Signal Lights

Dave Crace · #1 (**permalink**) 06-27-2002, 06:13 PM

Bob,
My signal lights recently went out. All fuses appear intact, brake lights and running lights work. What should I check out to find the problem.

Thanks,
David

patrija · #2 (**permalink**) 06-27-2002, 07:06 PM

umm.....bulbs?

Whaler · #3 (**permalink**) 06-27-2002, 08:03 PM

Assuming you have the square taillights which have the brake lights sharing the filament and you say you have brake lights.
I would guess it may be the blinker module itself.
It is common to both left and right.

just a guess

Tim

Dave Crace · #4 (**permalink**) 06-28-2002, 04:03 AM

Tim,
Yes, square lights share the same filament. Wonder how common these relays are. I'll take it to the parts store where they will give me that brook trout stare.

Jason,
Bulbs are working thank you very much. Don't you have some pushrods to straighten? Come down to Roebling and I'll show you my tail lights

Bob Putnam · #5 (**permalink**) 06-28-2002, 04:52 AM

The following assumes that the front signal lights aren't working either:

The signal lights are on fuse 4, the brake lights on fuse 5. However, fuse 4 also services the fan and voltage regulator, so if the car is charging, you don't even have to check the fuse.

Check the connectors at 8 in the wiring harness, and the connection between the gang connectors C and D.

And the flasher.

Dave Crace · #6 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 04:42 PM

Bob,
I have replaced the flasher with a napa round 12V flasher. The signals work, but the green dash light stays on constant now

I couldn't find a square flasher like the one on the car (Buss 180). Do I need this particular flasher?

DC

Whaler · #7 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 07:51 PM

Thats weird because the signal light indicator on the dash should only be parallel with the signal lights left or right

No wiring has been changed at all, simply a flasher module. Being that it's not the exact same one you had originally I would bet the pinout may be different on the moodule.Somehow its firing the indicator. Does the indicator do anything while the signal lights are flashing?

Tim

Specialk · #8 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 07:57 PM

A little off topic, but Dave, I noticed you have an FE powered FIA! Sounds like a sweet combo. Do you have any photos to post? Thanks.

zimmy · #9 (**permalink**) 07-17-2002, 09:51 PM

DC:

I have an old Contemporary, but I am having problems with my blinkers not working very well. I, too, changed the flasher - mine is a 550 and I replaced it with a new 550 to see if that was the problem. With the new one installed, the indicator light is on all the time also. The old one works fine. I wonder if flasher design has changed. Makes no sense to me.

Also can someone familiar with Contemporary wiring explain to me the use of the trailer converter in the lights circuit? I am thinking that it is causing my light problems but I'm not sure how to test it or replace it. It doesn't have a number or a detailed wiring diagram. My Contemporary instructions only tell you which wire in their harness goes where. If any one has a wiring diagram for a Contemporary or similar, I would love to see it. I would like to rewire the system but I'm not sure how.

Dave Crace · #10 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002, 03:39 PM

Tim (Whaler), the indicator light blinks like it is supposed to when the signals are turned on then stays on when they are shut off. The pins line up perfectly, so it must be the configuration of the flasher?

Zimmy, down a few threads Bob has a diagram of ERA's trailer converter, maybe yours is similar. I think my problem is definitely in the flasher since the signals do not work at all with the old one.

SpecialK, I have some pics but the files are too big. I need to get off my a$$ and figure out how to post them.

DC

zimmy · #11 (**permalink**) 07-18-2002, 04:39 PM

Talking today with Bill Connoly of Upstates Replicas (old Contemporary dealer), he pointed out that the flasher unit needs to be a "Heavy Duty" model, otherwise the indicator light will stay on. I'll try this and let you know. The standard 550 flasher that I tried did flash the bulbs but would keep the indicator on when the blinkers weren't flashing.

ToyCollector · #12 (**permalink**) 07-21-2002, 06:57 PM

Dave, now be nice to Jason...944 taillights are real bright! Hey Jason, you got that push rod straight yet, or was it donated to some university for metalurgy stress study??? Dave, it was great to see you last night at the Canton Cruise-In. All you GA owners--this is a SERIOUS car show. Photographers from Hot Rod Magazine were there. I doubt they caught SPF250, but definitely worth a get together next month potentially!! I am most likely to be seen at my neighborhood CVS flipping through Hot Rod until I see pics of last night's event.

patrija · #13 (**permalink**) 07-21-2002, 07:08 PM

Mike - Sounds like fun! Maybe I'll see if I can bring that red Diablo out again. BTW, if you do ever want to sell that HD, I may be interested.

Dave - Now that you're one of the "pretty porsche people", does that you you don't hang out with us "cobra people" anymore? Hope you had a good time xCrossing.

Bob Putnam · #14 (**permalink**) 07-22-2002, 04:51 AM

Dave,

If your indicator light is working "backward", try another flasher. Definitely a problem that I've never seen before.

Zimmy,

The tail light converter allows a single filament on each side to do double-duty as the brake and signal. Normally, it's done with a special signal switch, but with the Cobra it was done with a relay.

The trailer relay converts the electrical signals from a car with separate brake and signal lights to a trailer with a system with shared lights - the equivalent to the Cobra. Generally, they either work or they don't, so if yours is just erratic, I'd check other components first. The relays are very sensitive to malfunctions of a single light.