Weird turn signal problem
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 62
Weird turn signal problem
My 69 has a strange turn signal issue going on, when the ignition switch is in the off position the turn signals still work and they flash at a normal speed, when the ignition switch is on they flash very fast. I've only had the car for about two months, I'm trying to fix all the issues it has. I can tell that the turn signal switch isn't original, it has an adapter harness to connect it to the car's wiring harness. I'm guessing that the problem is in the turn signal switch but I'm not sure. I would like to replace it with a switch that plugs directly into the wiring harness without the need for an adapter harness, is one available new? Has anyone else had this problem? If so what was the cause?
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
My 69 has a strange turn signal issue going on, when the ignition switch is in the off position the turn signals still work and they flash at a normal speed, when the ignition switch is on they flash very fast. I've only had the car for about two months, I'm trying to fix all the issues it has. I can tell that the turn signal switch isn't original, it has an adapter harness to connect it to the car's wiring harness. I'm guessing that the problem is in the turn signal switch but I'm not sure. I would like to replace it with a switch that plugs directly into the wiring harness without the need for an adapter harness, is one available new? Has anyone else had this problem? If so what was the cause?
as far as slow when power off fast when power on,
If I was gonna just toss guesses, when the key is on they are getting far more/better power for some reason, the flasher is getting hotter in turn flashing faster,
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 62
This is one you really might wanna post some pictures, do you mean the switch is the rat rod clamp to column type or just generic of some sort with an adaptor at the wiring,
as far as slow when power off fast when power on,
If I was gonna just toss guesses, when the key is on they are getting far more/better power for some reason, the flasher is getting hotter in turn flashing faster,
as far as slow when power off fast when power on,
If I was gonna just toss guesses, when the key is on they are getting far more/better power for some reason, the flasher is getting hotter in turn flashing faster,
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 62
Does anybody know what the factory GM part number is for a turn signal switch in a 69 vette WITHOUT tilt/telescopic steering? There's a bunch of NOS switches on ebay but most of them don't specify if it's for a car without tilt/telescopic steering. The ones that do specify what it's for are for vettes WITH tilt/telescopic steering. I want to make sure I get the right switch the first time around, I don't want to buy one and then find out it's the wrong one after I take the steering column apart to install it.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Does anybody know what the factory GM part number is for a turn signal switch in a 69 vette WITHOUT tilt/telescopic steering? There's a bunch of NOS switches on ebay but most of them don't specify if it's for a car without tilt/telescopic steering. The ones that do specify what it's for are for vettes WITH tilt/telescopic steering. I want to make sure I get the right switch the first time around, I don't want to buy one and then find out it's the wrong one after I take the steering column apart to install it.
He will know just what you need and also know if a better version is made, some stuff on ebay regardless of where it's made is junk, and that isn't a job you wanna do twice
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 62
Willcox is out of stock of the switch I need. The turn signal switches I'm looking at on ebay are NOS AC Delco turn signal switches, not aftermarket switches. The ones that are offered by Willcox, corvette America, zip, and eckler's are aftermarket reproductions. Given the choice I'd rather have an original NOS AC Delco switch over the reproduction switches offered by the corvette specialty shops which is why I need to find out what the original Delco part number is for a 69 vette turn signal switch without tilt or telescopic steering so that I can get the right NOS AC Delco switch.
Last edited by TheGreek!; Jun 3, 2016 at 06:28 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,452
Likes: 190
From: Zion NC
Have you checked all of your lamps, a lot of cars do a rapid flash when a lamp is dead. With that said, I have no idea about the C3, I haven't had mine running in years. I doubt this is the cause on such an old car.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 62
Update:
I've determined the cause of the rapid turn signal flash, it was the turn signal flasher. I replaced the turn signal flasher and now the signals flash at a "normal" speed. Here's where it gets weird again though, when I remove the hazard light flasher from the fuse box the problem with the turn signals working when the key is off goes away. And the hazard lights still work without the hazard light flasher, they flash using the turn signal flasher. Without the hazard light flasher installed everything seems to work like it should but when you put the hazard light flasher back in place the turn signals will work with the ignition switch in the off position.
I've determined the cause of the rapid turn signal flash, it was the turn signal flasher. I replaced the turn signal flasher and now the signals flash at a "normal" speed. Here's where it gets weird again though, when I remove the hazard light flasher from the fuse box the problem with the turn signals working when the key is off goes away. And the hazard lights still work without the hazard light flasher, they flash using the turn signal flasher. Without the hazard light flasher installed everything seems to work like it should but when you put the hazard light flasher back in place the turn signals will work with the ignition switch in the off position.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
The turn signal switch, hazard switch and even brake lights all work with/through that turn switch, it changes who does what depending on what's pressed, pushed or turned on, when things have bad or no ground odd things will happen, when a bulb it burnt odd things can happen,
My brain never booted today but something isn't wired correctly,
The hazards should not flash using the turn flasher.
the hazards should work even with no key.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 62
The turn signal switch, hazard switch and even brake lights all work with/through that turn switch, it changes who does what depending on what's pressed, pushed or turned on, when things have bad or no ground odd things will happen, when a bulb it burnt odd things can happen,
My brain never booted today but something isn't wired correctly,
The hazards should not flash using the turn flasher.
the hazards should work even with no key.
