My 70 Challenger the directionals stopped working, The bake lights work- the flashers work- the taillights work just the directionals don't. I checked the ground by the radiator support its good and I changed the flasher relay under the dash and they still don't work. Could it be the signal switch in the column and is there a way to check it before taking it apart? Isn't there a ground on the fire wall also?
Directionals Not Working
- Thread starter KennyCuda
- Start date
Katfish
Well-Known Member
Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
There is a 6" ground wire under the column the carries the ground.
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Are you talking about the one on the brake pedal support bracket (4 way) OR the one beside the ashtray (turn signals).
72RoadRunnerGTX
Well-Known Member
Have you verified key-switched power at the fuse for the radio/turn signals? If the four ways and the brake lights work, it’s not a ground issue at all. The pictured column ground wire is for the horn switch and gear shift indicator, if equipped, only,
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Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
What 72 RoadRunner GTX said is true. The Thing that happens is the switch shorts out and goes to ground and the ground is open. Be it horn, turn signal sw, 4way sw or ignition light. In a perfect world the correct fuse is in there and it works as intended.
72RoadRunnerGTX
Well-Known Member
If the brake and four ways lights are working, it can only be loss of keyed power at the switch (red wire). The turn signal flasher can be difficult to get to. You can verify this with much less work than trying to get at the flasher as a first step. Check for key-switched power at fuse (both sides), check key-switched power at the radio connector (making sure no one has cut off the original connector and not reconnected the original red and black wires back together). If you have power at the fuse and the radio but not on the red wire in the turn signal switch connector then the flasher is bad.
Again, the symptoms as described do not indicate any kind of ground or ground related problem as the cause.
Again, the symptoms as described do not indicate any kind of ground or ground related problem as the cause.
I don't own the car that long and when I went to change the turn signal relay there wasn't one there so I put one in and I tried the turn signals and they lite up solid for the right side and left side then all of a sudden no lights lite at all not sure what's going on there. I just got the car back yesterday from the shop it got painted bandit did have a after market radio in it. I just hooked up the original radio up to a power wire.
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Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
If they light and then not. I would be inclined to think it is an erratic ground. It needs a ground in the circuit for the flasher to function, heat up and cycle. I would stat by cleaning all the grounds for light. Taillights front turn signal while your at it the side marker lights. That's what I'm thinking.
72RoadRunnerGTX
Well-Known Member
Electro-mechanical flashers do not require a ground to function, load dependent only. The loads need a good ground but if all four-way bulbs and the brake lights are working normally, can't be a ground problem at all.
Would be trying another flasher, a two pronged electronic flasher in the event the bulbs have been changed out to LEDs. Flashers are the same, you can try the four-way flasher if its known to be functioning.
Once more, the symptoms as described do not indicate any kind of ground or ground related problem as the cause.
Would be trying another flasher, a two pronged electronic flasher in the event the bulbs have been changed out to LEDs. Flashers are the same, you can try the four-way flasher if its known to be functioning.
Once more, the symptoms as described do not indicate any kind of ground or ground related problem as the cause.
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Challenger RTA
Well-Known Member
The flasher needs enough current to function. No matter how you look at it. The flasher need a ground to function. The turn signal circuit need a ground, such as all the light bulbs. The power passes through the flasher. then also through the light bulbs and then ground. It could be the bolts of the front valance or mounting screws are rusted and not completing the circuit and other thing of that nature. Take a look a very close look the bulb could be very dimly lite. You wont see it with the with lens on or with any light around. There could be a problem with the sockets. That's the symptoms I was experiencing.
The one thing you can do is use a piece of wire from the negative on the battery to the front turn signal housing. Also unplug the socket and connect power the plug to see if the light by itself is working. You might have a broken wire some where the make contact erratically. Narrow it down by process of elimination.
Thought I had a picture of the bad socket. This is after I fixed it.
The plastic insulator was cracked is what caused my issue as yours
The one thing you can do is use a piece of wire from the negative on the battery to the front turn signal housing. Also unplug the socket and connect power the plug to see if the light by itself is working. You might have a broken wire some where the make contact erratically. Narrow it down by process of elimination.
Thought I had a picture of the bad socket. This is after I fixed it.
The plastic insulator was cracked is what caused my issue as yours
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72RoadRunnerGTX
Well-Known Member
Just to be clear here, in the OP you said the 4-ways and brake lights are working, is that correct? When the 4-ways are on, the front lights are flashing at full intensity and not bleeding to the park or side marker lighting, no faint illumination at all? That the turn signal just stopped working yet the flasher was found to be missing? A front bulb socket/housing ground issue would bleed over to the park light circuit as it seeks a ground through the park filament if still connected to the front lighting harness.
Even with the front lamp housings ungrounded there should be enough loading with the two rear 1157s on each side of the ’70 Challenger rear lighting to allow flashing, again assuming they work with the 4-ways as described.
If there is grounding issue after some paint/body work, it is likely the paint between the hosing/screws and the valance rather than the valance to the body mounting bolts. I normally install a aux ground wire from the lamp housing to the body on every thing as I don’t want the mounting screws digging into the fresh paint anyway.
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