Left Turn Signal Problems #2, Blows Fuses & Now More Fun Options

[NARP74]

Been having this problem for quite a while. Thought I had it licked, moved some wires around, but it came back. Probably never really went away.
Using the left turn signal blows fuse S11 and sometimes S9. Was following similar issue posted by jeff dodge but no resolution yet. So I will pick up and see what happens.

Fuse/relay panel is in place and screwed in.
Both arrows light on the dash gauge when turn signal is selected. Correct or not?
Every time I blow a fuse I replace it, getting pricey.

1. Key on, not running, right turn signal works front and back
2. Key on, not running, pull the flasher switch, fuse S11 blows almost immediately.
3. Went to the back, lens off, power probe on left turn signal bulb connection, apply volts, power probe breaker blows.
4. Reset breaker on power probe, disconnect wire from connection #5 inside trunk, power probe volts on light connection, light works. Power probe volts on connection number 5 from inside the trunk, wire off, light works.
5. Blew a fuse again poking around, replaced fuse, now condition 1 does not work.

Did I blow a relay applying volts to the circuit from the light socket? Is that possible? I am using a Spoke upgraded relay. I was in the process of doing an LED conversion on the right side when I figured out left side was an issue. I have another relay, bought 2 just in case. Want to do this on another car if successful.

I can replace the Spoke relay to try to get back to condition 1 again. Seems like the issue is between the rear light housing and somewhere up front, turn signal, flash switch, wiring. Or is this a red herring?

Help and next steps appreciated. Need this fixed for RRC2026!

Cheers

[windforfun]

Sounds like a short to me. Where?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

[NARP74]

That's one of the big possibilities. And how to find it.

[Spoke]

Have you done any work on the vehicle before this started?

I doubt you burned the EP26 flasher relay by applying power to the bulb. You may have burned the fuses again.

So you have the left rear turnsignal wire off the housing, correct?

Put your ohmmeter on the left rear turnsignal wire to chassis. You should only see the front turnsignal bulb and tach indicator bulb resistance.

Try removing the left front turnsignal bulb and see if the resistance at the left rear turnsignal wire changes. The resistance should be greater than a few ohms.

[NARP74]

No other work done before this. The mistake I made was trying to upgrade to LED while I was in there. I should know better. Don't mix upgrades before a solution is found. Really caused some confusion.

Fuses are good.
Left rear turn signal wire to ground, 0.5 Ohms front bulb in socket
Left rear turn signal wire to ground, 0.5 Ohms front bulb out of socket.
Same reading

[windforfun]

What's the bare bulb resistance? Is some contact cleaner in order here?

Same resistance w/ & w/o bulb? 0.5 ohms is a huge load & perhaps indicates a short.

[dtmehall]

that's 6 amps w/o the bulb!

[Spoke]

No other work done before this. The mistake I made was trying to upgrade to LED while I was in there. I should know better. Don't mix upgrades before a solution is found. Really caused some confusion.

Fuses are good.
Left rear turn signal wire to ground, 0.5 Ohms front bulb in socket
Left rear turn signal wire to ground, 0.5 Ohms front bulb out of socket.
Same reading

The 0.5 ohms is a dead short. It's difficult to measure very low resistance w/o errors. Some or all of the 0.5 ohms could be in your test leads. With probes shorted on my ohmmeter I read 0.5 to 0.9 ohms.

I would suggest removing the wires from the front turnsignal bucket. With front and rear turnsignal wires disconnected you are removing both housings from the issue.

[Spoke]

Notice in the schematic the left tach indicator also has the left turnsignal wire connected. You might want to pop the tach out and just inspect the bulb and socket.

[NARP74]

I always forget what a pain it is to disconnect the wires from the turn signal bucket. And reconnecting them is even worse!
Front turn signal wires disconnected and protected from shorting out.
Turn signal connections check out, no shorts, gnd is good.
Individual turn signal, right only, since nothing on the left is connected, does not work.
So no turn signal action at all.
Why not?
Flasher does work now, again right side only since all left connections removed.
Light in flasher switch does light.
No blown fuses, moving the turn signal switch or the flasher switch.
Does the fact that the flashers, right side only, work, mean the relay is OK?
Have not removed tach yet, having logistical issues getting in there.