Last edited by TheGreek!; Jun 4, 2016 at 08:10 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Yeah I'm at a loss now as to what's going on with it. I just tried it again, this time with the hazard light flasher installed and the turn signal flasher removed. The turn signals work using the hazard flasher now and they work with the key in the off position again. The hazards work with the key in the on or off position (like they're supposed to). When I tried it with no hazard flasher and just the turn signal flasher the signals worked like they're supposed to (when the key is in the on position and not when the key is in the off position) and the hazards worked too but only when the key was in the on position. All the bulbs work so I don't think the problem is with a bad bulb. What is wrong with my car? Could the problem be in the turn signal switch?
example, my 87 fiero has a factory flaw to correct it one has to switch the wires on the temp sender and switch two wires in the dash plug,
Anyway, go back to this adaptor plug I believe that is the puzzle piece at the moment.
Things are getting power when they are not suppose to, from what "I saw on the net that adaptor is to make one switch fit more...
Racer
Joined: Jun 2016
Posts: 336
Likes: 29
From: Il.
On the older GM flasher sys. the turn signal flasher unit controls both the turn signals and the em flashers and it does not use two flashers .Maybe the adapter is converting an older style unit to you're newer style vette turn signal system . So if that is the case than you would only need the one flasher than when you install the new original turn signal you'll have to put the em flasher unit back in.
Pete
Pete
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
On the older GM flasher sys. the turn signal flasher unit controls both the turn signals and the em flashers and it does not use two flashers .Maybe the adapter is converting an older style unit to you're newer style vette turn signal system . So if that is the case than you would only need the one flasher than when you install the new original turn signal you'll have to put the em flasher unit back in.
Pete
Pete
but I do believe the adaptor plug is a key to this puzzle.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 62
Does your turn signal switch plug directly into the wiring harness or is there an extension/adapter harness between the plug on the switch and the plug on the harness?
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Mine is tt thought
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 512
Likes: 62
Good news, I fixed the problem, yay! I replaced the turn signal switch and everything is good now, no more weird issues. Everything works like it's supposed to now. The switch was an aftermarket replacement that I bought at a local O'Reilley auto parts store. I know, I said I wanted to use an NOS AC Delco switch but I decided to try an aftermarket switch from a local auto parts store instead because I didn't want to wait a week for an NOS one to arrive from ebay, I wanted to see if I could fix it today. Man what a headache that was, it was a real brain burner trying to figure it out. What made it even worse was working outside on it in the 110 degree heat we had today (I live in Tucson Arizona). I felt like I was gonna melt, lol. Thanks for your input in this thread though, if the turn signals in your 69 ever start doing the strange things that mine did you'll know what to do to fix it.
Last edited by TheGreek!; Jun 5, 2016 at 01:26 AM.
Former Vendor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 76,656
Likes: 1,851
From: Jeffersonville Indiana 812-288-7103
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Good news, I fixed the problem, yay! I replaced the turn signal switch and everything is good now, no more weird issues. Everything works like it's supposed to now. The switch was an aftermarket replacement that I bought at a local O'Reilley auto parts store. I know, I said I wanted to use an NOS AC Delco switch but I decided to try an aftermarket switch from a local auto parts store instead because I didn't want to wait a week for an NOS one to arrive from ebay, I wanted to see if I could fix it today. Man what a headache that was, it was a real brain burner trying to figure it out. What made it even worse was working outside on it in the 110 degree heat we had today (I live in Tucson Arizona). I felt like I was gonna melt, lol. Thanks for your input in this thread though, if the turn signals in your 69 ever start doing the strange things that mine did you'll know what to do to fix it.
Ernie
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Good news, I fixed the problem, yay! I replaced the turn signal switch and everything is good now, no more weird issues. Everything works like it's supposed to now. The switch was an aftermarket replacement that I bought at a local O'Reilley auto parts store. I know, I said I wanted to use an NOS AC Delco switch but I decided to try an aftermarket switch from a local auto parts store instead because I didn't want to wait a week for an NOS one to arrive from ebay, I wanted to see if I could fix it today. Man what a headache that was, it was a real brain burner trying to figure it out. What made it even worse was working outside on it in the 110 degree heat we had today (I live in Tucson Arizona). I felt like I was gonna melt, lol. Thanks for your input in this thread though, if the turn signals in your 69 ever start doing the strange things that mine did you'll know what to do to fix it.
So Tucson, I am in Eustis fl, and it's like a sauna most days, not as high as your numbers but, I saw a bird flying by burst into flames,
There is a part near Tucson I cant get home to Eustis, you hauling any truckloads this way....
