passenger side tail light and passenger turn signal issues

[hankeester]

I went out to the car this morning and noticed that the side passenger turn signal light bulb was on. I then walked around back and saw that the tail light was also on killing the battery. I took the tail light bulb out that was on (not sure which bulb it is for, tail light, turn signal, etc) and then took the front passenger turn signal lamp off and undid the wires. I've looked around the inter-webs for why would a bulb always be on but can't find much of an answer. Is this the symptom of a bulb on it's way out? I find it strange that at the same time they both are on if this is the case. The front passenger bulb has always burned a little weak but haven't been in a huge hurry to fix it, figured it was a loose connection or bulb going out. Well then I goto take the bulb out of the front turn signal socket and it will push down a bit but can't turn it out. I sprayed it with some WD-40 figuring it was just froze in there a bit. Also noticed the rubber gasket is in pretty rough shape and while I don't drive this in the rain, was wondering if those gaskets are available anywhere.

[dlhoovler]

Was your right turn signal left on? Certain '02s (my early '71 among them) have the European feature in which the parking lights on one side of the car come on when the turn signal stalk is moved to that side with the ignition off. It's intended to make the car more visible when parallel parked on narrow city streets. So it might not be a bug, but a feature!

-Dave

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[02Les]

This sounds like the "Euro" night-time parking thing. Didn't know you had it on US cars.

If you leave you turn indicator in the left position when you turn off the ignition, the front side driver side light (Euro) and rear ds taillight come on, so you can be seen at night when parking on the street, Like wise, leave the indicator in the right position and the pass side lights come on.

 

edit: you just beat me Dave. Leaving those lights on over night shouldn't drain your battery.

Edited September 11, 2018 by 02Les

[hankeester]

I'll get everything put back together and charge the battery and check. It's possible since every damn light in my dash is out including turn signal indicators which recently stopped illuminating on the dash.....Errrr, which is my next project, pulling the dash and cleaning up the gauges, new bulbs etc. Mine is a 71' so hopefully you have me onto something.

[backeis]

I have something similar happening. Had the flasher relay fix done, and ever since my front right blinker was stuck on, but only whenever I had the headlights on. Back functioned properly.

Recently, it went dead (front passenger blinker that is). Haven't checked yet whether the bulb just went out, or something else.

 

Wondering if it has to do with the flasher relay.

[hankeester]

7 minutes ago, dlhoovler said:

Was your right turn signal left on? Certain '02s (my early '71 among them) have the European feature in which the parking lights on one side of the car come on when the turn signal stalk is moved to that side with the ignition off. It's intended to make the car more visible when parallel parked on narrow city streets. So it might not be a bug, but a feature!

-Dave

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

Well I'll be, checked my stalk and it was indeed to the right. Thanks for that tip. That's some 1971 German thinking there. I guess I'm somewhat glad it happened as I really need to go through all the lens fixtures, pull them apart, clean them up and re-assemble.

[Mike Self]

As best we can tell US spec modell 71 cars have this feature, but earlier US cars (166/167xxxx VINs) don't, nor do squarelights.  This feature explains the strange fuse setup on twelve fuse roundies, where left & right tail and parking lights are on different fuses.  

 

Backeis's problems sound like something different entirely, perhaps a bad ground at a front turn signal housing (they're grounded via the mounting screws, a tenuous path).

 

mike

[hankeester]

1 hour ago, mike said:

As best we can tell US spec modell 71 cars have this feature, but earlier US cars (166/167xxxx VINs) don't, nor do squarelights.  This feature explains the strange fuse setup on twelve fuse roundies, where left & right tail and parking lights are on different fuses.  

 

Backeis's problems sound like something different entirely, perhaps a bad ground at a front turn signal housing (they're grounded via the mounting screws, a tenuous path).

