Blinker issues

[camarobutcher]

I have an 88 Shelby Z, and just today the blinkers started acting funny. The directionals blink fine when I hit the stalk for a right turn, but for a left turn, the directionals don't blink, it just stays on without blinking. It still cancels fine. I put the hazards on and everything blinks fine then. What are the possible causes and solutions?

[NAJ]

First be sure all bulbs are lit with the hazard flashers on,
then check the flasher,88 uses 2 seperate flashers,1 for directional signals and 1 for hazard.

[camarobutcher]

They all blink when the hazards are on, but they just stay on when I flip the directional for a left turn. Where would I find the flashers?

[NAJ]

As far as I know the hazard flasher is in the relay box and the T/S flasher is attached to the ducts under the dash.If the R/S works put it on and follow the clicking until you locate it.

[charger R/T]

Put he 4 ways on and the parking lights and check the lights again to see if the front or rear flashes out of sync left to right. If you do find one end flashing out of sync you have a ground issue with the light on the end of the car that flashes out of sync and on the side of the car the turn signals do not work on.
Tim

[camarobutcher]

I just checked the 4 ways with the running lights on and it flashes out of sync. The front turn signals under the headlights flash at the same time and the front side markers flash at the same time, but the sides don't flash the same time as the fronts. The rear turn signals flash at the same time but I'm not sure about the rear side markers. Are the rear red side markers supposed to flash with the hazards or turn signals on? If it's a ground issue, where would I start looking first?

[charger R/T]

Quote:

Originally Posted by camarobutcher I just checked the 4 ways with the running lights on and it flashes out of sync. The front turn signals under the headlights flash at the same time and the front side markers flash at the same time, but the sides don't flash the same time as the fronts. The rear turn signals flash at the same time but I'm not sure about the rear side markers. Are the rear red side markers supposed to flash with the hazards or turn signals on? If it's a ground issue, where would I start looking first?

Don't count the side markers. depending on how they are wired from the factory they can flash out of sync with the front lights. Just count the front and rear lights. Some side marker lights are wired up with the 2 wires just going to the turn signal filiment and the parking light filiment. This will make them flash in sync with the turn signals if the parking lights are off and out of sync with them on. It sounds like your front one are wired that way. The rear sound like they are wired just to the parking light and a ground. If they were wired like the front they would come on with the brake lights with the parking lights off and go off if the brakes were applied with the parking lights on.

If the front lights are in sync with each other and the rear lights are in sync with each other. A ground may not be the problem. When you say the lights just stay on when you turn on the left turn signal have you got out and looked at the outside bulbs to see them just on both front and rear? The flashers work on load. If a bulb goes bad the old style flashers would just light the bulb that was still good. Newer cars they changed this they still flash but they flash fast. What this is telling me is the load on the left side is too low for the flasher to flash. The reason I ask if you got out and looked at the bulbs just be on is I have seen turn signal switches work all 4 corners with the 4 ways on but not work all the lights using turn signals. Meaning a bad switch. By the 4 ways working the 4 wires from the turn signal switch to the 4 corners is not a problem and the bulbs most likley are not a problem unless some are the wrong number bulb. (unlikley but possible) Have you changed any bulbs latley? (I had an ambulance beat me up about a year ago with this the service guy changed a bulb and that side would not flash it now lit up but wouldn't flash I was chasing a ground issue because it was a little dim but found after 30 minutes he put in a bulb for a 24 volt system)

It could still be a ground issue too. but not a totaley bad ground if the ground was adding resistance to the circuit this would decrease the load and that could make it not flash. You could try to reseat the bulbs and check the ground of the sockets to body ground with an ohm meter and also check the voltage getting to the bulb with a volt meter.
Tim

[camarobutcher]

I have actually gotten out of the car with the left side turn signal on, and the front and rear marker lights are both lit, but the don't flash. I know not to just rely on the T/S indicator on the dash. I then checked the front and rear lights with the right turn signal on, they are all lit and they all flash. I then put on the hazards and checked each and every turn signal, they are all lit, and they all flash. I haven't changed any bulbs since I owned the car for the last 1.5 years. When I bought it from my uncle's shop, I'm pretty sure they didn't change any of the bulbs either. This is the first time I'm having any blinker problems whatsoever with this car. I bought a flasher and bulbs for the front and the rear but have not tried anything as of yet.

[NAJ]

I would start by swapping out the flasher,rule out the simpleist things first.
Charger R/T, didn't we just go thru this not too long ago.

[charger R/T]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NAJ I would start by swapping out the flasher,rule out the simpleist things first. Charger R/T, didn't we just go thru this not too long ago.

yes we did and we will do it again to. but thats ok thats what we come here for. I have noticed while many end up being the same problem some with similar symtoms do have other causes. A straight up heavy duty flasher should get things going again since those usually are not as sensitive to load as the factory flasher. but they do actually mask a small problem that will continue to get worse. I would also look at the brightness of the bulbs to see if one of the left side bulbs is a little dimmer. The added resistance could alter the load enough to stop a flasher. By the lights still flashing in sync a ground issue would not be big enough flash out of sync but could be enough resistance to stop a load senitive flasher.
Tim

[camarobutcher]

I replaced the flasher today and now all the blinkers work perfectly. They are actually brighter than before. Thanks for all your help guys I appreciate it.

[NAJ]

Glad to here all is well and it was a simple fix.