The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay steering column / blinkers housing

guys,
i have been having trouble tracing down problems with my tail / brake lights, and think i found the problem, a loose blinker housing on the steering column.
i have new tail light bulb sockets, double grounded housings and bed, everything clean, and was still having sporadic lights, working one minute, then the next not working, etc.

right when i was gonna give up, i wanted to try everything again, and noticed that the blinker housing under the steering wheel was loose.
it then actually dropped about 1 1/2 inches, only stopping because of my column mounted tachometer.
when i fiddled with the housing, i could make the tail / brake light work, then not work, so i am assuming the brake and tail lights somehow run through the steering column ?

tomorrow or this weekend i will pull the steering wheel and see what is going on.
i noticed that there is only one Phillips head screw that i can tighten it down with, but is there anything else i need to look out for, or align, before i securely tighten that screw down ?

thanks much.

leonard

that condition won't affect operation [except canceling], there's no ground contact needed there .... the slipping is due to the wedge that the single screw tightens down, they get worn so that they don't hold well against the column - replacements are available from the vendors [but a thin piece of rubber between the wedge and the column might suffice to start] .... might check the big connector where the blinker wires from the column hook to the harness, if it's an original the pins may be loose

Bill

thanks bill for the tip.
but i actually could turn that housing and make the brake and running lights work, not work.
and when tracing wires down last weekend, the brake light wire that comes off the brake light switch runs into the column, and i guess back out. at least it sure seemed that way to me. its driving me crazy.

do i just center the housing up and tighten that screw /

thanks again.

leonard

yes, just hold it in the right position and tighten, if the wedge is slippy it'll be moveable no matter how much you tighten

the brake light lines do run thru the switch because it's the brake element that is made to blink, if brakes are applied with no turn on, it goes right by, when a direction is selected the power for that side is re-routed via the flasher - there may be a bad connection at the switch inside [maybe from it moving around in the past], but if it's not from a pinched wire [cut or bared], it'll likely mean a new switch

Bill

thanks a ton bill...
i will tear into it hopefully tomorrow.
last weekend i probably had 10 hours inot tracing the problems with the tail / brake lights, and another almost 3 tonight.
it was really starting to drive me crazy.
it seems i am on the right track now.

god i love this website.... ton of answers to all my problems. LOL.

leonard

if i were to replace the entire turn signal housing, http://www.classicparts.com/1957-59-Turnsignal-Cup-Assembly/productinfo/53-531B/
does it just slide up and off the column after removing the steering wheel ?
are all those wires easy to access ?

thanks.
leonard

yes, with the wheel off it's easy enuff, when you pull out the old wires attach a "fish wire" or string to pull up with them so you have something to attach to the new ones to pull them down .... but you can make what you have good as new just replacing the wedge and the switch which comes with wiring attached - 1/4 the price of that complete unit

Bill

got it bill.
i will see what it needs this weekend.
thanks again.

leonard

The only connection between the tail lights and the brake lights is inside the bulb. If the tail lights still come on with the brake lights you still have a grounding problem. This is caused by the brake light electricity not being able to ground normally and it's running back through the tailight filament trying to find a ground.

thanks cletis.
thankfully, with all my grounds cleaned and me adding one more to each tail light housing, the problem of both filaments lighting with one operation is gone.
now its either all good or no good on one or the other side...
and i could make them work or not work, just by turning the loose signal housing.
gonna pull the wheel this weekend and look inside for any loose or bare wires, then tighten the housing.
thanks a bunch.

leonard

squeeze, and guys..
when the head lights are turned on, does any power go up through the steering column ?
when the head lights are off, everything works fine. when i pull the head lights on i then have blinker problems.
should i just change the blinker mechanism and go from there ?
and now, for some stupid reason, when i turn the head lights on my radio turns off... wow, something is screwed up good. and all this just because i had sporadic brake / tail light operation.
thanks.

leonard

sounds like you need to check all the light switch, ignition switch and fuse panel [if there is one] connections, there should be no interaction between the light switch and the turn switch .... the turn switch always has power available because the brake lights transit there, but the brake power comes from a terminal on the light switch [the T terminal is tail lites controlled by that switch, the stop sw gets power from the always hot BATT terminal] .... you might check the mess of connectors under the cab to insure the right color wires match up, and check the big connector at the column for mixed color positions too

have you done a complete re-wire on this truck? or maybe a PO did? I'd get out the wiring diagram and start checking .... could still be a misplaced ground somewhere too

Bill

thanks for this info bill... i found out why, when i turn the head lights on my radio was shutting off.... an almost totally dead battery.
when i put the battery charger / jumper on the battery, and started the truck, at least the radio stayed on when turning on the head lights.
still having the brake / tail / blinker problems, so i am ordering a new housing with switch, since my turn signal cancels are not working. 99 bucks, but i will do it all at this point.

the truck has some of the original wiring, like in the steering column, head light switch, but the fuse block is out of a 1980 chevy truck.
he cut the original quick disconnect at the bottom of the steering column for the turn signal switch and just tapped into it. so i cut the 6 color coded wires and took the switch and housing off.
i will order the new housing / turn signal switch and work on it next weekend. i also got me a new brake light switch, just for the heck of it.
if, after the new turn signal housing and switch something still dont work, i will go crazy. i have about 20 hours into this problem at this point.

since i didnt start having all this trouble until last week, at least thats when i decided to check all the lights, i am hoping that it is the turn signal switch, because everything worked before all this.

thanks a whole bunch bill for your help,a nd i will let you know what happens next weekend when i put the new switch in.

leonard

Nothing in the turn signal switch that will cause the problems you are having. I think you have problems with the extra wires that have been added from the '80 truck. You should have mentioned at the start of the thread that someone had cobbed in extra wires. How are they installed? Soldered, crimped or twisted together and taped? If it's like the mess that was cobbed in to my '56 when I got it, you'd be better off to rip it all out and start over. You can get a new harness from Hot Rod Wires for $200. You are fixing to spend half that on a switch you don't need.

By the way, the canceling is done with a chilibob screwed onto your steering wheel. When you get the switch pushed back up where it belongs the canceler should work.

thanks cletis.
so far, i can see the previous owner spliced into the original turn signal switch in the column with crimped tube fittings and tape.
i already ordered a new housing with switch and will install that when it arrives, and if need be will have to seriously think about the rewire are you described. i am wasting way too much time on this minor problem of brake / tail lights.
again, thanks so much to you and squeeze for your input and time.

leonard