The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay flashers when i turn?

OK folks i purchased an aftermarket chassis harness. I had everything working properly. I worked on my gauges also removed the front end to do some engine bay painting. My issue is when I put things back all labeled as it was now when I turn on my left turn signal all my lights flash (front and rear turn signals) running lights.when I turn right it works perfect as it should?any ideas? maybe the relay / flasher went out ?

Have you checked for gremlins ?

You have lost a ground.

"when I turn on my left turn signal all my lights flash (front and rear turn signals) running lights"

"All lights"= Right and left and front and rear?
Are running lights separate lights ?

If all lights, all around, flash when turning left you either wired it wrong, bad ground or it's a Close Encounter of the Third Kind.
Try playing these notes on your synthesizer keyboard and see if the lights flash.

A
go up to B
go down to G
go a full octave down to the next G
go up to D

Just a thought. Probably won't work.

Thanks guys, but it is not wired wrong , I don't think everything worked fine then it went to "close encounters" and it only does it when i signal to turn left. when I signal right there are no issues. The lights are the brake/running/turn for the rear and the front running lights are the combo turn/running.

All those lights you mention go thru the turn signal switch, sounds weird, but they do. I've read there can be feedback from bad grounds that could cause lights to flash, but not sure I believe that. A bad flasher should not cause both sides to flash, it is controlled by the signal switch. Your turn signal switch would be my first guess as being the culprit. Provided it's not wired wrong. If by flashing you mean they all are flashing in time with the flasher that you can hear, you will have to use a test light to see why the flasher is linked to all lights on left turn. The test light will blink right along with the rest and you can possibly follow the flashing lights! Also, if there is an emergency flasher involved, that is suspect.

This sounds like you've got a ground issue, as several other guys pointed out. I had similar issues while wiring mine. Check the grounds for your left signal lights, your turn signal indicators on the dash, etc. It can be hard to find but I'm betting it's a ground.

I do have to admit most electrical problems on old vehicles are caused by bad ground. I don't see how a bad ground does that to lights but I guess it does. Maybe the ground is "searching" thru paths for a place to contact or some such nonsense. I forgot I used to have a motto: It's always the ground. 46G is probably right but I will stick with the switch.

Yeah, that's exactly it bartamos, when it can't find a ground it searches for one through whichever path it can find. I had almost the same issue and it turned out to be a bad ground on the turn signal indicators on the dash. Just one little ground can screw up everything.

The rule I've always been told is if it acts funny, it's probably a ground.

The ground problem is quite simple but very confusing to watch. The blinker feeds one half of a double filament bulb. Normally that half lights up as the middle junction of the two filaments is connected to ground. Remove the ground and the running light feed now is energized. On the other side of the truck the running light filament has a proper ground and so both sides light up.

If it were me, I would install good test grounds on the left side lights and see what happens. You could also remove the left side bulbs and try it.

I think I almost understand. How does the left running light filament get grounded and lit if there is no ground for it's blinking filament?

Ok, so you have the blinker feed to the left filament. Since there is no ground, the left turn filament and the left running filament are now in series. Attached to the left running filament are the running lights on the right side, through the common wire. But the right side running lights are grounded so you have a path to ground.

Roger