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Front Left Turn Signal Dead -Rear Fine - Any Suggestions?


DOCTORBILL
11-21-2008, 01:33 PM
My Front Left Turn Signal light won't work - but the rear one does!
The Right Side works fine.

I pulled the lead out of the socket and the light bulb works and the socket in
the Orange Housing is fine...

I tried to see if power is coming out of the male scoket BEHIND the bulb housing,
but I cannot get both hands in there and still see anything.

The Red and Black wires go into the wiring harness - no apparent cracks or breaks
that I can see.

So if the wiring is good, then the problem comes somewhere else.

Power is going to the rear bulb - just not to the front bulb.

Fuses check out OK.

This simple problem may turn into a nightmare!

DoctorBill

doug2060
11-22-2008, 05:05 AM
Are you sure the bulb is good? I haven't played with any of mine yet to see what they have but some types will still glow even though the flashing filament is bad. Sometimes you can't tell by looking.

DOCTORBILL
11-22-2008, 09:03 AM
The Signal Light socket that goes into the Front Left Orange Signal Housing is a "Pigtail"
that plugs into the wiring harness beside the Left Headlight..

You can take the pigtail out to examine it.

Mine works when I put 12 volts on it. Lamp is fine.

The problem is occurring somewhere BEFORE the lamp socket.

The left back turn signal works. The fuses (3 & 10) are OK.

I have no idea where else to check....

The only thing I couldn't check is the male plug coming out of the wiring harness.

There is no room for one's hands....

DoctorBill

Torqued
11-23-2008, 02:27 PM
I had a headlight problem which I posted about before. There is a low point in the wiring harness just forward of the firewall. It seems to collect moisture and corrode the wires there. It may be wise to unwrap the tape at that low point and check the condition of the wiring.
Another possibility is the turn signal switch in the steering column.

DOCTORBILL
11-24-2008, 10:18 AM
It was 28 °F this morning...and the Left Turn Signal works....!

I just love this "intermitant" crap !

I always have that kind of problem with automobiles!

Drives me nuts....

DoctorBill

doug2060
11-24-2008, 07:48 PM
That usually means the problem can be traced back to a part made or assembled in the US!:iceslolan

RossT
11-24-2008, 11:42 PM
As a test, take the turn signal from the good side and plug it into the "bad side" and see if it works.

I have had temp related problems with bulbs and in usually means that there is dome crap built up that you can't see. I cleand with CLR then sand with a sponge tyep sandpaper that you can compress and twist inside the receptical.

DOCTORBILL
11-25-2008, 05:45 PM
Do the wires that go to both the Left Front and Back turn signals come off of
one wire out of the Turn Signal Blinker (Clicker) ?

If so, then I could run a wire from there to the Front 12v Turn Signal bulb pigtail
and bypass the Wiring Harness quagmire....

I don't want to try finding an intermitant wire somewhere in that harness.

I doubt that the turn signal switch on the steering post is bad or else the Back
Turn Signal wouldn't be working either...

This car is getting long in the tooth...the engine is quite good, but the transmission
and rubber and wiring is aging...like me!

One day my butt will fall off onto the sidewalk - then what will I do ?

No "Pull-n-Save" for used butts !

DoctorBill

Torqued
11-26-2008, 12:20 PM
The front and rear turn signals do not use the same wires. The rear signals use the same lamps as the brake lamps which are disabled on the side you select while turning. The front lamps don't do this and use different wires. Otherwise they would be coming on with the brake lamps. I drive a pickup at work that has this problem (Ford F150). Sometimes messing with the turn signal lever will get the front lamp working again.

RossT
11-26-2008, 11:53 PM
Doc, did you try taking the left turn signal and plug it into the harness on the right side to see if it works then?

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