Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Topic: Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny (Read 1497 times) previous topic - next topic

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

July 14, 2011, 11:30:11 AM

OK, Car is 88 Turbocoupe with 302 swap, these problems were before the swap as well. The tc sat for 10 years in boxes when I got it. The dash was laying in the floor and none of the switches were in the dash. I pulled everything from a donor and put it back together and it behaved in that, the dinger worked and the blinkers worked, but the inside indicator for the blinkers does not. Sometimes the inside indicator for the right blinker does work. The harness going to the ignition switch caught fire once but that has since been fixed, and the dinger may or may not worked at that point. Now it works occasionally but is faint.Mice have chewed some of the wires as well. Am I having a grounding problem? Everything else works in the car, all switches, radio, moonroof, interior lights.

Ideas suggestions?

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #1 – July 15, 2011, 01:23:44 PM

The silence reaffirms my fear that this is going to be a painful project. My over all goal is to build this car to what I want it to do. I just ordered couple hundred dollars worth of suspension goodies, AOD is next, and in between gathering parts for Fuel Injection. Would I be better off Rewiring it with a universal summit harness since 90% of the factory systems are going away? Teeves Brakes are so far the only thing on my car that kinda sorta works, ABS is a no go. Might do VAC brake conversion in the near future.

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #2 – July 15, 2011, 02:05:31 PM

You may have multiple problems going on here. If you're positive that the ignition switch wires are in good order then read on; otherwise look there first.

First thing to change is the ignition switch. While you're in there, check the purple wire to the ignition tumbler (where the key is inserted); it likes to get pinched and can intermittently work the key-in chime.

If your chime is faint but still working, the module is probably dying. Common problem. Just have to change the module out to solve that.

Also, if the new ignition switch doesn't solve the turn signal issue then you may have a bad t/s switch.

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #3 – July 15, 2011, 03:04:43 PM

Sorry should of said earlier, replaced ignition switch at time of harness fire. I figured that is what casued it. If it was the Turn signal switch then my outside blinkers wouldn't work either would they? Also the hi beam indicator doesn't work. I know the bulbs are good in the cluster.

Seperate questions: My car also has the electronic temp controls and when I start the car if it has sat for more than a few days, the blower kicks on high unless I turn it off.

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #4 – July 15, 2011, 03:06:16 PM

Also were is the relay for the dinger? I'll try changing it first. I think I'm going to have to break down and pull the dash out, I'm pretty sure it was apart before I got the car and no telling what I might find.

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #5 – July 24, 2011, 02:32:59 AM

ok, heres what I can tell you...

1. You might not have to replace your dinger. Mine was always faint as well, then one day I took it out and took it apart. There is a chime in there that is held in by a magnet and you can just pull it out. If you play with it a bit while its in there, you will notice that you can make the ding quieter or louder by wiggling it just the right way. All I had to do to fix mine was file down either the both of the outside legs or the single inside leg (I can't remember which, you'll just have to figure that out when you play with it, but I think it was the middle leg) just a tiny bit to get that full ding in there and it was fixed.

2. If you indicator bulbs are not working, It is probably because the sockets aren't getting a good connection to the circuit board. I had that problem with more than one light. Best way to tell that is to pull the cluster as far out as you can while leaving it hooked up, and take the problem indicator sockets out, pry up on the pr0ngs on the sockets (away from the socket, towards the top of the bulb) and then put them back on the cluster. Try wiggling them and twisting a little till you see them come on. (Make sure of course that your bright beam/turnsignals/etc are on when you do the test) If this doesn't solve your problem, then there is definitely more going on here. If it does, then things may be a little simpler than you think. Hopefully, that is the case.

3. Also, another way to tell if you have grounding problem and that its not bad sockets, is to take the cluster out of the dash, and trace the circuit that powers the bad indicators, follow it to where the wire harness plugs into it, and then take a test light and see if you can get a signal from the wire harness itself- if you don't feel like tracing then according to coolcats, and assuming you have a base cluster,

the high beam indicator is at #10 on the brown plug, and is a Light green/black wire
your right side turn signal is at #16 on the gray plug, and is a White/light blue wire
your left side turn signal is at #17 on the gray plug, and is a Light green/white wire,

and you should just be able to test those wires/plugs if you want to

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #6 – July 24, 2011, 08:55:11 AM

I'd be taking a look at where the connectors attach to the back of the speedo cluster, too. They have been known to corrode, crack, and make poor connections

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #7 – July 24, 2011, 09:49:00 AM

Quote from: Thunder Chicken;363921

I'd be taking a look at where the connectors attach to the back of the speedo cluster, too. They have been known to corrode, crack, and make poor connections

Yes, and I forgot to mention that also make sure the circuit connection points are all straight and where they belong. First time I took mine out I realized that some were crinkled up and not even touching the harness when it was plugged in.

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #8 – July 26, 2011, 09:20:29 AM

Thanks for the follow up guys. I swapped clusters and the issue persists with the bulbs, swapped dinger and now is audible.
In the near future I'm doing a custom set of gauges and thinking of doing a universal rewire kit as my current harness scares me. Lots of bare places where mice chewed on it in the barn (previous life before I got it).

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #9 – July 26, 2011, 08:22:31 PM

did you try a test light on the harness like I suggested?

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #10 – July 27, 2011, 09:11:47 AM

No, I actualy went home before your post got up and did that other stuff before reading. Supposed to head back down there the 6th for my niece's bday party will try it then. Thanks :)

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #11 – July 27, 2011, 08:42:39 PM

Ahh. didn't realize you didn't have the car. Ok well let us know;)

Gremlins, dinger not working and blinkers acting funny

Reply #12 – July 28, 2011, 09:57:25 AM

Ya its 3 hours away. Which sucks. Think I'm going to put AOD and suspension parts on, then bring it up here. Everything mechanical from bumper to bumper is new. I can probably get away with working on interior and wiring at the apartment.