Ford Bronco Electrical help.

Hey all,

Working on a project car a 1988 ford bronco 5.8 and am having some electrical problems, was wondering if anyone would be willing to offer some advice.

The problem: Blinkers do not work, Hazards will blink but front driver turn signal wont.

Ive replaced the fuses, and at the fuse box test shows power should be going to blinkers.

Ive replaced bulbs, voltage test on actual bulb socket show no power on driver front blinker.

Ive pulled the steering wheel off and am checking the wring at the clicker signal switch and no power.

Im thinking I may need to pull the whole column and replace the switch and new wiring, which seems like a pain in the ass.

Was wondering if anyone knows what I could be missing as I am hesitant to do the switch it self if there could be another solution.

Get a toner with alligator clips, tone from one side to the other. At least this way you'll know if it's a wiring issue.

I had similar issues with a Ford Contour, turned out to be a faulty switch behind the dash. It was, as you said, a PITA.

Good luck!

clean the battery earth or just hit everything with a hammer.

whats a toner? you mean a multimeter?

Originally posted by TinkerHaus
Get a toner with alligator clips, tone from one side to the other. At least this way you'll know if it's a wiring issue.

I had similar issues with a Ford Contour, turned out to be a faulty switch behind the dash. It was, as you said, a PITA.

Good luck!

Cool, thats a good idea, will go try that right now actually!

thanks.

if it turns out to be the combination switch, you can usually pull those apart and clean up the contacts 'n save some money.

go here, best site ever..

www.ford-trucks.com...

Originally posted by Rikku
clean the battery earth or just hit everything with a hammer.

whats a toner? you mean a multimeter?

edit on 20-7-2013 by Rikku because: (no reason given)

No, a multimeter and a toner are two different things.

www.google.com

Love ya, Rikku!

Originally posted by baddmove
go here, best site ever..

www.ford-trucks.com...

Lol, yeah I have been waiting for a response to my thread post there all mourning.

ATS just replies a whole lot faster.

reply to post by TinkerHaus
cheeky bastard sending me to google.
it says toner is for skin or a printer.

reply to post by benrl



First I want to say that this is a shot in the dark. And it shows how dense we can be sometimes, even when we know better.

I had a blinker go out recently. Changed the bulb. Turn signal didn't work. Emergency blinkers worked, but no turn signal. While mentally considering a few troubleshooting steps, I was standing there scratching my head when my brother said, "Turn the key on."

The key has to be in the "start" position--the position just shy of cranking the starter; either that or the engine has to be running. And I knew that. But....

Sorry if that sounds condescending--but there's a remote possibility I'm not wasting effort.

Originally posted by Rikku
reply to post by TinkerHaus

 

cheeky bastard sending me to google.
it says toner is for skin or a printer.

Tone generator, he's talking about. Basically a continuity tester....

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
reply to post by benrl

 

First I want to say that this is a shot in the dark. And it shows how dense we can be sometimes, even when we know better.

I had a blinker go out recently. Changed the bulb. Turn signal didn't work. Emergency blinkers worked, but no turn signal. While mentally considering a few troubleshooting steps, I was standing there scratching my head when my brother said, "Turn the key on."

The key has to be in the "start" position--the position just shy of cranking the starter; either that or the engine has to be running.

Sorry if that sounds condescending--but it happened to me....

True, however the light still wont flash with hazards, the others will all except for the front driver, why im thinking it could be a faulty ground as well...

reply to post by benrl


Oh, sorry. I guess I misread. I thought you said hazards were working.

Never mind....

Originally posted by Ex_CT2
reply to post by benrl

 

Oh, sorry. I guess I misread. I thought you said hazards were working.

Never mind....

Oh no they are, but the one light is not, blinkers dont work for signalling, yet three work for hazards (same lights different trigger source)

I think the dead light on the driver side is killing the blinker system some how, just not sure what is causing the light to not work.

LMAO!!, There's an automotive category on ATS? Well, it beats the Zimmerman B# threads. And I actually learned something here!

The relay? (little switcher box) Im assuming you've changed bulbs to new ones (all at the same time from the same purchase)? And, youre sure they are the correct # bulbs for that vehicle, model and year?
1. If one lights up and 1 doesn't? Bulbs.
2. If all lights up and no blinking? Relay.
3. If some parts of each works on some and other ones dont work like them? Need uniform, all new bulbs.
4. If all parts of all bulbs are new and work but dont blink? Relay or wiring.

Does the back blinker work on that side? If I remember there are three relays. one for the left blinkers, one for the right, and one for the emergency lights. I had an 88 f150. I also had a problem with some coroded grounds. One was behind the back light housing when you took out the back passenger side lite, and I had a problem with one on the front radiator support frame. The one in the back knocked out the blinker on the passenger side and gave me a trouble code for emissions. When I fixed it, my gas milage increased about twenty percent. Have no clue why, it may have gone into safety mode.

My extensive experience on car electrics has led me to a list of items to look for. These are in order.

1. Earth. Check it! Take a tester of whatever type, connect one end to the battery negative and check from the earth of the light globe. Especially with older cars the earth is your number one problem.

2 Check if you have voltage at the globe. When you make this check use a good earth and the best earth is the battery negative. This can save a great deal of time, if the voltage is there you have an earth fault and if it is not then simply trace the wire all the way back checking every now and then for power. A dress making pin, through the wire will always give you a test point.

3. Check the connection between the engine block and the battery negative. If this fails or is corroded it can play havoc with any thing.

P

Originally posted by UFO1414
LMAO!!, There's an automotive category on ATS?

Well, it beats the Zimmerman B# threads. And I actually learned something here!

Yeah I know crazy right? there are a ton of misc forums on ATS that you'd never even guess, I remember a few times going into a thread like WTF why is this even on here , that on second look was like well ill be damned there is a forum for that here.

Okay it got too dark for me to still be working, what I decided was to by the wire and clicker harness and all, to test it to see there, and if that didn't work first thing in the mourning Ill be checking all the grounding.

reply to post by TinkerHaus


Bingo, did the alligator clips from the wire harness at the base of the steering column and to the clicker at the wheel.

cut the harness off and pulled the wire, the wires about half way up the column had melted and fused, reran wires individual problem solved.

Now on to the other problems.