connector is corroded, but not sure on how much impact that has.

With cleaning the connections, I have not seen any improvement and the right turn signal idiot light still stays on.

I am going to replace the loop connector once I get one today.

Anything else should I check or am I looking in the wrong spot?

 

[aminga]

What about the ground on the passenger side fender beside the battery?

 

[horndog]

What about the ground on the passenger side fender beside the battery?

Yes that is what I am referring to I cleaned up and noticed corrosion where the ring connector meets the ground wire.


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[Mike E]

......
Replace the flasher

Did you replace the flasher up by the collumn, or on the fuse block?

 

[horndog]

Did you replace the flasher up by the collumn, or on the fuse block?

Yes as per the original post.


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[Mike E]

There are two flashers, did you replace both?

 

[horndog]

There are two flashers, did you replace both?

No one is for hazards and one is turn signals


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[horndog]

Also to note, there is a ton of bulb grease in each of the sockets, I wonder if that is the culprit?

 

[horndog]

Ok we'll it seems the right side side marker light is out I wonder if that is the cause.


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[horndog]

Fixed!!! It was the front side marker was burned out.


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[garyk1970]

For future searchers, heres how to test...simply.
1) turn on headlights
2) turn on hazards
3) replace bulbs not working

Whola...simple.