Ken, I would start at the fuse panel. Check for good contact between the
fuses and the metal clips that hold them. Over the years, the clips lose
tension and hence a poor contact results. They can also get corroded.
Clean the contacts and gently squeeze the clips toward each other. Once
this is checked out go to the indicator lights and check for good
connections on both the hot and ground wires. Often the bulbs and
connectors get corroded too. You can also have problems of grounding
between the socket holder and the reflector assembly.
The fact that the 4-ways work OK and the indicators don't is that the
current load is higher for the 4 lights flashing versus only 2 for the
turn signals. The higher current allows the flasher heat up enough to
flash. Poor grounds or corroded contacts present a resist connection and
prevent full current load for the turn signal operation.
I've also had my 4-way switch out and dis-assembled and contacts cleaned
but unless your are very confident in this don't touch it. It is
probably OK anyway.
Good luck.
Vic Whitmore
76 Spitfire
Thornhill, Ontario
Kevin B. Rhodes wrote:
>
> All this talk of flashers has me wondering about my current flasher trouble
> - My 77 Spit has one flasher unit for both turn signals and flashers. The
> problem started as right blinker would work fine - good strong blink on the
> indicator lamp on the dash. Intermittently the left blinker would be very
> dim, barely flashing at all. One other interesting tidbit is that the
> indicator lamp on the dash was lit whenever the ignition was on, and would
> blink off and on when the turn signal was activated. In trying to diagnose
> this problem I fished the flasher unit out from behind the dash to take a
> look at it. The DPO had wired some sort of extension harness into the
> plastic block that (I assume) the flasher unit is supposed to plug into.
> The harness connects two of the wires coming out of the plastic block
> together, then the two remaining wires where plugged into only two
> connectors of a three connector flasher unit. I removed all of this mess
> and bought a new flasher unit and plugged it directly in. For a while
> (several days) the turn signals worked fine in both directions. However,
> now the indicator lamp is only on when the turn signals or hazards are
> actually flashing - it is normally off. Last night they quit working in
> both directions! The hazards still work fine! I am pretty stumped at this
> point, other than I plan to take the dash out and trace all the wires and
> make sure all of the connections are good. I sure would appreciate some
> guidance here though!
>
> -Kevin Rhodes
> Freddy the Spitfire
>
> Also - thanks for all the exhaust info - of course I tempted fate by asking
> - I hit a major hump in the road last night and pulled the center pipe half
> off the header (**&^*&%%) !!! I haven't grounded out the G-D thing in ages.
> Of course, it would help if my roommate and I slimmed down a bit (475lbs
> between the two of us)
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