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Blinkers not working but blinking power coming out of the flasher


Mike Phillips

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Blinkers not working but blinking power coming out of the flasher

 

Installed all new bulbs front and rear.

 

Installed brand new heavy duty flasher.

 

No blinkers/power at the bulb but when the blinkers are turned on both left and right, I have a blinking light in the handle of my electrical tester.

 

The green wire that comes out of the back of the plug on the flasher disappears into the wiring harness.

 

Question

 

Does anyone have any experience with this issue and can tell me where I should start looking first for a problem?

 

Since I'm getting blinking power out of the flasher I'm assuming the blinker assembly in the steering column is working properly, so it's between the plug on the back of the flasher and the bulbs.

 

Thanks ahead of time for any light you can shed on this problem, no pun intended...

 

:D

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Check your 4 way flasher switch and be sure it is in the OFF position. The green wire from the flasher has to pass through the emergency 4 way flasher switch when in the OFF position. Sometimes it looks like it's off but not making contact inside. Turn the turn signal on and wiggle the emergency switch a bit and when it makes contact the signal will start flashing.

 

This is common in the 720 trucks. You use the 4 way flasher and then shut it off and the switch travels too far and passes the contacts that re-connect the regular signals. On it, all you have to do is push the switch slightly towards ON.

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On 510s YOu need to make sure the emergency switch is in the off position so your regular turn signals can work. People think by removeing the emerg switch at the plastic connector is not needed but is used to complete a electrical path for the turn signal.

One of my 510 had one missing so i just jumpered the wires on the car side of the connector by using the switch to see what wires went where(from spare 510 I had).

 

 

I think this could be clue

emergency flasher button and it's broke off on the column.

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Disassembled plastic cover on column, disassembled emergency flasher switch, cleaned, reassembled and threaded in a machine screw where a knob used to be and now I have Emergency Flashers, (All running lights and tail light bulbs blinking), but when turned to the off position, still no blinkers.

 

 

columncover.jpg

 

FlasherSwitch.jpg

 

 

Hmm....

 

 

Mike

Edited by Mike Phillips
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I have replaced the one under the driver's side of the dash and will go get a new one for the plug for the other one just to the right of the steering column under the dash.

 

I did try the known good one in both receptacle with no positive results.

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disassembled emergency flasher switch, cleaned, reassembled and threaded in a machine screw where a knob used to be

that switch looks nasty, glad it worked out.

i can sell you a thread-in pull knob.

 

 

 

 

im sure you checked the obvious...http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=6

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Okay, on my lunch break I started poking around trying to trace the problem for no blinkers. I installed 2 brand new flashers, one for the blinkers one for the emergency flashers and the emergency flasher lights are working perfectly and now when I put either the left or right blinker on the new blinker flasher is clicking like it should and sending power out to the wire harness.

 

Popped the hood and found the relay in the below picture, unplugged the electrical plug going to it and have one terminal out of four that has power and blinks my electrical tester light.

 

What kind of relay is this? As in, what do I order from NAPA fro a replacement?

 

BlinkerRelay.jpg

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Looked over the wiring diagram for my 1974 Datsun Truck with an automatic here,

 

http://www.olddatsuns.com/data/dat620-1974a.pdf

 

 

I'm not an expert at reading these but from the diagram, (assuming these diagrams are to scale),

 

PassengerSideDiagram.jpg

 

 

The relay next to the Voltage Regulator, (it's between the voltage regulator and the firewall), is the one that has power coming from the blinker flasher.

 

passengersidewiring.jpg

 

 

 

The diagram however shows it to be a Heater Relay?

 

HeaterRelay.jpg

 

 

The Heater Fan Motor isn't working either so maybe it's somehow all connected?

 

Went to NAPA and asked for them to look it up but at the time I didn't know the diagram showed it to be a Heater Relay so the counter person was looking up a relay for blinkers.

 

Any ideas?

 

:confused:

Edited by Mike Phillips
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heater relay should be inside the heater assembly... right???

 

Well there's a component with a coil that affects the speed of the motor not sure this would be technically a relay.