 

mike

  Mike,

 

Does that grounding method hold true for the license plates lights as well? My right one blows the fuse when I put a bulb in. I've been troubleshooting this for a week and

can't figure it out. The fixture where the bulb goes looks to be in good shape so unless it's a grounding issue, I'm gonna have to chase the wires all the way to the front which

doesn't seem fun.

[dlhoovler]

As best we can tell US spec modell 71 cars have this feature, but earlier US cars (166/167xxxx VINs) don't, nor do squarelights.  This feature explains the strange fuse setup on twelve fuse roundies, where left & right tail and parking lights are on different fuses.  
 
Backeis's problems sound like something different entirely, perhaps a bad ground at a front turn signal housing (they're grounded via the mounting screws, a tenuous path).
 
mike

Mike,

BUT, 1678338 (The Orange Car), built 11/30/70, has the feature!

Looking at the wiring diagrams for 6-fuse cars, it seems it has to do with which terminals are used on two switches, plus how the parking lights are routed through the fuse box. Cars without the feature connect the parking lights to terminal 57 on the light switch and through fuse 1 (both front lights), 2 (right rear and license lights) and 3 (left rear).

Cars with the feature use terminals 58R and 58L on the light switch, with the former (right parking lights, front and rear) routing through fuse 3 and the latter (left) through fuse 1. Those light-switch terminals are also connected, respectively, to terminals PR and PL on the right-hand stalk.

So it seems like, in theory, with a little additional wire between the light switch and right stalk and regrouping wires in the right combinations, this feature could be added to any 6-fuse 2002. Except that without running a new wire all the way to the back, the license plate lights would also come on when the right-side lights did.

-Dave

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

[Mike Self]

19 hours ago, hankeester said:

Does that grounding method hold true for the license plates lights as well? My right one blows the fuse when I put a bulb in. I've been troubleshooting this for a week and

can't figure it out.

You've got a dead short somewhere.  Those license plate lights are grounded with a separate wire (the brown one), not via the mounting bolts.  Try this:  disconnect the wires from the offending light, and unbolt it from the car.  As you're doing this, look carefully at the hot wire and its terminal, to make sure neither the wire or the terminal is touching a mounting screw.  Once it's off the car, then use an ohmeter to see if you have connectivity between the positive and negative terminals with the bulb removed. If you do, that's your problem.  Then check to see if you have connectivity between the positive terminal and the housing.  That will also cause a dead short.  

 

mike

[hankeester]

3 hours ago, mike said:

You've got a dead short somewhere.  Those license plate lights are grounded with a separate wire (the brown one), not via the mounting bolts.  Try this:  disconnect the wires from the offending light, and unbolt it from the car.  As you're doing this, look carefully at the hot wire and its terminal, to make sure neither the wire or the terminal is touching a mounting screw.  Once it's off the car, then use an ohmeter to see if you have connectivity between the positive and negative terminals with the bulb removed. If you do, that's your problem.  Then check to see if you have connectivity between the positive terminal and the housing.  That will also cause a dead short.  

 

mike

 

 

Thanks for this, exactly what I needed to figure this out. I will tackle it this weekend.

[hankeester]

3 hours ago, mike said:

You've got a dead short somewhere.  Those license plate lights are grounded with a separate wire (the brown one), not via the mounting bolts.  Try this:  disconnect the wires from the offending light, and unbolt it from the car.  As you're doing this, look carefully at the hot wire and its terminal, to make sure neither the wire or the terminal is touching a mounting screw.  Once it's off the car, then use an ohmeter to see if you have connectivity between the positive and negative terminals with the bulb removed. If you do, that's your problem.  Then check to see if you have connectivity between the positive terminal and the housing.  That will also cause a dead short.  

 

mike

 

 

So I took it apart tonight and by the pictures if you see what I'm seeing is no hot wire or terminal is touching a mounting screw. I'll have to pick up a multi-meter as I can't find my old one. I'll check the terminals. the first pic shows the brown ground wire and the second pic shows the hot wire. So if I have connectivity between the positive and negative terminals where the wires go in, that means the fixture is faulty?