Signal Light Issue

[my73charger]

The other night I was on my way home from a cruise and an electrical problem popped up.  The lights started getting bright and then dimmed down.  This went on for about 10 miles.  Next, the left signal indicator came on solid (both the fender indicator, dash indicator and the left front signal light).  Finally, my electrical fan started to act up and eventually stopped working all together.  I was about home, so I pulled into a parking lot as it started to heat up when the fan failed.  Now, whenever the battery is hooked up, the left front comes on solid and stays on.  When I turn the key on and turn the left signal light on, the rear lights up solid as well.  The right side acts normal and signals with the key on and the signal switch activated.  I haved to disconnect the battery to get the left front shut off.  I am assuming the problems may have started with a bad voltage regulator but not sure.

[Chryco Psycho]

I would start checking the bulkhead connections & steering column connections , sounds like you had a high load with the fans on & melted something . I assume the fans are on relays , they should be ? The Alt was probably putting out 45 amps or better to keep up .

[my73charger]

Hi Chryco,

Yes the fan was on a relay.  I also had a circuit breaker on the hot wire going to the relay switch.  With the fan on, it does charge high, not sure why though.

[my73charger]

I just discovered that if I turn the emergency four way switch on all signal lights light up solid.  I seem to remember hearing a click when the malfunction happened on the way home as well.

[my73charger]

Ok I am wondering if the problem is in the signal switch.  I have the steering wheel off and the switch pulled out.  With a test light I was able to determine the light green wire has power all the time when the battery is connected.  This wire runs to one side of the signals and then over to the emergency switch.

[Chryco Psycho]

could be a bad flasher unit also if it is not blinking

[my73charger]

Wouldn't the right side stop blinking as well if the flasher was bad?  The right side signals normal.

[Chryco Psycho]

true , if the flasher works for one side it is not the issue .

[my73charger]

I will try buying a new signal switch first I guess.  I found one online for $16 plus shipping.

http://www.partstrain.com/store/details/Dodge/Charger/Replacement/Turn_Signal_Switch/1973/ARBC504309.html?ptc=S1171391678W45d204bec356b&ptredodgecharger19731978replacementarbc504309173tusisw

[my73charger]

Ok, so I unplugged the harness to the signal light switch, but the left front still lights up when I reconnect the battery.  I assume this means the problem is not with the switch, correct?  So, what next?

[my73charger]

Pretty sure I just found the problem.  I found several wires that were melted together right where the wire harness under the dash plugs into the bulkhead.  One of the wires was the light green wire that runs up to the signal light switch.  Another brown wire was also melted to the other wire.  The other wire, a thicker wire I believe is the heavy wire that runs to my ampmeter gauge.  This might explain why the needle on the ampmeter was pegging on the way home.  Not sure what caused this to happen though.

[Chryco Psycho]

probably heat from corroded connections at the bulkhead on the main power wire to the ammeter , clean thw connectors & use some di-electric grease in there once you get the wires separated

[my73charger]

probably heat from corroded connections at the bulkhead on the main power wire to the ammeter , clean thw connectors & use some di-electric grease in there once you get the wires separated

Thanks Chryco.  Will do.  I did notice that the connection at the bulkhead for the amp wire is corroded some.  I am thinking about going out to the local junkyard where several of these cars are setting to see if I can get the bulkhead wiring...

[70 Charger RT]

One thing I do to eliminate the bulkhead issue is remove the female and male brass terminals from both sides of the bulk head connector and drill a hole the size of the wire through the bulk head connector and feed the wire through the hole in the bulk head connector and join it on the inside with a butt connector.  Some people solder the butt connectors as well but I don't.  This vastly reduces the possibility of corrosion forming to cause you problems later.  This is much easier to do when you start with a new harness.  It will take you a liitle longer with an existing harness.  After you're done, take some putty sealer and wrap the inside wires so that water won't enter through the holes you drilled.

[my73charger]

What does a butt connector look like?

[Chryco Psycho]

straight tube , you can crimp both ends

[my73charger]

Ok thanks!