 

The wiring diagram shows the wiring and components on the inside of the engine compartment and the actual components in the engine compartment match the wiring diagram, so I think it's accurate and the thing I gook a picture of appears to be some kind of relay.

 

Here's what I know, the blinker wires go to this relay and they don't work and the heater motor doesn't work.

 

I found a "Multipurpose Relay" listed for 1975 Datsun Trucks on AutoZone but nothing for 1974.

 

Don't have a clue as to how to wire up a multipurpose relay?

 

Multipurpose Relay on Autozone

gps41-5020003.jpg

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In an old post. You showed some pics of some loose wires. You found out that one of them was for the water squirter for the front windshield. And you also pic'd a small "female" I think connector. That one small connector is a negative wire and connects in the negative battery terminal. Maybe thats why you electronic system is acting all funny. I have a 1974 too...

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Looked over the wiring diagram for my 1974 Datsun Truck with an automatic here,

 

http://www.olddatsuns.com/data/dat620-1974a.pdf

 

 

I'm not an expert at reading these but from the diagram, (assuming these diagrams are to scale),

 

PassengerSideDiagram.jpg

 

Not drawn to exact scale but the components are more or less in relative position to each other

 

The relay next to the Voltage Regulator, (it's between the voltage regulator and the firewall), is the one that has power coming from the blinker flasher.

 

passengersidewiring.jpg

 

 

 

The diagram however shows it to be a Heater Relay?

 

HeaterRelay.jpg

 

 

The Heater Fan Motor isn't working either so maybe it's somehow all connected?

 

That relay is the CHOKE HEATER RELAY

 

 

 

Any ideas?:confused:

 

Something is mis-wired, no way the turn signal is connected to the choke heater. If you follow the wires you'll see that the trigger wires that work the relay go to the alternator and ground this makes the relay only work if the alternator is charging. (motor running)

 

If you look at the diagram the other two wires on the relay are marked LW. The wire to the right decends and joins a horizontal wire marked BW and enters the cab... this should go to the ignition switch.

 

What color wire are you getting the flashing signal on ??? Can't tell in the picture.

Edited by datzenmike
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What color wire are you getting the flashing signal on ??? Can't tell in the picture.

 

I'll look when I get home, have to take son to Karate

 

Took the cover off the relay and cleaned it up and re-installed it and with the key off the points are open and with the engine running the points are closed.

 

RelayPointsOpen.jpg

 

RelayPointsClosed.jpg

 

 

 

With the engine running, and the blinkers on the flasher is making a blinking noise for whatever that's worth.

 

I can check and see what color wires are to different components when I get back.

 

This has to be something simple? I think Billy Bob owned the truck before and had some kind of camper shell lights hooked up but I removed all these I could find.

 

Thanks for the help...

 

:)

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2eDeYe;96800']Choke relay works :)

 

I think your gonna have to trace the rest of your harness. Billy Bob may have made a few other 'modifications'

 

Is that paper behind the relay? Nice pic snapping :cool:

 

Dang...

 

I'm so not good at wiring' date=' I'd rather swap out engines and trannys... but I think you're right, I'll try to carve out some time on my next day off to try to go through the wiring in the truck and track down where the problem is.

 

Ugh...

 

For that picture I just placed a small white board behind the relay to better show the relay and the points open and closed. I'm not much of a photographer, I operate on the take a zillion shots and cross your fingers one or two turn out good.

 

I post a lot of car pictures to the Internet as a part of my job, this thread I created here has over 160 pictures, most are on page 2

 

Thanks for the help...

 

:)

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Get your 4-way (hazard flashers working first. Once you have the four way system working on all lights, then you only have to deal with the wiring up to the four way switch. Remember the four way switch disconnects the normal turn signal circuit when it is turned on.

The stock turn signal flasher is timed by heat buildup in it, and it has to have two good bulbs, of the correct wattage, with good connections to function correctly.

Electrical diagrams are not drawn to scale, and just because a component is next to another component on the diagram, does not mean the two components are next to each other in the car or truck. Components on an electrical diagram are more likely to be drawn where there is still some white space left on the paper.

