[coolcars58]

Hey guys,
I have a 49 studebaker that I have installed a 87 camaro steering column. I hooked the turn signals up to the fuse for the brake lights so they had power all the time like the brakes. For 3 months I did not have a problem. Suddenly for no reason that I can think of, they quit working. No blown fuses, burnt wires. All I did was turn the steering wheel to bleed the brakes.
I replaced the switch with a new one and everything worked fine, then I started the truck to test the new power steering, turning the wheel, and they don't work now. As far as I know, I have not bound any thing in the column.
Sure hope some one can help. Thanks

[usmcsawgunner]

trace the ground wires....thats the number 1 problem in vehicle wiring....good luck too by the way

[coolcars58]

I was thinking about my turn signal problem and realized that the problem has to be in the column, the truck has been sitting in the yard while I have been working on it and the signals worked till I turned the steering wheel. So is there something in there that can ground out the signals?

[coolcars58]

Thanks, I will do that.

[Bryan59EC]

The only 'ground wire' is the horn signal wire----black

All other wires just close a hot circuit.

Power will be supplied from the fusebox from 3 places

Battery----thru 4-way flasher
Battery----thru brake switch
Ignition----for the turn signals

(perhaps not the way you have it wired---but the right way)

I'm thininking that when you turn the wheel, one of these power wires are opening up or the pin on the signal switch has come loose.

Tilt Column???? I have had to replace the switch on my 79 Chev about 3x as the wires eventually break--(I use the Tilt ALOT-most used option on all of my cars since a teen). Ive had the turns short out, and also had the turns AND the brake circuits open with the wheel in the 'up' position. Took a while to figure out that the brakes and turns worked only with the wheel 'down'.

Look at these for the GM switch

[coolcars58]

Thanks, It does have tilt, will try lowering it tomorrow, also will rewire the signals. Since you mentioned it, how does the horn work? I found the black wire but if it is (ground) what makes the horn work, or is the black wire the ground to the relay?
When I turn the wheel, you said maybe a pin or wire opens up, I am assuming goes to ground, would it do this on a new switch? I put one in last week.

[Bryan59EC]

The black wire is simply a signal to the relay.
when the horn is pushed--it grounds (the steering column is part of an electrical path to the battery neg post), activating the horn relay.

I wouldn't suspect a bad new switch either---but I'm sure it happens.
Might want to double check the connector at the lower column..

Or---if you have everything hooked to the brake circuit---could be a possible overload on that branch blowing a fuse.

[coolcars58]

Thanks Bryan, I will check the connections and move the turn signals to a different circuit. I did notice that from one leg to the other on the flasher (2 pole flasher) that the power was quite a bit less, like the resistance in the flasher was way high. When I replaced the old switch I did not have a drop in power through the flasher.