Dash indicator lights (turn signal/high beam) inoperable

[0257]

10 minutes ago, ray_ said:

Are you certain that's the flasher relay?

 

... a decent pair of pliers can undo those hex heads on the gauge face. They are not that tight. But I don't think you need to go there.

Turn signal relay, activates when I turn on the hazard flasher or the turn signals.  Is there another relay in the hazard circuit?

[ray_]

I'm too lazy to look, but it seems weird that grounds are going to the dome light...

[0257]

15 minutes ago, ray_ said:

I'm too lazy to look, but it seems weird that grounds are going to the dome light...

I agree you can’t make this s__t up!

[ray_]

Yeah I guess I could have grabbed my 2 schematics that are an arm's length away

 

Clean the contacts on the turn signal switch; the ones that move when you move the stalk. Your symptoms (I mean the car's) are very similar to what my E24 did to me last year. It was dirty contacts.

 

GL!

[0257]

13 minutes ago, ray_ said:

Yeah I guess I could have grabbed my 2 schematics that are an arm's length away

 

Clean the contacts on the turn signal switch; the ones that move when you move the stalk. Your symptoms (I mean the car's) are very similar to what my E24 did to me last year. It was dirty contacts.

 

GL!

As in: remove steering wheel; remove switch; sand contacts?

[ray_]

Well, you can use a can of aerosol contact cleaner and a long straw!

 

;-)

 

Do your ignition switch also while you are in there!

Edited January 13, 2022 by ray_

[0257]

50 minutes ago, ray_ said:

Well, you can use a can of aerosol contact cleaner and a long straw!

 

?

 

Do your ignition switch also while you are in there!

D-oh! (original style):

[0257]

Well, I removed the turn signal switch as Ray suggested, and sprayed it down with contact cleaner.  Then lubed the sliding bits with silicon grease before reinstalling.  For good measure I put a little contact cleaner on a piece of sandpaper, and sanded the flasher relay points a bit.  No good.

 

So I tested the circuit board of the gauge to ensure that cluster pin 8 had current to the bulb (had already checked the bulb).  Yep, current.

 

So I checked wiring throughout the circuit.  All good. 

 

So I went ahead and did that which I wanted to avoid: pulled the turn signals and replaced the bulbs.  Nada.

 

So I went ahead and spent the $140 or so that my dealer wanted for a flasher relay.  Everything.works.like.new….

 

I only didn’t change the flasher to begin with because everyone seems to think that’s not what causes the green light to fail and it seemed to work (and the green light didn’t).  I guess I know better now.

 

Hey, at least I managed to avoid rehabbing the entire wiring harness just to get the turn signal dash indicator to work.

 

Special thanks to John 76 for getting me so far through the wiring, and to Mike Self for walking me through some testing techniques and just generally encouraging me not to give up and light a can of lighter fluid in the back seat.

[johnny02]

On 1/19/2022 at 8:03 PM, 0257 said:

Well, I removed the turn signal switch as Ray suggested, and sprayed it down with contact cleaner.  Then lubed the sliding bits with silicon grease before reinstalling.  For good measure I put a little contact cleaner on a piece of sandpaper, and sanded the flasher relay points a bit.  No good.

 

So I tested the circuit board of the gauge to ensure that cluster pin 8 had current to the bulb (had already checked the bulb).  Yep, current.

 

So I checked wiring throughout the circuit.  All good. 

 

So I went ahead and did that which I wanted to avoid: pulled the turn signals and replaced the bulbs.  Nada.

 

So I went ahead and spent the $140 or so that my dealer wanted for a flasher relay.  Everything.works.like.new….

 

I only didn’t change the flasher to begin with because everyone seems to think that’s not what causes the green light to fail and it seemed to work (and the green light didn’t).  I guess I know better now.

 

Hey, at least I managed to avoid rehabbing the entire wiring harness just to get the turn signal dash indicator to work.

 

Special thanks to John 76 for getting me so far through the wiring, and to Mike Self for walking me through some testing techniques and just generally encouraging me not to give up and light a can of lighter fluid in the back seat.

I have a blue Hella one like in Mike Self's article, but it's a slightly different model and it's missing the side piece to activate the dash blinker.  I don't remember if it ever activated the dash light, but it doesn't now.  I swapped it over to the bigger black plastic OEM piece that came with my shell, and that one activates the dash blinker with the hazards but only once with the turn signals.  Seems like it only gets enough power for the contact for the dash when the stalk is first activated,  then it stops.  I cleaned it but no love.  I'm thinking about just replacing it with the new one as well.  

 Edit: Or maybe it's the ground for the dome light that I don't have hooked up...

Edited September 20, 2022 by johnny02

[0257]

6 hours ago, johnny02 said:

I have a blue Hella one like in Mike Self's article, but it's a slightly different model and it's missing the side piece to activate the dash blinker.  I don't remember if it ever activated the dash light, but it doesn't now.  I swapped it over to the bigger black plastic OEM piece that came with my shell, and that one activates the dash blinker with the hazards but only once with the turn signals.  Seems like it only gets enough power for the contact for the dash when the stalk is first activated,  then it stops.  I cleaned it but no love.  I'm thinking about just replacing it with the new one as well.  

 Edit: Or maybe it's the ground for the dome light that I don't have hooked up...

As I recall, the dome light is in the same circuit somehow. But there are better minds than mine for this conundrum.

[PauloMarques]

Hi all, i own a 72 roundie and i have exactly the same problem: all works fine with turn lights, including the hazzard when key is off, except the light on dashboard does not light. The only thing that looks abnormal is that the turning lights blink faster than i think it was supposed to. 

[Rich]

On 1/5/2022 at 4:25 PM, John76 said:

Found this in my notebook.

Hopefully it will help you track down the problem.

A buzzing relay might be caused by a bad ground somewhere.

John

 

 

Hi John, any chance you can email this diaghrahm , I LOVE your artwork, and when I try to print them off this site they dont come out, I would like to keep your diagrahms for future reff, thank you, Rich

[John76]

3 hours ago, Rich said:

Hi John, any chance you can email this diaghrahm

Hi Rich,

I tried to send this sketch, but the site replied that you are unable to receive messages.

Check with the administrator for technical support.

John

[Mike Self]

Apparently there are two different turn signal/hazard flasher relays used on 2002s; on both the dash light blinks in opposition to the exterior lights--i.e. when one is on, the other is off.  The first one seems to be found on roundies, the second, on squarelights and as replacements on roundies.  

 

1.  has two sets of contacts inside the black box; the larger set works the exterior light, the smaller pair works the dash flasher.  With these, you need to carefully bend the movable point a tiny bit closer to the fixed point until the dash light blinks reliably.  Test it by turning on a heavy current draw (like the heater blower) with the ignition on but without the engine running.  If the dash light flashes reliably, you've got it.

 

2. has a single set of points, with a movable, double-sided contact between two fixed contact.  With this relay, you need to either bias the movable point set a tiny bit closer to the fixed contact until the dash light blinks reliably, or carefully pry the dash blinker fixed contact so it's a little closer to the movable point.  

 

mike

[Rich]

9 hours ago, John76 said:

Hi Rich,

I tried to send this sketch, but the site replied that you are unable to receive messages.

Check with the administrator for technical support.

John

Hi John, sorry, my inbox was full, I just deleated a bunch so when yoiu have a minute try again, and any other of your awesome diagrahms that are handy I would love to have also, great for the library, Best, Richard