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Dash turn signal problems


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ok lets see if i can explain this...

 

I first experienced this problem on sunday, i was leaving a party, turned my headlights on and i notice on the dash that the right turn signal light is on (not blinking, just lit up dimmly, not full) also in the back the lights are slightly brighter on the right side. I drove for about a half a mile on some rough dirt road and the light went off.......

 

Tonight i was on my way home and turned on my lights and it did it a second time and this time it won't turn off. anyone have any ideas.......

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This is usually caused by a bad ground at the turn signal light, but could be a bad bulb also.

 

It not being as bright, again, could be a bad ground, or a bad bulb. The tail light/turns signal bulbs are doubled up in the back, so when you lose one bulb, you still have one left.

 

My bet, however, is a on bad ground at the tail lights.

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I had the same issue with my left turn signal, however I didn't notice if some were brighter than others. I changed bulbs and then it was fine.

 

Ill go down and try that...

 

Ok, news from the garage:

 

I went down and removed and replaced all of the 6 taillight bulbs and there is still the same problem, so thats not it

 

 

One thing i should mention is that if i leave it in the off position and turn on headlights, The light dash light still lights up, but if i turn the right turn signal switch on (in off position so blinker doesnt come on) the light goes out.

 

mvusse wrote: id bet its a bad ground

 

 

mvusse, i bet it is the bad ground, how do i check/fix this, I'm pretty much a dunce when it comes to electrical.

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mvusse, i bet it is the bad ground, how do i check/fix this, I'm pretty much a dunce when it comes to electrical.

 

With the side in question, take the cover off the tail lights and run a jumper wire from a good ground (negative post of the battery if you have to) and jam it between the copper side of one of the bulbs and the bulb socket.

 

If that solves your problem, you found it.

 

If not, try the other bulb, or try the front bulb. It's got to be one of them.

 

Another way is to take the bulbs out one at a time till the problem goes away, but if the ground is bad to the whole tail light assembly as opposed to just one bulb, it won't go away till you remove both rear bulbs.

 

Actually, I read your post again, and you said your right hand side tail lights were brighter than left. Assuming you used the same bulbs on both sides and all bulbs are good, I wouldn't know what causes it, but that does make me guess at the ground problem being with the front bulb.

 

Good luck.

 

$^&^*% 11 year old daughter has a sleepover. The three of them were giggling loud enough in her bedroom to wake me up!

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mvusse, i bet it is the bad ground, how do i check/fix this, I'm pretty much a dunce when it comes to electrical.

 

With the side in question, take the cover off the tail lights and run a jumper wire from a good ground (negative post of the battery if you have to) and jam it between the copper side of one of the bulbs and the bulb socket.

 

If that solves your problem, you found it.

 

If not, try the other bulb, or try the front bulb. It's got to be one of them.

 

Another way is to take the bulbs out one at a time till the problem goes away, but if the ground is bad to the whole tail light assembly as opposed to just one bulb, it won't go away till you remove both rear bulbs.

 

Actually, I read your post again, and you said your right hand side tail lights were brighter than left. Assuming you used the same bulbs on both sides and all bulbs are good, I wouldn't know what causes it, but that does make me guess at the ground problem being with the front bulb.

 

Good luck.

 

$^&^*% 11 year old daughter has a sleepover. The three of them were giggling loud enough in her bedroom to wake me up!

 

ok, last night i removed all of the rear lights, and the problem is still there without any rear lights in, so it must be a front problem?

 

and i think it was only brighter because those lights on the right side are new.

 

 

 

Problems in the front would make sense right now because it just had some body work done on that side in the front and the lights should have been ok but i guess not.

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james found the problem,

 

I removed the front right corner lamp that was broken when i got the truck and was replaces when the truck got worked on, as soon as i removed the light, the problem went away, i noticed electrical tape running down the wires which gives me the heads up that someone half assed a re-wiring job, ill look at it more when i get home from work...

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Its a ground problem. I just recently had the same problem with my left front turn signal. I tore apart the bulb harness and found that the ground wire rotted away from the female conection. Replaced the female conector and the problem went away. Hope it helps and good luck.

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more news.

 

i took off the header panel and began to work on this, i determined that it is far into the wiring harness and is beyond my electrical abilities. I know that it was the body shop that did the crappy job of rewiring. I'm going back to them next week to tell them to fix it.

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If you still have a problem, read this thread I posted on. Front turn signal sockets have a history of causing the symptoms you are describing.

http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopi ... highlight=

 

Red Dog

 

I had this problem and had to replace the socket. That fixed it. Try that before you go digging into the electrical.

 

How far should i go back and replace into the harness from the socket? I'm tempted just to put in a few inches of new wire (so i don't have to pull the header panel) but i don't know if it would do the trick, I don't think it is a bad ground b/c i think it is one strap that controls all of the front right lights in the harness and it would cause issues with the inner lamp as well, though i have no proof of that. where do i get a new socket?

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I'd get a new one at any Auto parts store (NAPA, Shucks, etc.) . Junk Yard stuff would probally lead to a quick retrurn of the same problem. I'd snip the wires off right at the back of the old socket and then test to see if with ignition on/turn signal on/park light on and your tester grounded to the battery if there is elect in 2 of the 3 wires you cut. If not you know you'll have to start back tracking on the wires until you find elect some-where up the line. If you have elect but it still doesnt work after wiring up new socket then you have a ground wire problem. But thats and easy splice a ground wire in fix. FWIW. :popcorn:

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If you still have a problem, read this thread I posted on. Front turn signal sockets have a history of causing the symptoms you are describing.

http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopi ... highlight=

 

Red Dog

 

I had this problem and had to replace the socket. That fixed it. Try that before you go digging into the electrical.

 

 

I have replaced both of mine. Problem was never present until I swapped in my new guage cluster... the old idiot one never had a problem with it...

 

Carquest has the steel style sockets for cheap... Got both of mine there, they had them on hand in the light sockets section.

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does anybody have any wiring diagrams so i can possibly find out where the grounding strap connects to the body so i don't have to tear into the whole harness while I'm checking this problem...

 

 

Thanks for all the help so far guys. :chillin:

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In my FSM the only ground I could find came off the front passenger side headlight harness and went back to the inside of the fender. Not sure if that is the one for the taillights too. Hope this helps.

so does this mean that it can't be a ground but it must be the socket?

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