Dim rear turn signals

[daved]

The rear turn signals on both sides of my 1969 124 Spider are very dim. I notice if I turn on the 4-way flashers instead the lights on all 4 corners are quite bright. Thinking this means that there is nothing wrong with the flasher unit or the bulb connections so I'm a little unsure what to check next. Did measure the voltage at the fuse for the turn signals, got over 12 volts. Also tried running a jumper cable between the neg. battery terminal & the body of the tail lamps, didn't help.

[vandor]

The hazard lights have a different flasher, so you may have a corroded connector at the turn signal flasher.
It is a round unit with 3 wires going into in on the right side of the steering column.

[daved]

Thanks, thought there was just one flasher.

[daved]

Took me a while but I just tried a new electronic flasher, didn't really seem to make any difference. Did measure the voltage at the flasher, got 12 volts. not sure what to try next.

[azruss]

how new are your bulbs. There are a couple of wattages for bulbs of that size. i went with the highest watts. it helped but still pretty dim

[daved]

Guessing bulbs are probably 4-6 years old. Stll thinking that there is nothing wrong with the bulbs or their connection to the socket as they seem bright when the 4-way flasher is on.

[vandor]

>got 12 volts. not sure what to try next.

12V with engine on or off? The battery has ~12.7 volts, so 12 at the flasher is about right.

There must be a poor connection after the flasher, maybe in the connection to the column switch.

[daved]

Thanks Csaba
12 v with the engine running & flasher hooked up. Not really sure how well my analog meter measures the flashing voltage. Think you may have a good idea about the columns switch connections. Took off the plastic covers & found the 3 wires going into the turn signal part of the switch. Got cont. 12v on the violet wire & got a flashing reading on each of the other wires depending on what way the turn signals were positioned. A couple things I'm not sure about the columns switch. Are the individual wires removable were they go into the back of the column switch? Looks like they would be but the pictures I see of new switches looks like it has a wiring harness going out of it with a single plug on the end. My car is a 1969. Also wonder if any metal exposed part of the switch mechanism could be cleaned with contact cleaner. Didn't want to do this if the actual switch was enclosed. Thanks for any help you might be able to give me.

[vandor]

Should be more like 13V with the car running, but it would be hard to tell with an analog meter.

>Are the individual wires removable were they go into the back of the column switch?

Yes. There is also a connection under the dash, one 8 prong and one 6 prong connector.

> the pictures I see of new switches looks like it has a wiring harness going out of it with a single plug on the end.

Your has those connectors too, see above.

> Also wonder if any metal exposed part of the switch mechanism could be cleaned with contact cleaner.

Can't hurt.

[daved]

Thanks Csaba, didn't want to do anything which might damage the switch.

[daved]

Comment that I should really have more than 12 volts got me thinking. I do have a voltage regulator tester. Looks like the engine has to be going 1500-1800 rpm to get full alt output. Don't know if that is normal. Haynes manual says the regulator is not adjustable. Turns signals are noticeably brighter at that speed but still dim.

[JEEPER]

Have you tried one probe on socket contact and one on the socket shell with 4 way and again with turn signal to see what the voltage difference is? I would try this with just the lamp removed then again taking both rear side taillight bulbs out. Have you done any electrical repairs or modifications since the problem started?

[daved]

Good idea, not really sure how well I can measure the flashing voltage with my analog meter.Seems like the voltage pulses faster than the meter can respond. May have to think about getting a digital meter. Did try changing the flasher. Other than that I've just checked connections.

[azruss]

not sure how your lights are grounded on a 69. as a test, make a jumper wire and connect it to a good ground point and touch the other end on the side of the bulb socket and see if that brightens up the lights.

[daved]

Did run a jumper cable from the neg. terminal of the battery to where the taillight assembly bolts to the body. Probably should try running it directly to the sockets also.