Turn signal Issues

[weelliott]

So about amonth ago my left turn signal started acting up despite the
fact that both bulbs are still working. When I turn it on, it blinks
at the normal rate, but each on cycle is shorter than it would
typically be. If I have the brakes on also, then the blinking is
slower. Perhaps half the frequency it should be. I always drive with
my headlights on(that switch never moves.) Yesterday figured I'd see
if having the parking lights on or off effects the signals since
apparently the brake lights do. Sure enough, if the parking lights are
on, it behaves as I just outlined above, but if they are off, the
blinking is much faster. Going from parking lights only to headlights
and parking lights makes no difference.

I figured maybe there is a crossed wire between the parking lights
circuit and the left turn signal. So I unplugged the rear turn signal/
parking light assembly and upon turning on the turn signal it does
nothing at all. Turning on my parking lights causes my left indicator
on my dash to light up steadily, and turning them off causes it to go
out.

Now I'm stumped.

Ideas?

Perhaps I should just replace the bulbs anyways and clean all the
contacts I can get to in that system.

Have a good one,
Bill

 

[1 Lucky Texan]

So about amonth ago my left turn signal started acting up despite the
fact that both bulbs are still working. When I turn it on, it blinks
at the normal rate, but each on cycle is shorter than it would
typically be. If I have the brakes on also, then the blinking is
slower. Perhaps half the frequency it should be. I always drive with
my headlights on(that switch never moves.) Yesterday figured I'd see
if having the parking lights on or off effects the signals since
apparently the brake lights do. Sure enough, if the parking lights are
on, it behaves as I just outlined above, but if they are off, the
blinking is much faster. Going from parking lights only to headlights
and parking lights makes no difference.

I figured maybe there is a crossed wire between the parking lights
circuit and the left turn signal. So I unplugged the rear turn signal/
parking light assembly and upon turning on the turn signal it does
nothing at all. Turning on my parking lights causes my left indicator
on my dash to light up steadily, and turning them off causes it to go
out.

Now I'm stumped.

Ideas?

Perhaps I should just replace the bulbs anyways and clean all the
contacts I can get to in that system.

Have a good one,
Bill

I admit to being ignorant of the bulb types involved, but 'in the old
days' I once saw a dual-element bulb which caused weird problems when
one element had 'sagged' and was touching the other element. Maybe
check for that?

 

[Asbjørn]

So about amonth ago my left turn signal started acting up despite the
fact that both bulbs are still working. When I turn it on, it blinks
at the normal rate, but each on cycle is shorter than it would
typically be. If I have the brakes on also, then the blinking is
slower. Perhaps half the frequency it should be. I always drive with
my headlights on(that switch never moves.) Yesterday figured I'd see
if having the parking lights on or off effects the signals since
apparently the brake lights do. Sure enough, if the parking lights are
on, it behaves as I just outlined above, but if they are off, the
blinking is much faster. Going from parking lights only to headlights
and parking lights makes no difference.

I figured maybe there is a crossed wire between the parking lights
circuit and the left turn signal. So I unplugged the rear turn signal/
parking light assembly and upon turning on the turn signal it does
nothing at all. Turning on my parking lights causes my left indicator
on my dash to light up steadily, and turning them off causes it to go
out.

Now I'm stumped.

Ideas?

Perhaps I should just replace the bulbs anyways and clean all the
contacts I can get to in that system.

Have a good one,
Bill

My first motion would be to check the ground (chassis) connections of every
bulb socket, preferably with all bulbs rmoved.....
Asbjørn

 

[clare]

So about amonth ago my left turn signal started acting up despite the
fact that both bulbs are still working. When I turn it on, it blinks
at the normal rate, but each on cycle is shorter than it would
typically be. If I have the brakes on also, then the blinking is
slower. Perhaps half the frequency it should be. I always drive with
my headlights on(that switch never moves.) Yesterday figured I'd see
if having the parking lights on or off effects the signals since
apparently the brake lights do. Sure enough, if the parking lights are
on, it behaves as I just outlined above, but if they are off, the
blinking is much faster. Going from parking lights only to headlights
and parking lights makes no difference.

I figured maybe there is a crossed wire between the parking lights
circuit and the left turn signal. So I unplugged the rear turn signal/
parking light assembly and upon turning on the turn signal it does
nothing at all. Turning on my parking lights causes my left indicator
on my dash to light up steadily, and turning them off causes it to go
out.

Now I'm stumped.

Ideas?

Perhaps I should just replace the bulbs anyways and clean all the
contacts I can get to in that system.

Have a good one,
Bill

My STRONG suspicion is a shorted bulb - I know everyone on usenet
says it can't happen - but I've seen more than my share over 40+ years
as a mechanic.

