celt69

Hi all! Lots of good info here, been lurking for some time. I have posted this on B-bodies as well. Sorry for the long post on what seems to be a common issue albeit with different twists. Recently purchased a '67 GTX clone and been sorting through previous "fixes". One that has me still stumped is the left year tail, brake and signal light. It was working intermittently and has since quit. New bulb, socket and some wiring (have a new rear harness on order). If I ground the socket I get tail but no signal or brake. All other lights work in the car. I just received a new turn signal switch today but need to figure out how big of a job for my ham hands that will be. My hope is to at least get it working while waiting for the rear harness so I can get my son out and away from the video games ( he LOVES the car)!

DDodger

TS switch should be fairly easy, and depends on how the new switch is set up. If the new switch has no connector, you will have to cut the old one off and crimp / butt splice it back.

Generally, read the shop manual. You can download them at MyMopar

Remove the pins from the connector, tie a fish string to one or two of the wire conductors, remove the screws and pull the switch out, bringing your fish string up. Now you can fish the new one back down.

celt69

Just got home and had a quick look, NOTHING on the drivers rear works (brake, TS or 4 ways) and the TS indicator on the dash does not work for driver's side rear. No turn signal on driver's front and everything works on passenger side front and back. Using a power trouble light I have power to one terminal in the light socket with the key ON, but not enough to light the bulb. If I run a ground to the light socket with the bulb inserted I get a slight glow on the lower of the two filaments. If I turn on the key with the bulb socket grounded I get the upper filament lights brightly (assuming this is the brake filament).

celt69

Not claiming to have a good grasp of the electrical diagrams but I downloaded both the 1966 and 1968 service manuals (couldn't find the 1967 for some reason) and while looking at 1968 schematics it would appear to my novice electrical skills that the wiper motor circuit ALSO has some connection to the TS switch? If I am correct (and likely I am not) I would have another smoking gun pointing to the TS switch as the wiper motor won't seem to shut off or park completely all the time (have them parked now and just disconnected power to them). Am I correct here?

celt69

Two things upon further examination: the new switch terminates in the metal clips (brass)? that would plug into the connector. I disconnected the the white plastic connector under the steering column but will have to remove the old wires/clips from the connector before fishing through the steering column. Apologies for the simplistic question but how do I do that without messing up the white plastic connector? The second thing is the new switch (M&H from YearOne - 67-69A body and 67-69B body) has only seven wires while the old harness has eight that includes an orange wire that my new switch does not have. What is the orange wire for?

DDodger

So far as the 67 manual, in this case "you have to get inventive." Download the 67 Dodge manual, Charger / Coronet would be the same as your GTX for wiring and many other chassis (non body) issues.

The 66 Plymouth manual would be very close in many ways and perhaps just as accurate

If the wiper is tied in, they were simply using it as an electrical junction point. The older cars were certainly not fused as well as say, the 73 and later

At this point I would certainly eliminate the "rear wire" and it's connections. You can probe the column connector for the left/ right rear wires, but you say, the dash indicator also doesn't work? That again points to the switch

I'll have to double check, orange is almost always dash lights, so that would be for the shift quadrant on a column shift.

celt69

Thanks DDodger, you are correct, the dash indicator for left side does not work (was working last week). I do have functioning dash lights and dome light and any searches I have done seem to point to the orange lead being the "column shift light" which is of no importance to me as I have a console shift, I hope I am correct in my assumption before I begin cutting wires at the white plastic connector!! I just need to figure out how to get the brass tips of the existing TS switch wiring out of the white plastic box without wrecking anything, have not any experience with one of these before and don't want to make any "fatal errors"!!

Really appreciate your input, thank you!

TVLynn

I would start checking the grounds...The turn signal switch, the hard part is getting the steering wheel apart. Sometimes you have to remove the wires from the old connector pins and install the new wires in the connector If you have to cut the wires ? wrap a heavy string/wire around them and pull it up thru the steering wheel when removing the wires..

celt69

Well, changed the TS switch and now have happy, functioning tails, brakes and TS on both sides!!

Thank you everyone for the help and ideas, much appreciated!

PS. the orange lead was for a column shift indicator light!

DDodger

Good job!!. "n' yah" I told you about the orange LOL. Orange is the one color that is ALWAYS dash lighting.

celt69

You were correct DDodger! Was a little worried when I first seen the "extra" wire, once I had the column apart it was pretty clear at that point.

On to the next project, shifter replacement and new hood scoop (replace the '62-'65 style with an appropriate 5" RO23 style).

Cheers!

celt69

Update, now have self cancelling signals, functioning brake lights but with car RUNNING tail lights illuminate, although left rear is brighter (maybe brake filament lighting up or maybe brighter due to new socket on that side). Not a huge problem as I still get brake lights and both signals so I am drivable. The rear harness has been hacked into by the previous owner and I have a new replacement on order from YearOne but I am thinking I still have ground issues somewhere on the car. Perhaps the bulkhead connector may be another possible problem spot besides ground issues? As the car is now drivable I am happy but the OCD in me needs me to figure this one out

DDodger

Very first thing to check on the bright / dim issue is GROUNDING at the socket.

Next suspect one of the bulbs. Check the bulb numbers. "I guess you know" the bulbs are designed to only go in one way. In rusted sockets, they might "get" forced in 1/2 turn off, causing the tail and brake filament to be reversed.

Last suspect that the pigtail is either installed wrong, or the index is broken off the insulator.

Glad you are making progress.