The title pretty much says it all. I've got a 1984 Chevy C10 with a slight problem. Any time you pull the headlight switch, even so that just the running light are on, the right blinker light on the dash stays on. The rear right and front right external blinkers work, no problem, but the right marker light, which is suppose to be on with headlights and blink, doesn't. The marker light will not come on with the headlights, but does blink if you turn on the right blinker.

The confusion part of all of this is that when the headlights are off, both left and right sets of blinkers work perfect, same speed. If I turn on the headlights, the left works perfect, but the right is considerably slower and I can hear the blinker relay which sounds like it's not getting the full voltage to switch on and off. It is MUCH slower. Any clues? Luckily this is the only electrical bug in the truck.

Doc here,

Check all your grounds, properly clean and bond with a star washer..

inspect and clean your bulb sockets..

Check to see that all your bulbs are the right number for the application..

If it still is causing you trouble, you may have a short in the park lamps and the right turn signal system..you'll need to pull all the bulbs and continuity check between the two systems, battery disconnected and headlamp switch on..

If that checks good, I'd look at the headlight switch for mis-wire, or malfunction

Does it have trailer lighting plugs? If so most likely that is where your problem exists.

Doc

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Thanks Docvette. I checked the ground all with a multimeter, all good, bumbs and sockets are brand new. I'm not sure where the short was, but disconnecting the driving light wire, the one that's hot when the headlight switch is in the first position, fixed the problem. Now both sides work just fine, but I've gotta wire them to be on when the switch is in the driving lights position and headlight position.

Doc here,

Get a relay, wire it so the relay coil gets power from the secondary switch..then tap the other side of the switch into the headlight "On" wire..

Then wire the center wiper Contact to the fog / Driving lamps, this should be a 10 gauge wire..

Next wire the normally open wire to the starter solenoid Battery terminal, via a proper Fuse link, this too will be a 10 Ga Wire..

The normally closed wire will not be used for this application.



That should fix the problem AND make your Fog lamps MUCH brighter..

Doc

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short to power, simple as that. what has happened is the 2 fillaments in the dual filliment bulb has crossed eachother. this will give you your symptoms. replace bulb and be done with it.

Thanks again Docvette, I'll get that hooked up tomorrow.

Doc here,

That would apply on the rears..But he has the problem on the Right FRONT marker lamp..which is a flat type slide in single bulb..AND is isolated Through the multiplexing of the TS switch , from the rears (which are duel elment..) and work fine..

Doc

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The most likely cause of this problem is the instrument panel ground wire, which is usually connected to a bolt on the top of the emergency brake pedal bracket. If you fix that ground, you will be amazed at how many electrical problems go away.

I had nearly identical problems with my '75 GMC pickup and it looked like the previous owner had tried to fix it with jumper wires. When I replaced the E-brake mechanism to pass inspection, I noticed that the one from the junkyard had a ground wire that was missing from my truck.

Bruce

The owner's manual for my '82 El Camino says that when a turn signal indicator comes on and stays on like that, it means you have a bulb burned out someplace on that side of the vehicle. I've discovered that if bulb replacement doesn't fix it, then it's most usually a ground problem like Doc said. Less common is a short, but that will do it too.

Doc here,

Normally , I would agree with Bad Bulbs, Bad Bonding and shorted sockets..All very good troubleshooting..!

But in this case, If you read his first post, there is an Aftermarket fog / Driving lamp system involved..and gets power from the marker lamps...

AND, The turnsignal, markers / parkers work fine so long as the Fog / Driving lamps remain off..When you Turn the Fog / driving Lamps on, the malfunction appears..

What he needs is the Isolation a relay can provide, and the direct power source from the battery to the Fog / driving lamps, not involving the headlight or turnsignal system for power..AND at least doubling the luminance of those lamps..with the only Dependant wire being the coil activate line from the headlamp power, through a disable switch and on to the relay coil..this will not overload the system, Or backfeed power into the TS/ Parker system.

Doc

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Thanks alot docvette, that worked perfect. The blinkers work great now and the driving lights are about twice as bright.

Doc here,

You are most welcome!

Glad to hear It is all working fine now!

Thanks for posting back , it may help others in the future!

Doc

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