 

[Hachiroku]

So about amonth ago my left turn signal started acting up despite the
fact that both bulbs are still working. When I turn it on, it blinks
at the normal rate, but each on cycle is shorter than it would
typically be. If I have the brakes on also, then the blinking is
slower. Perhaps half the frequency it should be. I always drive with
my headlights on(that switch never moves.) Yesterday figured I'd see
if having the parking lights on or off effects the signals since
apparently the brake lights do. Sure enough, if the parking lights are
on, it behaves as I just outlined above, but if they are off, the
blinking is much faster. Going from parking lights only to headlights
and parking lights makes no difference.

I figured maybe there is a crossed wire between the parking lights
circuit and the left turn signal. So I unplugged the rear turn signal/
parking light assembly and upon turning on the turn signal it does
nothing at all. Turning on my parking lights causes my left indicator
on my dash to light up steadily, and turning them off causes it to go
out.

Now I'm stumped.

Ideas?

Perhaps I should just replace the bulbs anyways and clean all the
contacts I can get to in that system.

Have a good one,
Bill

What year is this? I have been having the same issue with my '89. It will
work fine for days, then all of a sudden the next 5 times I use them it
will do what you're saying, and then it will settle down again for days.

 

[John McGaw]

So about amonth ago my left turn signal started acting up despite the
fact that both bulbs are still working. When I turn it on, it blinks
at the normal rate, but each on cycle is shorter than it would
typically be. If I have the brakes on also, then the blinking is
slower. Perhaps half the frequency it should be. I always drive with
my headlights on(that switch never moves.) Yesterday figured I'd see
if having the parking lights on or off effects the signals since
apparently the brake lights do. Sure enough, if the parking lights are
on, it behaves as I just outlined above, but if they are off, the
blinking is much faster. Going from parking lights only to headlights
and parking lights makes no difference.

I figured maybe there is a crossed wire between the parking lights
circuit and the left turn signal. So I unplugged the rear turn signal/
parking light assembly and upon turning on the turn signal it does
nothing at all. Turning on my parking lights causes my left indicator
on my dash to light up steadily, and turning them off causes it to go
out.

Now I'm stumped.

Ideas?

Perhaps I should just replace the bulbs anyways and clean all the
contacts I can get to in that system.

Have a good one,
Bill

My money is on a bad ground for the left (rear) turn signal/brake/parking
light assembly. Best thing is that this is easily tested for although
fixing it is sometimes a bother. For it to be a shorted lamp, and I've seen
a couple of these over the years, it would require that all three functions
be present in a single bulb and that seems quite impossible.

 

[clare]

My money is on a bad ground for the left (rear) turn signal/brake/parking
light assembly. Best thing is that this is easily tested for although
fixing it is sometimes a bother. For it to be a shorted lamp, and I've seen
a couple of these over the years, it would require that all three functions
be present in a single bulb and that seems quite impossible.

Not at all imposible, as most american cars (as well as many european
and some Japanese) did it that way for decades - but a bad ground
COULD also be the problem.

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

Not at all imposible, as most american cars (as well as many european
and some Japanese) did it that way for decades - but a bad ground
COULD also be the problem.

It's not unusual to have a double problem, as in bad grounding + a
sagged filament short.

I just went thru similar on my "pickup bed/frame" utility trailer, fixed
both of those.

It's not gonna happen right now, but I'm definitely going to the LED
setup soon, and a complete trailer rewire.


--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

 

[AS]

Check the ground.

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Now I'm stumped.

Ideas?

Perhaps I should just replace the bulbs anyways and clean all the
contacts I can get to in that system.

Have a good one,
Bill

Looks like we're having the same problem at around the same time. I'm
thinking of replacing the relays.

Yousuf Khan

 

[AB]

Bad earth on left rear light assembly.

Test/confirm by providing an alternative (temporary) earth to the lamp
assembly.

AB

 

[weelliott]

What year is this? I have been having the same issue with my '89. It will
work fine for days, then all of a sudden the next 5 times I use them it
will do what you're saying, and then it will settle down again for days.-Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

This is a 98. I think it's probably quite similar to the first
generation legacy.

 

[weelliott]

Looks like we're having the same problem at around the same time. I'm
thinking of replacing the relays.

        Yousuf Khan

Have you tried anything else first? I'm planning to pick up the bulbs
on teh way home today and try that first. I hadn't heard of a sagging
filament, but swapping in two new bulbs seems easy enough. It is
probably unrelated, but my wife was driving away in my car the other
day and I noticed when she first started the car up, the bulb that
lights up the taillights on the tailgate(not even sure if that's
considered the tailights, but the red bit on the tailgate) was out on
the right side, then came on after a few seconds, suggesting an
intermittent connection. Perhaps having one bad lightbulb in the
parking light circuit is somehow affecting my turn signals? I don't
know. I'll lt you guys know if swapping bulbs does anything for me.

