Re: 23rd Series - Flasher Plug Wiring
Posted by HH56 On 2024/2/22 16:14:25
Dirty or corroded grounds are a big issue with Packard lights that mount their sockets in pot metal housings. Dirty switches and terminal connections can be another issue. Either could be part of the problem but LED bulbs can also be someone troublesome since their resistance characteristics and current requirements are so different than incandescent bulbs. The outside bulbs are in parallel so if one side is brighter that kind of indicates there is some extra resistance somewhere in the system.
All I can suggest is go thru and clean every terminal you can reach and pay special attention to the tail and park light housing assys where they bolt to the sheet metal. Rust and corrosion issues are well known around the studs and nuts that make the connection between sheet and pot metal. On some housings there is even a corrosion issue where the sockets are crimped to the pot metal. In some cases it has been so bad a separate ground wire had to be directly connected to the socket and run to a good ground on the sheet metal. If cleaning does not help there could be an issue with a dirty contact in the switch and that requires a bit of work to find and repair.
Not sure what updated flasher you are using but LED replacements are fussy and require an electronic flasher that is not dependent on a specific resistance or else you need to add resistors at each bulb to get in the proper working range. Some of the modern flashers that say they are a replacement and will work to replace an old thermal flasher on a car are designed for negative ground. They have a thermal element which works the outside lights adequately but have a transistor to work the dash indicator light. The transistor is the wrong type for positive ground so will not let the indicator light flash.
You have probably seen this drawing before but here is the turn signal system isolated from the rest of the car wiring.
Attach file:
49-56 Turn Signal Extraction2.jpg (724.10 KB)
All I can suggest is go thru and clean every terminal you can reach and pay special attention to the tail and park light housing assys where they bolt to the sheet metal. Rust and corrosion issues are well known around the studs and nuts that make the connection between sheet and pot metal. On some housings there is even a corrosion issue where the sockets are crimped to the pot metal. In some cases it has been so bad a separate ground wire had to be directly connected to the socket and run to a good ground on the sheet metal. If cleaning does not help there could be an issue with a dirty contact in the switch and that requires a bit of work to find and repair.
Not sure what updated flasher you are using but LED replacements are fussy and require an electronic flasher that is not dependent on a specific resistance or else you need to add resistors at each bulb to get in the proper working range. Some of the modern flashers that say they are a replacement and will work to replace an old thermal flasher on a car are designed for negative ground. They have a thermal element which works the outside lights adequately but have a transistor to work the dash indicator light. The transistor is the wrong type for positive ground so will not let the indicator light flash.
You have probably seen this drawing before but here is the turn signal system isolated from the rest of the car wiring.
Attach file:
49-56 Turn Signal Extraction2.jpg (724.10 KB)
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