Edited by DanielC
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Get your 4-way (hazard flashers working first. Once you have the four way system working on all lights, then you only have to deal with the wiring up to the four way switch.

 

Check. My 4-Way Hazard Lights all work perfectly. I just tested to make sure. I installed all new bulbs in both the front and back lights. I installed brand new flashers also.

 

 

Remember the four way switch disconnects the normal turn signal circuit when it is turned on.

 

Check. I turned the Hazard Light Switch off and then tried the blinkers. The flasher for the blinkers is making a normal blinking/clicking sound but no blinking lights in either the front or the rear of the truck.

 

 

The stock turn signal flasher is timed by heat buildup in it, and it has to have two good bulbs, of the correct wattage, with good connections to function correctly.

 

Check. Installed all new bulbs in all taillights and front lights. Cleaned receptacles too.

 

Electrical diagrams are not drawn to scale, and just because a component is next to another component on the diagram, does not mean the two components are next to each other in the car or truck. Components on an electrical diagram are more likely to be drawn where there is still some white space left on the paper.

 

Makes sense.

 

Not sure why except that I was testing everything I could find to test when I found one of the wires going into this relay was hot and blinking when either the left or right blinker is turned on.

 

BlinkerRelay.jpg

 

 

It has to be something simple.

 

:confused:

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Somebody has really screwed with the wires on the truck. However, if the 4-ways work, and the turn signals do not, you now can isolate the problem.

I do not know if the 620 turn signal circuit is wired like the 521 turn signal circuit. On a 521 power for the 4-way flashers goes like this. From the + of the battery, through a fuse, a flasher, into the 4-way switch, and then it is tapped into both the right, and the left turn signal wires, and then to the lamps, front, rear, and the dashboard indicators.

The turn signal circuit power goes from the + battery, through the ignition switch, a fuse, the 4-way switch, (when the 4-way switch is off) the turn flasher, and then to the turn signal switch on the steering column, and then to one side of the truck, or the other depending on what way you moved the turn signal lever.

 

My 521 has two separate flashers. a 4-way flasher, and the turn signal flasher. When you hear the flasher clicking, make sure you know which flasher is actually working.

 

The diagram in this thread only shows the engine room wiring harness. I think your problem in in the cab wiring harness.

Here are some tips for reading wiring diagrams. Get a magnifying glass to follow the wires. If you can get a good clean copy of the correct wiring diagram, see if you can take it to a copy shop, and blow it up to make it easier to read. If you can, get several copies, and draw on them with colored pencils to make it easier to follow the wires.

 

My factory service manual has the total wiring diagram, and separate diagrams for just the lighting system, the horn system, the meter system, (temp and fuel level) the wiper system, the heater system, and the wiring for the ignition system, all separate.

Edited by DanielC
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Thanks Daniel,

 

My wiring system looks like you describe for your truck. I have Sunday off so after taking my son to Church I'll dive into the dash wiring.

 

Haven't looked to see how complicated it is to just remove the dash or the top of the dash. In the last 2 years I've removed the dash on my 200SX and my 1974 260Z to access either wiring or heater cores, etc. Both were pretty easy to remove and it made accessing the guts a lot easier than laying upside down and looking up into the dark.

 

1974 260Z - Had a Rat's nest in the heater core area and the heater core and water heater valve were both leaking when I bought it, the only way I could see getting the heater core out was to remove the dash. (Ugh...)

 

260ZDash006.jpg

 

IMG_1768.jpg

 

 

This was really nice little 260Z, only had 60,000 miles on it when I bought it...

 

1974260Z.jpg

 

 

Wiring needed some help in this old Datsun 200SX which I bought for $500.00, after refreshing all the belts and hoses it got about 25 miles per gallon, I would have kept it if it hadn't been for the smog laws, instead I sold it and bought this current project this 1974 Datsun Truck, (no smog).

 

1978200SX004.jpg

 

datsuncrackeddash03.jpg

 

 

Wiring is not fun... I think I would rather replace the clutch in a dump truck, (that's not very much fun either).

 

:)

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