I've got a turn signal indicator problem. When the car is cranked and running both turn signal indicators light up on the tach face even when the turn signal switch is not activated. I've posted a blurry picture. Is this a problem with the turn signal switch, headlight switch or something else? Thanx LClick to view attachment

Usually the indicators both flash at half brightness when the flasher K lead functionality fails. Never heard of both being on all the time. Do they flash with the turnsignals? There is a fix for this by removing the common wire on the indicators and grounding the common connection.

Check your e-brake connection at the floor.

When I hit my directionals, both sides (both arrows) blink on my new car.

I know that this isn't how they are supposed to work, and I'd like to to figure out how to fix it.

Did the PO back date the tach? my 75 came with 1 R/L indicator light like a VW bug has. I backdated my tach to a silver dot and had to jump thru all kinds of hoops to get the individual indicators to work, but they work.

Mine looks OG.

This is a common failure of the K terminal on the standard flasher. It is supposed to ground or tie to +12V the common connection of the L and R dash indicators. The K terminal dies after many many years and does nothing thus both indicators are in series and both flash.

You can look for a new relay or rewire the dash indicators.

With a Y pigtail, rewire the dash indicators.

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Pop the tach out. Remove the common wires between the dash indicators and tape them up.

Connect the terminals to the dash indicators with the Y.

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The other leg of the Y is connected to ground at the back of the tach.

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What year car? Some early 74s used the 73 silver-button tach with the two arrows. But the wiring is still set up only for the single indicator, so at the factory they jumpered both arrows together, so both blinked at the same time.

--DD

My indicator does the same thing but I blamed it on the re-wire job I did when I installed the Euro style signal lights with 2 bulbs each (amber/clear) and then wired the driving lights to come on with the parking/marker lights.
good to know there is an easy fix for this.
THANKS.

my post on back dating a tach....

You might be "fixing" an issue. But this may show a few more pictures or direct you on converting a late 74 to an R & L indicator.

Thanks Dave. Good to know. You made a complicated function even more complicated.

Don't blame me, blame the guys at Karmann who put the cars together!

--DD

Hi Dave,

Thanks, you solved another mistery by explaining the cable I found in the dashboard of my early '74.

IIRC it was a yellow cable with blue striping that looked genuine. I haven't found it on the scematics.