'53 Hornet, strange turn signal behaviour

Vapiti
Vapiti Member
in HUDSON
My '53 has started to work oddly when turning to left. You put the turn signal to left, it starts to flash. Hit the brakes, it stops flashing. Release the brake pedal, flashing continues. With turn signal to right, operates as normally.
Looking from outside of car: left turn signal on, no brakes, operation normal. Left turn signal on, brakes on, left front and rear turn signals on but not flashing, right brake light dies.
This is a mystery to me, any ideas what could this be? I needed to replace some wiring to rear brake lights, something gone wrong with that?
 

Comments

  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    Bad ground circuit.   
  • eddiehudson
    eddiehudson Senior Contributor, Member
    It could just be a bad bulb.
  • Vapiti
    Vapiti Member
    I tested both of these theories. Grounded the bulb socket directly to body but no help. Same with new bulb. I was suspicious to begin with as my earlier experiences with bad ground usually are even more erratic, like back-up lights flashing when you put turn signal on. Anyway, thanks for trying to help. Have to say I'm rather clueless here.
  • lostmind
    lostmind Expert Adviser
    It's not to difficult to pull the switch housing and remove the switch.
    A visual inspection might reveal some contact problems.
    Look at the harness , frayed or rubbed through wires could be giving power to circuits
    when you activate switch. Varmint's chew through ?
    You might check body ground circuit , corrosion or loose connection.
    I would suspect bad ground first , shorted bulb second, switch next , harness feed through next.
  • 7XPacemaker
    7XPacemaker Senior Contributor
    edited July 2021
    Lostmind- I think that your thought process is spot on. I HATE positive ground systems for these reasons... I will never forget when I rewired the Pacemaker- after I thought I was finished, I hit the brakes and the headlights came on.
  • Vapiti
    Vapiti Member
    Hi, this car has been changed to 12v negative ground. I forgot to mention that when I pulled the bulb socket out of rear light housing, bulb would glow dimly even when the socket wasn't touching the body, so must be getting some ground somewhere else.
  • lostmind
    lostmind Expert Adviser
    I think " somewhere else" isn't getting a ground and using your socket and wires to try and ground.

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