[NARP74]

Confused now...
BTW, the meter leads when connected to each other read 0 Ohms.

[Spoke]

I always forget what a pain it is to disconnect the wires from the turn signal bucket. And reconnecting them is even worse!
Front turn signal wires disconnected and protected from shorting out.
Turn signal connections check out, no shorts, gnd is good.
Individual turn signal, right only, since nothing on the left is connected, does not work.
So no turn signal action at all.
Why not?
Flasher does work now, again right side only since all left connections removed.
Light in flasher switch does light.
No blown fuses, moving the turn signal switch or the flasher switch.
Does the fact that the flashers, right side only, work, mean the relay is OK?
Have not removed tach yet, having logistical issues getting in there.

OK if the flasher relay works on the right side the flasher relay is ok.

Can you engage the hazards and not blow the fuse? If this is true then something you have disconnected is the issue.

[NARP74]

Buried in the replies above...
Yes I can activate the hazard switch, the switch lights and the right side flashers work. Left side inactive due to being disconnected front and rear at the moment.
Right side turn signal does not work. Did disconnecting the left side lights stop the turn signal switch from working?

[DRPHIL914]

based on the information provided it seems a short is occuring , but I had a similar issue for a long time and it ended up being a short within the hazard switch. it would intermittently blow a fuse and eventually upon turning the flasher on and off blew the fuse and i was able to isolate the issue to the switch as all the signals so it could be something to consider, and it may be that you get everything back connected and have to eliminate one circuit at a time to see which one has the short.

[NARP74]

I decided to reconnect the rear turn signal wire. Pulled the hazard switch, light in the switch works, hazards flash, fuse does NOT blow. Lights that are connected flash.
OK, getting somewhere. Looks like the problem is up front.
Hazard switch should be good right? Relay should be good.
Could still be turn signal switch maybe. I can't get the turns to work with the switch. Went out several steps ago and never came back.

I made a couple of jumper wires to extend the front turn signal/light wires so I could play with them easier.

[NARP74]

Hooked up jumper wires to gnd and turn on the front left turn signal bucket. Bulb in socket, pull the hazard switch and all 4 flashers light, no blown fuse. Front left parking light wire not hooked up yet, just in case. Wart wires disconnected, have been shaved. Everything seems good for this test.

Still can't get the turn signal switch to light either side now. Worked a few days ago for the right side. Could it have been intermittent and then failed hard? Or does having parking light disconnected stop that from working?

[Spoke]

I decided to reconnect the rear turn signal wire. Pulled the hazard switch, light in the switch works, hazards flash, fuse does NOT blow. Lights that are connected flash.
OK, getting somewhere. Looks like the problem is up front.

Very good. Agreed seems like the front is causing the issues.

Hazard switch should be good right? Relay should be good.

Yes, both seem to function correctly.

Could still be turn signal switch maybe. I can't get the turns to work with the switch. Went out several steps ago and never came back.

Perhaps fuse F9 is blown. F9 powers the turnsignals when the ignition is on. I would start there before doing anything with the turnsignal stalk.

I made a couple of jumper wires to extend the front turn signal/light wires so I could play with them easier.

Good idea

[NARP74]

Fuses are all good.
I decided to connect the pkng light wire to the bucket, had been disconnected during testing. I used the wire for the wart lights since it was more accessible. When I pulled the hazard switch, they did not flash. Fuse still good.
I switched to the pkng light connection in the rubber protector for the turn signal bucket. The lights flashed.
So now;
Car off, hazard switch on, lights flash and arrows are fully lit, both, on the dash.
Key on, hazards on, lights flash, dash arrows on the tach go out.
I am measuring resistance between the two wart wires and also the pkng light wire and gnd. Is that correct? Or do I have some bad wiring in the pkng light wires?
Why do the arrows on the tach light bright in one situation and go dim in another?

I guess I will pull all those wires into the frunk and look at them.

This is fun...
NOT
85 in the garage, inside for a break.

[NARP74]

I guess I will dive into the turn signal switch now.

[Spoke]

Or does having parking light disconnected stop that from working?

The parking light should be independent of the turnsignals. Notice in the diagram parking lights are not shown anywhere. The only commonality with parking lights and turnsignals is the ground inside the BAY15D 1057 bulb or LED.