The ignition switch needs to be on because on a normal install, in my experience, the power to the flasher is from an Ignition "ON" fused source. Turn signals don't work when key is off. If you have them direct wired, that should be OK. It's not the way it's done.
LED's have extra problems like a special second flasher and other issues that make troubleshooting more difficult. I should learn to ask right away if there are LED's involved. I'm not up on those and don't want to be. So I can't help you.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
The ignition switch needs to be on because on a normal install, in my experience, the power to the flasher is from an Ignition "ON" fused source. Turn signals don't work when key is off. If you have them direct wired, that should be OK. It's not the way it's done.
Going to disagree with you. I want the four way flashers to work with the ignition off, so I wired them to BAT. I don't want to leave the truck at the side of the road with then ignition on. Some factory systems have the four ways separate from the turn signals, but that's not the case with these aftermarket switches.
OK, that's a good point. All my TF and 60-66 trucks have had "factory" turn signals. No hazards. The official wiring diagrams show wire from ignition ON. I can't see me leaving my trucks on the road anywhere now-a-days. Cell phone and wait for tow.
Hazards and LED's seem to be the death of beginner wiring jobs. I advise those guys to skip the fancy stuff....I know it's hard to imagine what life was like without LED's and hazards. Must have been hell.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
I know it's hard to imagine what life was like without LED's and hazards. Must have been hell.
I remember when you had to do math with a pencil!! THAT was bad.
Last edited by klhansen; 04/10/202010:25 PM. Reason: #*($&^ Spellcheck
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
the rear turn signal lights and tail light is a two level LED. arranged as shown on your sketch.
the package for the flasher says it can be used as a hybrid.
when i took the lenses off i could see the lower lumen element on the filament bulb and the lower lumen on the LED.
Im in the process of confirming every wire in the system and making sure none are grounded or shorted to anothe wire. i had bought another ts switch to install in a model A. if after checking every wire, it is still not correct im going to rig up filament bulb tail lights and try that. it that does not work im going to hook up the new switch. See where we go from there.
Hoo rah. I found a short in the wiring harness between the tail light wire and the left turn signal wire. removed and replace the two wires and now everything works like it is supposed to. Thanks for all your suggestions and help.
Frank Thanks for following up on the fix. I've been following your thread and suspected that might be the problem. Similar to when I had that shorted bulb. Glad you got them working correctly.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
How would you have a short on a brand new harness and parts? What do you mean a "short"? Was this a miswire or what? A "short" would burn out a bulb or a fuse. A short is usually when a hot wire touches ground. You had all tail lights working at one time or another. You said all filaments were OK.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
How would you have a short on a brand new harness and parts? What do you mean a "short"? Was this a miswire or what?
Cheap Chinese aftermarket stuff?
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
I was still editing. You are lightning fast and I'm thunder slow. Actually, since Friday my "high speed" internet is painfully slow. He said two wires were involved. Not Chinese wires. I only ask because we need to know for the archive of this problem. So the next guy who searching a like problem can see what actually happened and how it got solved. I would like to know specifics also. Wires crossed by user or what? There is no shame in a user error. It is what we assume and try to find. But "found a short" is not definitive after all this effort.
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn
There's a possibility of a short between feed wires, which is probably what he had. It would feed power to more bulbs than it should. A short is not necessarily a short to ground, but that would likely burn out a fuse instead of a bulb. But you're right, more specifics would be good. And it may have been his wires past the Cheap Chinese stuff.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
O.P. wrote I found a short in the wiring harness between the tail light wire and the left turn signal wire. Sounds like the trouble was more like crossed wires. A trouble that would not cause a fuse to blow. I wonder if the trouble only occurred when the headlight switch was in the ON position ?
A "short" could mean different types of troubles. A short to ground or a short circuit. A short circuit is simply a low resistance connection between the two conductors supplying electrical power to any circuit. A short to ground is when the positive is touching the negative.
Then there is a swinging short, as when the wind blows and swings the telephone aerial drop causing the two conductors (Tip + & Ring-) to short circuit ON & OFF arcing. Fooling the telephone central office switch into thinking someone is dialing 911.
Im using an external flasher. It states it is good for a hybrid system Now that i have the wiring straightened out the system is working good. I just have to clean up the wiring so it doesn't look like a birds nest. i can't see that the brake light is on between flashes from the hazards. thanks again for everyones help.
thanks for your help. You can file this one under "stupid", i would love to blame the chinese for this one, but when i installed the new wiring harness in i did not have tail lights so i rolled the wire going to the rear of the truck up and tied it off under the truck. Once i got it ready to run i started it several times and let it run a few minutes.. the harness was against the exhaust pipe and that is where the problem occurred. The left turnsignal wire and the tail light wire insulation melted and the copper touched for about an inch. i would have found it a lot quicker had i started at the source on each wire it would have become obvisus where the problem was. thanks again for your help and encouragement. On to the next adventure.
