Emergency Flashers & Turn Signals

[wthom4]

Right side (front and back) turn signals and emergency flashers (both sides) stopped working. Left turn signal works fine. Thoughts on where you'd start to diagnose this problem? Bulbs have been replaced but no improvement. 1982 Dodge Power Ram.

[SubGothius]

Checked fuses? Many vehicles have separate fuses for different sides or ends of the signals, not sure if that's the case for our trucks tho'.

[wthom4]

Fuses all look and checked good.

[FMS88]

Fuses all look and checked good.

Check the turn signal and hazard relays and the hazard switch. Here's the electrical section from a manuals thread that has a wiring diagram of the Gen 1 signal circuit (page 8-81). Hopefully it helps.

http://www.mightyram50.net/d-50/Fact...ELECTRICAL.pdf

[wthom4]

Thanks. Will check it out and report back. "Relays" = Flasher Units on page 8-81, right?

[FMS88]

Thanks. Will check it out and report back. "Relays" = Flasher Units on page 8-81, right?

Yes. On the diagram they're labeled as "units." Especially check the hazard warning switch. On Gen 2 trucks the signals fail if the hazard switch has problems. From the diagram it looks that could be the case with the Gen 1 trucks, too. Often it's just a matter of exercising the switch a few times to get everything working again.

[wthom4]

Thanks. Exercising the switch didn't do anything for me. I guess I'll change the flasher relays next. Once I get them unplugged I'll put a test light on the wires that plug into the relays. It's odd that the turn signals work on one side though, right?

[SubGothius]

I think the turn and hazard flashers may be labeled backwards in that diagram? Anyway, they're separate units unlikely to both go bad together, and each feed separate power wires into the flasher switch, so if the same lights don't flash for both turns and hazards, I'd suspect the hazard switch as the more likely culprit.

It's not just an on/off switch but also changes the circuit paths from turn to hazard modes, so that makes it a potential single point of failure for both modes. If not that, then the fault must be somewhere along the single wire that leads from the hazard switch to the junction point where it splits off to front and rear for that side, maybe even that junction itself.

[wthom4]

Just to be clear--left turn signals work (front and back), no right turn signal works, and no hazard lights work. By unplugging what I thought was the hazard flasher (the one on the left), I made it so no flasher worked, not right not left, not hazard. By the way, on my '82 the turn and hazard flashers don't look at all the same. One is cylindrical and one is square. I unplugged the square one (on the left) and then had no flashers.

The fact that the left turn signal flashes, I think, means the flasher isn't the problem.

The fact that one side turn signal (front and back) works makes me think it is NOT the hazard switch. Does that make sense or not so much?

Another clue: If I turn on (pull out) the hazard flasher switch the left turn signal stops blinking so that makes me think it is working correctly insofar as it "changes the circuit paths from turn to hazard mode."

I'll go look for the wire/junction point.

Thanks. Appreciate your input.

I believe the black square one is turn flasher and cylindrical metal one is hazard

[FMS88]

Per the diagram, both wires to the hazard relay are green, so the cylindrical unit should be the hazard's. If both the hazard and right turn lights stopped working at the same time, I'd suspect the combination switch behind the steering wheel. Got an ohm meter? You can use it to verify continuity at connectors and ground points, and between the switch's harness connector pins based on the position of the turn signal switch or the hazard switch. For instance, with the turn signal lever in the right turn position, you should find continuity between pins #6 and #8 in the switch's 10 pin harness connector. (See page 8-82.) If not, the fault is likely in the switch.

[wthom4]

I appreciate the input. Will investigate.

[wthom4]

In the process of futzing with the harness connector, the turn signal problem resolved itself. Hazard flashers still not working. I’m going to take this as a win for now and revisit when I have more time. Thanks for all the help.