White_Comanche

I did a preliminary inspection of this turn signal connection. Yes, there is indeed two (2) wires in 'H'. They seem to be seated and crimped securely. No signs of distress. This C156 on my '86 happens to be black in color, but I knew I located it by the shape of the plug. This points me directly to removing the instrument cluster now. Guessing either that left blinker socket or bulb went south. If you guys have done this before, please let me know if there's anything to be mindful of when removing the cluster assembly. Might not get to this project for a few weekends... but it'll be good to know of anything prior.

Keep in mind that I'm learning with my Comanche on how to "work on vehicles". I'm very much green. Please tell me more specifically what this means. Does this have to do with the fuse panel, or somewhere else?

I think you may not have read my introduction to this topic, or I got lazy at writing the latest update. Basically, after all this effort my issue still remains... which is my LEFT Turn Signal Indicator bulb in the cluster doesn't illuminate most of the time. Sometimes it does work however. All other lights work inside the cluster — except there's a few tiny bulbs left of the steering wheel that don't light up anymore — such as the green "4WD" light. I presume these are burnt out. There's another, but I can't remember which. All my exterior lights work as they should. In other words... when pressing down on the stalk (making a left turn) the left cluster blinker is usually dark, but other drivers can always see that I am indeed about to make a left turn (because all exterior lights work). Does this change what you think the problem might be?

In the morning with a fresh eye and mind I realized that I could epoxy this broken clip after the connector was mated together. Yes, this connector does snug. With this clip reattached it prevents the assembly vibrating apart. For added strength I wrapped a loop of electrical tape around just for the clips. I did have zip ties in mind, but after this light bulb moment it seemed unnecessary. ATTACHED BROKEN CLIP WITH EPOXY *AFTER* MATING CONNECTOR ELECTRICAL TAPE REINFORCEMENT AFTER EPOXY CURED Unfortunately... this weekend of work did not get my left turn signal to light up. Thankfully, all the exterior and interior lights still function normally like nothing happened. So I guess, with the instrument cluster ground refreshed, and this connector properly cleaned of corrosion, the only thing left to do is remove the gauge cluster and see if that left turn signal bulb and socket needs replaced. Am I going down the logical path here? Thanks guys for all the input while I get this issue figured out.

Just seen on Cruiser54's famous relay/receptacle refreshing webpage with the exact same broken clip. Must be fairly easy to break. It's very similar to Bakelite plastic. I'll see how snug this thing mates together tomorrow. If it doesn't feel right I'll do more research on 10-pin weatherproof connectors. Thanks guys.

Tackled part of this project today. Everything went fairly well considering it all. Refreshing the instrument cluster ground was a snap. However, disconnecting the electrical connection behind the driver's headlight was very tedious. The mating pair was very corroded and difficult to break apart after these 36 years. I ended up snapping off one of the side clips. Spraying loads of QD® electrical connection cleaner did a good job of flushing everything out. REFRESHED INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GROUND CORRODED FEMALE END CORRODED MALE END CLEANED FEMALE END You guys know if this male-end connector can still be purchased? Maybe Dorman or some other manufacturer... or am I SOL on this? I really don't know what this connection is specifically called either for research purposes. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input.

Thanks Eaglescout for the note. I'll report back on the results when I do this project soon. I didn't know that plug behind the left headlight isn't weatherproof. That makes since why attention to the plug is so often mentioned for various electrical issues. I have reviewed Cruiser's Tips a few times. It's quite a good write up for people like me who don't have any real experience working on vehicles. I bought my Comanche in August of 2021 and am slowing working out the problem areas. It's awesome that a resource like Comanche Club is dedicated solely to these older trucks. Glad it's around.

Before writing this I scoured Comanche Club to see if any MJ owners have had this same issue. After much searching I've found some posts with similar problems, but not exact matches. In my instrument cluster, the LEFT Turn Signal Indicator sometimes works (and) sometimes it doesn't. It's quite finicky and annoying to not see blinking. Probably 40% of the time it illuminates, while 60% it remains dark. - Replaced both front end Turn Signal sockets & bulbs - Replaced both front end Side Marker sockets & bulbs - Replaced every bulb in the Tail Lights - Turn signal Flasher is NEW - All exterior lights function properly - All fuses are NEW and none are blown - TURN B/U fuse terminals feel nice and tight - Cleaned the fuse block with QD® Electronic Cleaner & Canned Air Nearly every Tail Light socket had serious corrosion (the old front Turn Signals did as well). Had to use precision pliers, PB Blaster and a heat gun to work out each of the broken bulbs. Was a real mess. All exterior bulbs now have dialectic grease. Below is what I thought of doing to get the indicator working properly: • Clean up instrument panel ground below the dash • Remove instrument cluster to clean and/or replace blinker light sockets & bulbs • Separate and clean out that wire connector behind the driver's headlight Am I on the right track to resolve this issue? Or would you guys recommend trying something else?