Turn signal indicator on solid...

[66 Restomod]

I've replaced the engine harness, headlight harness, tailight harness, added a headlight relay harness, new bulbs everywhere, new headlight switch, new parking lights, new halogen headlights, new turn signal switch, and new fuses and flashers too as part of putting my car back together after paint...

So I notice yesterday that the passenger turn signal indicator is on solid whenever the headlight switch is in the parking light position. Upon inspecting the front parking lights, the passenger light is burning one filament but the driver's parking light is burning both, full bright. Is this a bad headlight switch (which is new) or something else? TIA

 

[guevara42]

I know you said you put new bulbs in. But I had the same issue, changed the bulb and presto, it worked. Just thought I'd throw it out there since it happened to me. hope it helps.

 

[Tim65GT]

It sounds like two different problems. Does everything else work ok?

Start with the front park lamps:

I don't know if your aftermarket harness has the same colors as the original harness, but the front park lamps get the power directly from the headlamp switch ("P" terminal) on a black/yellow wire. It splits at the driver side park lamp plug, and continues to the passenger side park lamp plug.

I would suspect a bad driver side park lamp assembly, bulb, or wiring in that area.

So with the headlamp switch pulled to the first position, voltage should be at the park lamp socket low brightness filament contact. Verify this by checking the pic:

If both contacts do in fact have voltage, then check at the plug and see where the wires are crossed.

The other issue with the turn indicator, could perhaps be crossed wiring at the gage panel indicator bulbs.

 

[66 Restomod]

Thanks

It sounds like two different problems. Does everything else work ok?

Start with the front park lamps:

I don't know if your aftermarket harness has the same colors as the original harness, but the front park lamps get the power directly from the headlamp switch ("P" terminal) on a black/yellow wire. It splits at the driver side park lamp plug, and continues to the passenger side park lamp plug.

I would suspect a bad driver side park lamp assembly, bulb, or wiring in that area.

So with the headlamp switch pulled to the first position, voltage should be at the park lamp socket low brightness filament contact. Verify this by checking the pic:

If both contacts do in fact have voltage, then check at the plug and see where the wires are crossed.

The other issue with the turn indicator, could perhaps be crossed wiring at the gage panel indicator bulbs.

Thanks for the pic and help. I noticed the other day that the turn signal fuse was blown too, which I replaced. I just gave the wiring on the driver's side of the car a visual inspection and things appear normal, or the issue isn't obvious to me anyway. The harness colors are the same as you describe. I'm going to swap the bulbs left to right and see if that changes anything, but I seem to remember doing that a couple weeks ago before I posted. If still bad, I'll then buy a new parking lamp ($20) and install that since it's really easy to get to on the driver's side without removing the headlight bucket. I'm wondering if i should buy a new headlight switch too. I figured I could try it and if that's not the problem, I'd keep it in the glovebox as a spare...

The turn signal indicator being on solid is strange to me too. It goes out when the headlights are on. No dash bulbs appear to be misplaced because all the gauges light up as they should. The high-beam indicator works too. I replaced both flashers with #552 units from the local parts place. I have a strange feeling the emergency flasher in the glovebox is involved somehow, but it's been there for years untouched apparently...

Before this came along, I had just chased down a dim passenger tailight for the longest time, and was feeling rather victorious. Ended up being the little orange Y-connector under the dash not seated fully for the passenger side tailight bullet connector. These electrical things really bug me... besides an utter lack of electrical knowledge, I'm really impatient -- not a good combo here.

 

[66 Restomod]

I want to add that when the car is off, and the parking lights are on, the passenger turn signal indicator is on solid. When I flip the turn signal stalk up as if turning on the flasher for that side, the light goes out and stays out. (The turn signal switch is a new OE one, and it was working great for months...)

 

[Tim65GT]

66 Restomod:
I want to add that when the car is off, and the parking lights are on, the passenger turn signal indicator is on solid. When I flip the turn signal stalk up as if turning on the flasher for that side, the light goes out and stays out. (The turn signal switch is a new OE one, and it was working great for months...)

If everything at the park lamp assembly appears ok, check the wiring at the signal light switch plug. The signal dash indicators get power tapped from the plug, the same pin/wire that goes to the front signals.

There should be two green/white for the left and two white/blue for the right.

 

[66 Restomod]

Two steps forward, one step back.

Thanks! The advice has really helped me out. I just installed the new driver's side parking lamp assembly and immediately noticed that the one I was removing and replacing, which was new, was apparently wired wrong from the factory. The new one had a single brown wire plugging into the single black wire on the harness. The one I was removing had a single blue wire plugging into the same single black wire on the harness. Unbelievable. So now that side works great, and as an added bonus the turn signal indicator for the passenger side on the dash is out. Cool!

BUT NOW -- the passenger side parking lamp is not working at all. I'm wondering if the passenger side is wired wrong too from the factory. Does that sound possible? What should the colors be?

 

[66 Restomod]

More info...

So I just went out to the garage and checked the connection behind the passenger parking lamp. I was able to get that one lit (!) by bending the black plastic boot behind the light. I guess the contact behind the bulb isn't too tight. So the front parking lamps appear ok now. Thanks again!

BUT -- haha -- the turn signal indicator is back on solid. I'm still looking under the dash, disconnected the turn signal switch, reseated it, but nothing. Any other possibilities for that signal indicator?

 

[66 Restomod]

update

I just ordered a new passenger parking light assembly. I looked at the old one and the old one had a single blue wire again, just like the old one on the driver's side. I guess I'm expecting the replacement to have a single brown wire like the other side does now. If nothing else the connection is poor in that assembly so it's worth replacing.

I bought the old assemblies last year from NPD and just used them for the first time a couple months ago. I seem to remember someone posting about wiring problems on these parking light assemblies on one of the forums last year. It makes buying a pair of NOS units for $100 seem like a bargain.

 

[66 Restomod]

Fixed

Thanks Tim! The lights are fixed. Both new front parking light assemblies were defective from the factory, with the brown and blue wires being reversed on each. Two new, correctly wired lights are installed now and are functional.

 

[Tim65GT]

Congrats and your welcome.