No front blinkers

[terrible one]

Alright, on my '68, I just put in the forward light harness and have one problem. The front blinkers, in the valence, won't blink when I hit the turn signal switch. They do come on when I turn the headlight switch on to "park," so I know that it's not a ground issue or something like that. The rear blinkers work just fine. Anyone have any ideas? 

[A383Wing]

you have 2 filaments in the front park-turn bulbs....when you turn on the parking lights...do the bulbs burn bright as a turn or normal like a standard park light?

[terrible one]

you have 2 filaments in the front park-turn bulbs....when you turn on the parking lights...do the bulbs burn bright as a turn or normal like a standard park light?

I'm not completely sure, since I've never seen 'em in turn signal mode, but I was thinking they were a bit dim, so am quite sure I am seeing the "park" brightness.

[bigblue73]

Ditto - Check your bulbs - You need an 1157 bulb.  You may only have an 1156 (single filament) in the socket.  Next would be the connection at the bulkhead.  Good luck.

[terrible one]

The bulbs are 1157. I just put them in and still have the package. All wiring is new including bulkhead. Connection is nice and snug and I used dielectric grease. I don't think either of those are it. Could the turn signal switch in the steering column be the culprit? That is about the only thing I haven't replaced.

[ACUDANUT]

  I would not bother with it....Turn signals are something people used 25 years ago. 

[terrible one]

  I would not bother with it....Turn signals are something people used 25 years ago. 

MAN isn't that the truth! Haha I'm always complaining about how none of the new cars seem to come with the turn signal option 

[Troy]

Are they reproduction lenses by any chance? Make sure you have good grounds.

There's some troubleshooting info here:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=59020.0

Troy

[A383Wing]

yea..would check grounds next

[terrible one]

Are they reproduction lenses by any chance? Make sure you have good grounds.

There's some troubleshooting info here:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php?topic=59020.0

Troy

Thanks Troy for the link. That thread points me toward the switch assy. in the column too. That's the one part that I haven't messed with. My lenses and housing is original, just cleaned up and new gaskets and machine screws installed. I don't think I have a ground problem because the blinker lights will come on as parking lights, the just won't blink when I hit the turn signal lever.  

Okay, so I just went out there and re-checked all connections, made sure everything was grounded good with no paint, dirt, etc. in the way and used plenty of dielectric grease at all connections and grounding points. I even took a wire and clipped it to one of the attaching screws for the lights and ran it to the negative terminal on the battery. Still the same problem.  

At this point I'm thinking about coughing up the $60 or so for a turn signal switch and cancel cam (which I need to replace anyways) from MegaParts and hope from the best.   My cancel cam is broken anyways (won't catch when turning right) and after reading that thread and a few others the turn signal switch seems to be my most likely suspect.

[Back N Black]

A simple check for you turn signal switch, Take your test light and check at the connector under the steering column, when you probe the turn signal connection your test light should flash, do the same for the left and right turn signal. If the test light flashes, its probably a bad ground on your park lights.

[terrible one]

A simple check for you turn signal switch, Take your test light and check at the connector under the steering column, when you probe the turn signal connection your test light should flash, do the same for the left and right turn signal. If the test light flashes, its probably a bad ground on your park lights.

Thanks, great idea! Which colors/wires should I be looking for? I ask because I know that the tail lights blink, so it's definitely going to blink the test light on that circuit. I guess I could just probe them all. Looking at the manual the switch connects to each light so if I get 4 leads that blink, the switch is fine and if I just get 2 (for the rear lights) then I know it's the switch. 

[terrible one]

Well, last night I probed the turn signal switch connector with the test light and got 2 terminals to blink for both left and right turn position, so I would assume that is one for front and one for back, meaning the switch is doing what it's supposed to.

After that, I figured it could only be a ground issue. I took the valence lights back out and the front side lights too, sanded inside the fender and valence where they attach until it was bare metal, then coated with dielectric grease. Just the works. Put it all back together carefully and double checked everything. I also went to Autozone today and got a flasher for the hazard lights so that I could see if the left blinker blinked with the hazards on.

Here's where I'm at now:

In the right turn position, blinkers act as they should: front and rear signals blink, and the indicator on the gauge cluster blinks as well.
In the left turn position, the front blinker still won't blink, the indicator on the cluster doesn't blink (forgot to mention that last time), but the rear works.

With the HAZARD switch on, ALL lights blink . . . both gauge cluster lights, both tail lights, and both front turn signals.

So, everything is as it should be EXCEPT the LEFT front turn signal won't blink on the gauge cluster or out front . . . but it WILL blink with the hazards 

[A383Wing]

sounds like a connection issue under the steering column where the turn switch plugs into the dash harness

when you probed the harness last night...which side of the connector did you test?

[terrible one]

sounds like a connection issue under the steering column where the turn switch plugs into the dash harness

when you probed the harness last night...which side of the connector did you test?

Yeah I can't imagine it being anywhere else since that's basically the last bit of old wiring in the car. It's been messed with too. It's also held in place with an old hose clamp . . . guess I need to remove that and make sure nothing got crushed.

Admittedly I didn't test both sides of the connector, just the steering column side.

[A383Wing]

test the other side...before you tear it apart...otherwise you will never know for sure

[terrible one]

Well I went out and tested the other side . . . same thing. Two terminals flash the light both in the left and right position. So I guess the switch in the column is fine.

What was weird was after probing around that connector, the left side blinkers wouldn't flash when I put the hazards on, when before they did. Fiddling with the connector and the wires from the column switch made them blink with the hazard switch again.  But I still never could get them to blink for left turn . . .

[A383Wing]

me thinks you got a connector issue or a broken wire in the harness in-between the turn signal switch connector and where the 4 way flasher wires connect to the dash harness

[terrible one]

me thinks you got a connector issue or a broken wire in the harness in-between the turn signal switch connector and where the 4 way flasher wires connect to the dash harness

I sure hope it's a connector issue 'cause the dash harness is a brand new M&H.