The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay " Integrated " Turn Signal / Brake Light Switch

Installed a new GM turn signal switch I picked up at Napa. Installed new custom rear lights which have common signal & brake bulbs. Can't get system to work. Looking in my Painless wiring manual they say I must have the " integrated " type turn signal switch for this setup - my question is how do I know ... Napa guys just shrug -can't tell me anything unless I can give them a year/model # which of course I can't since system is all custom. Any insights would be appreciated.
Thanks

Bruce,

More details would help. I looked at your previous posts and got the idea you have a modern steering column with turn signal mechanism 'integrated' into it. If your new taillights have a single bulb for brake/turn, which is very common, where is your taillight lamp? What doesn't work...taillights, brake lights, front, back or 'nuttin'.

Great 'Britcon' website, big projects!

Stuart

Atomarc - thanks for the compliment on the Website. Yes...what i have is a mid-sixties GM tilt column in my rodded '40 truck. Original owner used old style GM tail lights. When I rebuilt things, I used Painless harness, and also replaced the original turn signal switch with a new one. I also installed a " third " brake light in the cab. When I tap the brake pedal, 3rd light works - rear brake lights don't. When I put on the 4-way flashers, I get the 3rd light blinking ??
Thoughts ??

Bruce,

Not knowing the whole picture, I can only give 'thoughts'. As I understand it, the 3rd brake light is tapped into both left and right brake lines, and with the help of a solid state module, will only show BRAKE even if the rear of the truck is showing a left or right turn with brakes applied. This must mean you have wires to the rear of the truck for all your tail and brake lights...right.

If all the new lights are grounded properly and have the correct wires going to them, then this 3rd light be wired incorrectly and not allowing a signal to reach the rear of the truck.

You haven't said what works and what doesn't, so I'm just flapping in the breeze. If the 3rd brake light is down stream of the flasher and turn signal flasher, and it works, there must be wires headed back to the rear that are just waiting to work too. I am headed in the wrong direction on this?

Stuart

Stuart....thanks for your patience. The Painless kit I installed has a dedicated wire marked " third brake light " so I think it is OK. Running to the rear of the truck are wires marked " tailights" which work OK. These are the centre bulbs in the light fixture. I also have wires marked " Turn Signal / Brake " for left and right sides. Tail light fixtures have ( 4 ) wires - ground, tail-light, and two marked Brake / Signal. Running to the front, I have combination turn / parking lights. Turn signals don't work / parking lights do ??? Please don't waste a lot of time on this - I will try speaking with Painless - they have been great with the Tech support.

They probably run the 3rd brake light off the stop light switch. The current from the stop light switch must also go through the turn switch to opperate the individual turn- stop lights. The turn switch must have 6 or 7 wires. If it only has 4 it will have to have separate rear lights but I dought if thats the case.

YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET TWO RELAYS AND WIRE YOUR BRAKE AND TURN FILAMENT TO THEM. THE NORMALY CLOSED TERMINAL WILL GO TO THE BRAKE THEN THE NORMALY OPEN TERIMINAL WILL GO TO THE TURN SIGNAL OR FLASHER OUT PUT DEPENDING ON HOW YOU SYSTEM IS WIRED. TO SWITCH THE RELAY YOU WILL HAVE TO PICK UP NON-FLASHING POWER FROM YOU TURN SIGNAL SWITCH THAT TELLS THE RIGHT OR LEFT RELAY TO CLOSE THEN THE SIGNAL WILL WORK AND OVER RIDE THE BRAKE LIGHT FOR THAT BULB ONLY. OK THIS IS KIND OF CONFUSING BUT ONE OF YOUR RELAYS WILL BE FOR RIGHT AND THE OTHER FOR LEFT.
IF YOU ARE USING THE SAME FILAMENT FOR BRAKE/TURN AND PARKING LIGHT THEN YOU WILL NEED A RESISTOR IN LINE FOR YOUR PARK LIGHT TO BE DIMMER THAN YOU BRAKE/TURN LIGHT. TRY GETTING THE BOOK CALLED THE AUTOM0TIVE ELECTRICAL HAND BOOK. THIS BOOK WILL HELP SOME THE REST YOU WILL HAVE TO EXPIRAMENT WITH. ALSO TRY TO DRAW OUT YOU ELECTRICAL SYSTEM OR AT LEAST THIS CIRCUIT SO YOU CAN SEE IT ON PAPER THIS MAY HELP YOU SEE HOW IT "SHOULD" WORK.