turn signal switch

Yes, I was just starting to write that it could ONLY be a defective new switch as odd as that seems.

Ray, send me your personal e-mail adrress and I will send my article on restoring a S1 turn signal switch. Not the same as a series 2, but it will be helpful nonetheless.

mcloadgmail.com

Patrick

Unbelivevable but the new switch was defective! I was able to remove the dummy switch on the far right of the instrument panel to fix the problem. Headlights working fine now, dip switch works as it should. Flash to pass still inop. That's for another day. Thank you all for your posts. Sometimes it takes someone elses brain to wake up mine!

Power for the headlights comes from the battery through the ammeter to the headlight switch then to the dip switch and then through fuse 1 to high beam or fuse 2 to low beam. The flash switch is powered from the battery through fuse 8. The headlight switch is a 3 position rocker that powers first the side lights and then the headlights. Did you check the new switch?

Patrick,
New switch did not fix problem. I really don't understand this. If I jumpser the wires by bypassing the switch the headlights work. Put a switch in the circuit and no lights! Is the flash to pass switch the culprit? When I jumper the wires the dip switch works but the flash to pass does not!
Cornfused,
Ray

This may be widely known already but some of the Series II type rocker switches can be pretty easy to fix, if the plastic is not too brittle from age and the reatining tabs break off when removing from the dash panel. The head light swtich (two position switch) just has a copper roller on a spring inside. Sometimes the roller or contacts get corrosion that can be cleaned off pretty easliy if you pop the black cap off the swtich. I have gottten a few of my swtiches working by doing this.

David Barnes
'68 FHC

Patrick,
Flasher unit fixed the turn signals. Still no headlights. Voltage to one side of switch is ok. Throw switch, no voltage on other side. I bypassed the switch with a jumper wire and the headlights came on. Looks like I have a bad rocker switch. Thanks for your help. I had two problems, not just one like I thought I had!
Ray

That's interesting. The headlight flash swicth (turn signal) bypasses the off/on rocker switch on the panel. They should work regardless of if the switches are in on or off position.

You might check a Series 2 electrical diagram to see if there is a relay for the headlight circuit...I do not know if there is or isn't one.

I think my next test would be to actually look for voltage on the 3-prong headlamp connector. An easy way would be to just go get a cheapie headlight and plug it in to see if it works.....or use the voltmeter. Anyway to actually see the filaments in the headlights?

You simply HAVE to have voltage on one side of that switch as I believe the wire is coming right off the fuse panel. Each lamp has its own ground, and It would be hard to believe that you've lost the ground on both lamps as well as on both turn signals.

Another thing that all of those lights share is the large round plug that connects the main harness to the lamps on the bonnet. You might pull that out, hit it with some WD40, and push it on and off a few times. Are you missing any bolts or screws in your bonnet? I'm just wondering it one that had grounding wires on it happen to fall off.

It's easy enough to test whether or not the body of the turn signal switch assembly has a good ground, but that doesn't explain the headlights not coming on at the rocker panels OR the flash switch. Sure sounds like a bad relay somewhere!

Let me know what you find.

Patrick

Patrick,
Headlights do not flash when the turn signal lever is pulled back. Fuses are OK. I will check for voltage at the switches. Thanks for the relpy.
Ray

Ray: I'm not sure I can blame the turn signal switch alone for the "all lights out" problem. Let's separate the issues.

The headlights (and parking lights) should come on with the center console switch(s). First thing I'd check is fuses. Second thing to check is for 12 volts DC power at the switches themselves. (Do you own a volt meter?) In off position, you should at least have power on one side. In on position you should have 12 volts on both sides. I donÔÇÖt own a Series 2, so IÔÇÖm not that familiar with the rocker switches, but I DO believe they are prone to fail, especially for the headlights.

Do these switches also turn on/off the parking lights? If so, then failed switches (or fuses) may explain why the headlights are not coming on. Its possible, but unlikely that the filaments in the headlights are fried. You might see if your headlight ÔÇ£flasherÔÇØ (pull back on turn lever?) makes them come on.

In regards to turn signals not flashing, I would first replace the little flasher relay.usually a round or square aluminum thing with 3 terminals on it. It may be located under the drivers side panel. These are very cheap at auto stores. Take your old one to match with new one. Hopefully, that takes care of the problem. Tell me, do you HEAR the flasher relay working or nothing at all? Do your turn signal indicators on the dash work (flash) or are they dead? Id like to keep you from having to dig into your flasher switch.

By the way, yes, one of the halves will separate with some effortit is simply spring loaded via some clips to the other half which IS screwed down. There are two slotted screws that hold the cover (half) on; and there are two allen-head screws that hold the switch assembly to the column.

Let me know what your test results are.

Patrick McLoad