Help with a wiring problem.

Richie
Richie Senior Contributor
edited November -1 in HUDSON
Hey everyone, I need some help with an electrical problem please. I have a 1950 Pacemaker Deluxe brougham 2 door. I posted a few pics of it when I bought it back in Feb. I have been working on it ever since. All the lights and turn signals work fine,with the exception of one thing. My problem is when the brakes are applied the front turn signal bulbs both light up. If I put the left turn signal on and hit the brake pedal, the left turn signal works OK, but the right turn signal bulb lights up as long as the brakes are applied. Same situation for a right turn. The bad thing is if I'm coming to an intersection with my left turn signal on and happen to pump my brakes a couple of times the right turn bulb blinks. Anyone coming into the intersection from the opposite direction won't have a clue which way I'm going to go. After I get stopped to make my turn and hold the brake pedal the right turn bulb just stays on and doesn't blink, at that point people will know my direction. I was told by the more experienced guys on this forum that my steering column is from a 1954. There are wires coming out of the turn signal that are taped together that I know are wrong because they taped two male connectors together. If someone can point me in the right direction it would be a big help. I'm not good at wiring problems. Thanks in advance. Richie.

Comments

  • Unknown
    Unknown
    it sounds like your brake system power leaks into your turn signal
    system.
    you might try to find a wiring diagram and also a logic probe.
    your brake lights could have a bad ground between the light hardware
    and the fender causing it to sneak another path through your blinkers to ground are any bulbs dim? say your blinkers when your brakes are on?
  • Richie
    Richie Senior Contributor
    54hudson wrote:
    it sounds like your brake system power leaks into your turn signal

    system.

    you might try to find a wiring diagram and also a logic probe.

    your brake lights could have a bad ground between the light hardware

    and the fender causing it to sneak another path through your blinkers to ground are any bulbs dim? say your blinkers when your brakes are on?



    Thanks 54hudson, no lights are dim. Even when the brake lights are on the blinkers are bright, as well as all other lights. Tomorrow I'll try disconnecting all the wires from the turn signal switch one at a time and see if the problem can be found that way. Thanks again, Richie.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    The 50 Pacemaker has 2 bulbs in each tail light or is supposed to. One the lower bulb is tail and stop and the upper bulb is the turn signal. Not supposed to be connected with the brake lights in any way. You must have a 7 wire later switch on the column. The later switch can be made to work ok. I put a 7 wire on Pacemaker a few years ago but dont remember how I changed the wireing inside the switch. Used a correct wireing harness from Y&Z in CA. They told me if I could not figure it out to call and they would tell me how to fix the switch
  • Richie
    Richie Senior Contributor
    Billy K.TN. wrote:
    The 50 Pacemaker has 2 bulbs in each tail light or is supposed to. One the lower bulb is tail and stop and the upper bulb is the turn signal. Not supposed to be connected with the brake lights in any way. You must have a 7 wire later switch on the column. The later switch can be made to work ok. I put a 7 wire on Pacemaker a few years ago but dont remember how I changed the wireing inside the switch. Used a correct wireing harness from Y&Z in CA. They told me if I could not figure it out to call and they would tell me how to fix the switch



    Billy K, thanks, my tail lights only have one bulb. I will do more trouble shooting tomorrow. I believe the turn signal switch is a later one, I don't know if it is a seven wire or not. I'll check in the morning. Thanks, Richie.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Richie, don't loose track of which wires go to the flasher and power supply, ther're likely correct, they've got your front ones going thru the brake light switch, that's the problem. from there we can get you going once you get into it, I just put a universal signal stat unit in my 37, had NOTHIN to go by to start . Bud
  • Richie
    Richie Senior Contributor
    37 Terraplane#2 wrote:
    Richie, don't loose track of which wires go to the flasher and power supply, ther're likely correct, they've got your front ones going thru the brake light switch, that's the problem. from there we can get you going once you get into it, I just put a universal signal stat unit in my 37, had NOTHIN to go by to start . Bud



    Bud, I'll be starting on it in a few hours. Probably not too complicated, I'll mark everything before I start and take it slow. Thanks Bud. Richie.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    HI RICHIE, good, by all means mark where they are now. With no wire color code it will take a few minutes to sort things out . Don't unhook anything till you check a couple things., leave the flasher wires hooked up.to the switch and mark them. Now find another wire that becomes hot when you hit the brakes, leave it hooked up.and mark brakes. you should have 4 wires left now, unhook them, you should now have only 4 wires not connected. From them comeing from the T-S switch find 2 that become hot at the same time when you hit the brakes, these will be your rear turn sinals and brake lights. Now put the T-s switch in left position and find from these 2 the one that makes your test light blink with out brakes on ., connect it to the wire on the car that blinks left rear T-S, the other is right rear. They also are your brake lights.which are connected and controled thru the T-S switch. Now you should have 2 wires not connected. find the left and right and connect DIRECTLY to FRONT turn signals, NOT TO THE REAR TURN SIGNAL WIRES. You may have to run a couple new wires . This sequence is the quickest way to sort them out. If this don't straighten things out there is a mechanicle problem {bad switch, short, something ] not a wire routeing problem. Lotsa luck, Bud
  • Geoff
    Geoff Senior Contributor
    The most important thing with all lights is a good ground circuit. If necessary, screw an extra wire to the case of the lamp assembly concerned, and run back to the chassis.
  • Richie
    Richie Senior Contributor
    Thanks very much 54hudson,Billy K, Bud and Geoff. Thanks to you all and others PM's. Problem is solved, all is working correctly. Extra wires were spliced into turn signal switch causing the problem. Thanks again everyone. Richie.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Richie wrote:
    Thanks very much 54hudson,Billy K, Bud and Geoff. Thanks to you all and others PM's. Problem is solved, all is working correctly. Extra wires were spliced into turn signal switch causing the problem. Thanks again everyone. Richie.
    ----Your welcome Richie, we've all run into something or other we needed help with, and this is the greatest bunch there is to pitch in , AND REAL QUICK ABOUT IT TOO!! IF your not in the HET yet you sure want to join it, best dang car club on planet Earth !!
  • Richie
    Richie Senior Contributor
    37 Terraplane#2 wrote:
    ----Your welcome Richie, we've all run into something or other we needed help with, and this is the greatest bunch there is to pitch in , AND REAL QUICK ABOUT IT TOO!! IF your not in the HET yet you sure want to join it, best dang car club on planet Earth !!



    Bud, I joined the HET Club as soon as I bought my 49 Hudson about a year ago last Feb. I agree that this forum is the best. Probably because most of us are in the older group. Anyway, a great bunch of guys. Richie.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Geoff C., N.Z. wrote:
    The most important thing with all lights is a good ground circuit. If necessary, screw an extra wire to the case of the lamp assembly concerned, and run back to the chassis.



    I think this is in general, good advice for any electrical problem, especially on our 6 volt cars. A good ground is an important starting point for any issues you may experience.
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Ya see how great these bunch of guys are? Just checking this thread and I want to say helpng people is such a wonderful thing. MUCH praise to all you guys out there that help others YOU are the best Phil
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