The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Turn signal power source

Are the clamp add on turn signals suppose to be under constant power or should the be powered when the switch is on. Right now mine is powered when the switch is on. This only gives me brake lights when the truck is running with switched power ignition on. Truck is 58 apache .

You have something wired wrong. The brake light switch should have a dedicated hot wire to it. A switched hot wire goes to the flasher.

Thanks, I will trace down the source of the stop light switch.

The stop light switch had a dedicated power source and brake lights worked fine until I added the turn signals. When I re-routed the power from the brake lights thru the turn signal switch that's when they started to work only with the ignition on. So my question was should the turn signals have power to them with the ignition off? That would give me brake lights either way but the turn signals would always have power.

What brand and model of clamp on turn signal device do you have?

I don't have the paper work in front of me but it was bought from Obsolete chevrolet and it is also the same switch as LMC sells. 7 wire universal switch with hazard lights

No, the turn signals should not have power when the ignition switch is off. The brake lights should have power when the ignition switch is off. There are two separate power sources. As I stated above you should have full time power to the brake light switch and power to the flasher when the ignition is on.

Check out the tech tip.

Found the problem. There was a break in the wire from the brake switch to the turn signal. Ran a new wire and now everything works fine.

I recently installed a signal switch. I wired it from a constant source of power, like the directions said, so that if I were to break down on the side of the road, the hazards would work without having to have the ignition switch on.

Just incase you get confused, one side of that brake switch is "hot" at all times. No key required. Some folks like a separate hot wire from the key switch and some use the hot side of the brake switch. Both will work. The wire on the brake switch is fused, and that might be a good thing. Just hoping to lower the confusion a little.

I also am in the middle of a 12 volt conversion with new wiring harness from Classic Chevy Parts. Will be adding a clamp on turn signal swithch also bought from above. Regarind the "power sourse" for the turn signal, by reading above, the "hot " terminal on the brake switch seems a good power source for the turn signal. Am I correct? Thanks, Scott
53 1/2 ton with 235 engine.

Check the diagram that came with your switch

If it's a 7 wire switch the brake function is handled through the switch
The hot post on the firewall needs it own power

Like stated earlier the
Brake and signals are separate functions

The power for the signal switch should have its own inline fuse

Thanks though still not clear on power source as ( i have the
seven wire clamp on turnsignal ) one line goes to the stop light switch ( thought this was my power source ) and the fused line off the flasher goes to a "positive power" per the source per the instructions.. any recommendations as to best "positive power " source to use? Thanks, Scott

Here is a drawing I made when I was trying to figure out my 7 wire switch

...pic..


I used the Cletis tech tip also

The wire coming off the switch to the firewall stop switch is not the power. It's the wire that will activate the stop lamps. The power is the other terminal.

The power to the signal switch comes off the x post on the flasher

Just run that (x) wire to any source. Some use the ignition switch.

My diagram may not work for you , but it will give you an idea of how it can be wired.

You should of got a similar diagram with your signal switch

Thanks, very helpful..you got a beautiful truck!

followup question.. Looks like the line with the fuse should go to the ignition switch "off " side of switch..my new wiring harness has instructions for a standard turnsignal and it appears that I will need to use a butt connector to join the "red" wire off the signal switch to the #33 from my harness as it shows "33" going to the Stoplamp switch same as the "red" from the signal switch. Seem right? Thanks, first time doing any electrical work..

Not sure

what brand harness Are you using? What brand signal switch?

If I follow correctly, your wiring one wire off the 7 wire signal switch (red) and running it to the stop switch on the firewall?

If so. Sounds correct. When you hit the brakes this will activate your stop lamps.
Kinda need to see the diagram

Thank you for all your input.. for life of me can't find link to add an attachment on this thread (where is "file manager"?) anyway, I am making this way to complicated but it seems that I am confusing the two different diagrams - turn signal is same as yours- 7wires and new wiring harness with 6 wires. will try and attach file with pictures.

Youll have to put your photos on a hosting site like flickr or photobucket

Then use the link button next to the smiley face

Thanks Will do.

<a href="http://s651.photobucket.com/user/Scott_Schmidt/media/20151206_133834_zpsf3wvm9mo.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i651.photobucket.com/albums/uu231/Scott_Schmidt/20151206_133834_zpsf3wvm9mo.jpg" border="0" alt="Turn signal switch diagram photo 20151206_133834_zpsf3wvm9mo.jpg"/></a>

Photobucket Photobucket

AS you can see I have two different diagrams. I am assuming that I must connect the wires from the harness to the wires from the turnsignal. Since both diagrams show a wire going to the Stoplamp switch it appears that I must spice them together or do I disregard #33 and run the red line from the turnsignal to the Stoplamp per diagram. Thanks for your time. Scott

Disregurd the chevy duty diagram

Use the diagram the came with the signal switch

Red wire to firewall stop switch

Other terminal on the stop switch goes to power, usually to a terminal on the headight switch.

I thought that I was to join all the wires from the harness to the turnsignal ( harness comes with extra wires for turn signal ) for example the orange wire on the turn signal corresponds to # 31 on the harness and so on. I was planning on connecting #31-#35to ornag, brown, yellow and green, blue and black wires from the turn signal to the flasher, red to the Stop Switch and the fused wire from "X" on the flasher to the "off" terminal on the ignition switch. Sound right?

Yes.
You can use those wires , Make sure they are long enough to reach.

The only diffrence is that the chevy duty diagram dose not consider the pilot light on the turn signal switch you have

I have that same harness but didnt use it.

Basically your extending the wires from your turn signal switch the to the correct bulbs or filaments

photo bucket
These are the two wires that I was referring to. Thanks for all the advice.

interesting, the park lamps I have have 2 filament bulbs and only 2 wires running from them, not sure how that's going to work

Just like the tail lamps

They ground through the body

Use the brighter filiment as the singnal,
The other is the park

Dad,
Thought black wire was ground, but grounding through body makes sense on chrome grille and steel in front( will test with meter)
May have to run an extra ground on tailights.
thanks for helping with this.