Fun with Electricity, PO Stuff #5 in the series, or is it #6? Options

[NARP74]

Going to RRC2023 last week, I lost all my gauges just after leaving home. Pulled over to check things out and found a blown fuse. Blew a couple more before I figured out it was the left turn signal. Didn't use them for the rest of the weekend. I asked around and someone suggested I check the flasher or turn signal relay. I dropped the fuse panel and found this. Did someone swap my relays around?


More in this thread to follow. I found lots of crap...

[NARP74]

So the latest is that the fuse has stopped blowing, a couple of possible fixes for that one. An intermittent short in the trunk wiring for the tail light assembly, and I might have fried a relay. Will test the relay later. Got those both sorted.

I decided to put the incandescent bulbs back in the front turn signal housing and guess what? Things started working as I would expect. The LEDs are all still installed in the rear, incandescents up front. The blinkers function normally with no other lights on, 1 blink per second and both dash indicators are bright and flash at the same time. They also function correctly with parking lights and head lights on.

Looks like it might be something with the LED bulbs in that front position. I have no idea why they work in the rear but not the front. Same bulbs I think, just a different color in the back. I will swap and see what happens.

I can't be the only one trying to use LED bulbs for the front turn signals.

And here is one more oddity, with the LEDs in the front, no keys in the ignition, no lights on or anything running, if I hit the turn signals in either direction, there is enough current leakage to faintly light the LED bulbs, no blink, just a faint light. I get that they use less voltage but is that normal? Does that point to a turn signal switch issue?

And for the dial gauge indicators, are the arrows both supposed to light up no matter which way the turn signal is moved, or are they supposed to mirror the direction of the switch? I thought I had seen a previous discussion on this question.

[Spoke]

And for the dial gauge indicators, are the arrows both supposed to light up no matter which way the turn signal is moved, or are they supposed to mirror the direction of the switch? I thought I had seen a previous discussion on this question.

@NARP74

What year is your car? I've heard that for some early? '74 cars with single L/R indicator, some '73 tachs were used and both L and R were wired together. Have you seen yours before light separately? When going to LED turnsignals with the OEM flasher, both L and R indicators will light together and there's a chance that the opposite side turnsignal will light gently.

If using LEDs on all turnsignals, you need an LED-compatible flasher like EP26 with the K2 pin modded to ground.