Bill

 

[Yousuf Khan]

Have you tried anything else first? I'm planning to pick up the bulbs
on teh way home today and try that first. I hadn't heard of a sagging
filament, but swapping in two new bulbs seems easy enough. It is
probably unrelated, but my wife was driving away in my car the other
day and I noticed when she first started the car up, the bulb that
lights up the taillights on the tailgate(not even sure if that's
considered the tailights, but the red bit on the tailgate) was out on
the right side, then came on after a few seconds, suggesting an
intermittent connection. Perhaps having one bad lightbulb in the
parking light circuit is somehow affecting my turn signals? I don't
know. I'll lt you guys know if swapping bulbs does anything for me.

It looks like my problem was the turn signal stalk itself, on the
steering wheel. I bought a new "lighting assembly" as they call it in
Subaru speak, and installed it myself. When I took off the old lighting
assembly, I noticed it was slippery with oil. It felt like WD-40 or some
other lubricating oil had seeped into the conductors. I have no idea how
the oil could've gotten there, and I don't think the steering column
requires that kind of lubricant. It's possible that it got sprayed in
there when I was lubricating some clutch springs, but those springs were
much further down the steering column.

However, now I know how to take the steering column covers off, so I can
replace more things myself. Saved $150 in labour doing it myself. The
replacement lighting assembly was only $110 by itself.

Yousuf Khan

 

[Hachiroku]

Bad earth

There's NOTHING wrong with the Earth!!!

I had a 1973 Volvo 1800ES and the tachometer said "Negative Earth"

I had no idea at that time what it meant, but it was so cool that's what
we named the band!

 

[weelliott]

My problem turned out to be the bulb in the front turn signal. It was
loose, allowing the juice that should have been going to the turn
signal circuit to go to the parking light circuit. That is why when I
took the bulb out in teh rear, there was essentially no bulb left in
the circuit for that turn signal, so turning it on yielded no
blinking, but then turning my parking lights on when the turn signal
was on yielded the indicator light to be constantly illuminated. I
went to replace the bulb and noticed the one in there was a little
loose. I pulled it out, reseated it correctly, and it worked fine.
That was Friday. However, just this morning, (Monday) it started doing
it again. So perhaps there is a little wear on either the bulb or the
socket. I'm going to try a new bulb and see what I get. I guess if
even the new bulb comes loose I can stick a little dab of silicone
caulk or something on the side of the bulb before sticking it in.

Bill

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

My problem turned out to be the bulb in the front turn signal. It was
loose, allowing the juice that should have been going to the turn
signal circuit to go to the parking light circuit. That is why when I
took the bulb out in teh rear, there was essentially no bulb left in
the circuit for that turn signal, so turning it on yielded no
blinking, but then turning my parking lights on when the turn signal
was on yielded the indicator light to be constantly illuminated. I
went to replace the bulb and noticed the one in there was a little
loose. I pulled it out, reseated it correctly, and it worked fine.
That was Friday. However, just this morning, (Monday) it started doing
it again. So perhaps there is a little wear on either the bulb or the
socket. I'm going to try a new bulb and see what I get. I guess if
even the new bulb comes loose I can stick a little dab of silicone
caulk or something on the side of the bulb before sticking it in.

Bill

Replacement sockets aren't that expensive.

"Gluing" does work as a temp-fix, but replacement is best.

--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum

 

[weelliott]

Replacement sockets aren't that expensive.

"Gluing" does work as a temp-fix, but replacement is best.

--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
  We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Oh good point. I was thinking that i'd have to replace the entire
housing, which is probably about 40 bucks. I guess I just need to
replace the end of the wire. Although, that might be a pain in the
butt.

 

[Nobody > (Revisited)]

Oh good point. I was thinking that i'd have to replace the entire
housing, which is probably about 40 bucks.

$40? Dream on.....


I guess I just need to

replace the end of the wire. Although, that might be a pain in the
butt.

Interesting that you mentioned "butt" because that's the type of splice
connector most people use. They can be awkward to crimp in close
quarters, and they are hard to cram back into cramped areas often found
behind light housings.

Instead of buttsplices, use capsplices instead.

Buttsplice:
http://www.wiringproducts.com/contents/en-us/d47.html

Capsplice:
http://www.hudsonfasteners.com/wire_nut/wn_preins_crimp.htm






--
"Shit this is it, all the pieces do fit.
We're like that crazy old man jumping
out of the alleyway with a baseball bat,
saying, "Remember me motherfucker?"
Jim “Dandy” Mangrum