Right front blinker won't work.

[JMAC71]

1997 Pontiac Firebird. All my lights work. Headlights, tail lights, side marker lights, etc. The front daytime running lights (DRL) work, which are also the front blinkers. My left front and left rear blinker work. However, when I turn on my right side blinkers only the rear one will work. IF it is day time and the daytime running lights are on when you turn the right side blinkers on the daytime running light on the front will just go off and won't blink, however the right rear one is blinking and the arrow inside the car is blinking. When you turn the blinker off then the daytime running light comes back on. Like I said both blinkers on the left side work fine and the right rear works fine. Everything works fine except the right front bulb just doesn't blink. Have changed out the bulb. Any suggestions. IS it possible the flasher could be going bad and only allow the right front to not work???

thanks,

JMAC

[Scrapper]

look at wires and make sure theres not any cut or broke in half take test light see if your getting power out of wires if you do you should change light socket could have a bad ground but it is in the wire look for green to wires that is..

[JMAC71]

Thanks, I will add that I did try it earlier and while the right blinker was on the right front blinker started blinking. I let it blink for awhile then turned it off. It blinked again. I turned it off and then back on again and it wouldn't blink however the right rear is still blinking. There are three wires that go into the right front light socket. Should I get power from all three of these with a test light, or is one of these a ground?

thanks again,

JMAC

[Scrapper]

yah one is ground. when and if you put new socket in put a little bit of grease in it. some people go hogg wild on grease but you don't have t just enough to coat the inside socket or coat bulb when putting in.

[JMAC71]

Checked wires. Two were hot and the other was a ground. Same as the other side that is working correctly. So bought new socket and installed it. Still same problem. Sometimes it will work and sometimes it won't. The daytime running light works all the time but when you turn the blinker on the light just simply goes out and doesn't blink. You turn the blinker off and the daytime running light comes back on. I have also replaced the flasher with a new one. IF you let the car set with the blinker left on, sometimes it will just start working. You can then turn it off and back on and it will work again. Then sometimes you turn it back on and it won't blink again. I am beginning to think it may be in the blinker assy at the steering wheel??? However the rear blinker work all the time and both front and rear blinker on the other side always work. Welcome any ideas somebody might have.

thanks,

JMAC

[Scrapper]

ok try this when you take socket out touch it to the bumpper or something close and see if it will ground there and start blinking. i don't think it's in your switch or back one wouldn't work.if it wont reach a good ground put a wire around socket long enough that you no where you can ground it.

[JMAC71]

Okay Scrapper,
Let's see if I got this right. I took the socket out. The wires were long enough to where I could get them up to the top side of the car. The socket itself is the plastic type. It takes a 3057 bulb. A push and pull type bulb. The socket has three wires going into it. One is a ground wire. I cut the ground wire. When I cut the ground wire the daytime running light, which is the same as the blinker (serves two purposes), stop working. When I grounded the wire to the chassis the daytime running light came back on. However, when I turned the blinker on, it wouldn't blink and the light just simply goes off. You turn the blinker off and the DRL comes back on. There seems to be something that isn't letting the light blink on and off. I am not sure of the workings of how a blinker works. But you are right, it seems if the rear works then the front should as well. Or did you mean leave all three wires hooked to the socket and then run another ground? It seems odd though that the DRL wouldn't work either if the ground wasn't grounded. Hence, when I cut the ground wire, the DRL went out as well. Then when I grounded the wire again they came back on. Something when you turn the blinker on, it lets the bulb blink off but then it doesn't let it come back on. It just stays off. Only the one bulb does this. The others all work. If you turn on the emergency flashers then all the bulbs work except for this one front bulb. It is odd. I thought maybe the blinker switch may have separated contacts for each bulb. Not sure. Like I said though, if you let it sit there with the blinker on then eventually the front blinker that doesn't work normally starts blinking eventually. It sounds like a ground for sure to me but the Daytime running light on that side always work and it and the blinker are one in the same. (same bulb filament operates both of them.) If you come up with something let me know, I do appreciate all the help. Would really like to track this down to whatever it is.

JMAC

[Scrapper]

ok one more thing i can think of is do you have a ground wire running from like the firewall to the engine? anthother thing your talking about you emg lites maybe that could be faltey. but check the 1rst. step i told you on this replay.

[JMAC71]

I will see if I can run down a ground tomorrow. Seems like I did see a ground from the body to the chassis. However I believe it was hooked up. Plus it seems the other blinkers wouldn't work as well if the ground wasn't hooked up. Something to look at though. I will give it a looksee tomorrow and post what I find. Thanks a bunch.

JMAC

[JMAC71]

Hey Scrapper,
I checked the grounds today. There are two grounds that I found. Both come out of the wiring harness and ground to the radiator support at the top. Both wires are showing a complete ground. One goes into the wiring harness for the left side and one for the right side. I didn't find any issues with either one of them. So I am still searching. I will let you know what I find if anything. On another forum, there was a suggestion made that the DRL light relays controls the blinker as well and that it could be going bad. I am going to check into that as well. Maybe that could be it. Will post and let you know.

thanks,

JMAC

[Scrapper]

yes please do this one's got me. by the way did you go to another brand and see if it would work? just a thought...

[Genopsyde]

since you said it worked once intermittently then that tell me there is a connection problem somewhere. try turning the right blinker on and wiggle the stalk (switch) back and forth and see if it comes on. I doubt it will, but it's worth a shot and will rule out a faulty switch.

There is 3 wires going to that bulb socket, 1 for ground, 1 for DRL hot, and 1 for signal hot. Meaning that there is 2 filaments in the bulb, one for the DRL and one for the signal. When you turn the signal on, i think it should cut power to the DRL lead and then power the signal lead. you should verify this with a volt meter or test light. If you probe the hot lead for the signal with a test light while the signal is on, it should flash, if not, then you problem lies within the wiring.

[jimmy962112]

Was there ever a fix to this problem? I am having the exact same problem. Any tips will be appreciated.

[jimmy962112]

All, I found a solution to my problem which has the exact same symptoms as described in this thread. I was told that replacing the Daytime running light module would fix it, which is located behind the radio on my 1997 Camaro Z28. After further reading I found that you can disable the module by disconnecting the wire cluster on the top left that has a blue harness. I unplugged mine and all worked perfectly. Only now I don't have daytime runnning lights. Better than spending $180.00 bucks. I hope this helps someone in the future.