My son's '50 GMC has the typical big chrome turn signal switch clamped to
the column. Recently it quit working, so I replaced the 14amp fuse. It
immediately blew out again. I opened up the switch, and saw the blue wire
to the interior bulb (that flashes on-off with the signals) was broken -
apparently from years of flexing back and forth in the switch. It has
shorted against metal inside and was blowing the fuse. I soldered the wire
back into the back of the bulb socket. It would then light up, but no
blinking occurred when the lever was moved either way. So I replaced the
3-prong flasher relay with another 3-prong relay. Now the turn signals work
OK, and the interior switch light blinks on and off with the signals. BUT,
when in the middle "rest" position, the light remains on, illuminating the
middle red lens which is the indicator for the emergency flashers.
So I took the switch apart again to check nothing was grounding that
shouldn't. But the blue wire to the socket seems always "hot", when it
seems it should only be carrying current when either the turn signals are
on, or the emergency flashes are activated. I checked to be sure the
flasher relay is wired right, and it is. I even tried connecting the lead
to the switch for the outer turn signals, to the internal lamp, hoping the
lamp would only illuminate when the outside bulbs were blinking. No go.
The internal light still stays on.
I then tried a 2-prong relay, jumping the black and blue wires together as
in the scematic option in the instructions that came with the switch. Same
problem.
Finally I unplugged the blue lead from the flasher, so the turn signals can
be used by my son when he drives the truck, although the internal indicator
light is not operating (and not staying on all the time, running down the
battery).
Any ideas out there? I'm really pretty good at understanding how things
work, and trouble-shooting problems, but this one has me stumped!
Thanks,
Dave Destler
West Hills, CA
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