[Johnny Pulvis]

Hello,
I really need some help here. I have a 1967 Galaxie XL convertible, 390 with an automatic. The previous owner said the directionals did not work and the flasher was making the tail lights and dash lights blink. I have replaced the directional cam and wiring harness, flasher, headlight switch as well as installing a new fuse panel. This problem continues! I have noted with the new headlight switch if I turn the Dome light all the way to dim, the flashing stops, but then the directionals don’t work (flash). This problem presents itself when the ignition is at accessory or the car is running. I have checked and double checked my work but cannot seem to find the problem. The wiring diagram is not crystal clear on this. Could the ignition switch be bad or the neutral safety switch?
Thanks in advance for any feedback

 

[m in sc]

check the tail light wiring in the trunk.

 

[289Galaxie]

There's actually two flashers in your car. I believe one is for the turn signals and the other is for the four ways. The second flasher is pretty hard to find as it's way up in the wiring harness. Don't know if it's part of your problem but you may want to check it out as well.

 

[rickyracer1983]

Check your grounds and check for frayed wiring that is grounding. Sounds like a back feed.

 

[Kenny nunez]

It could even be a broken filament in one of the 4 turn signal bulbs connecting the parking light filament to the turn signal filament.

 

[Johnny Pulvis]

There's actually two flashers in your car. I believe one is for the turn signals and the other is for the four ways. The second flasher is pretty hard to find as it's way up in the wiring harness. Don't know if it's part of your problem but you may want to check it out as well.

These are all great ideas. I have already checked all of the bulbs replaced them with incandescent’s and LED’s and checked them again. The turn signal flasher was replaced with a new incandescent type and then an LED type. Again everything was tested but the problem persists. I have not changed the emergency flasher, which I’ll do today.
One more question; can anyone tell me if their dash lights flash when they turn on the emergency flashers?
Thanks for all the feedback.

 

[m in sc]

mine in the 66 do.

 

[289Galaxie]

I'm guessing you're talking about both turn signal indicators in the dash, not all the dash lights so the answer is yes in my '67.

 

[Johnny Pulvis]

Just performed a test.
1. With emergency flasher on both turn signal indicators and all for exterior directional lights flash, as designed.
2. With the ignition on, the headlights off, the dashboard lights flash, rear directionals and license plate bulbs flash.
Ideas?

 

[DesertXL]

Just performed a test.
1. With emergency flasher on both turn signal indicators and all for exterior directional lights flash, as designed.
2. With the ignition on, the headlights off, the dashboard lights flash, rear directionals and license plate bulbs flash.
Ideas?

Hello Johnny Pulvis,

If I understand this right:

1.) The emergency flashers function correctly with the ignition on or off?

2.) Only when you turn the ignition switch to run or acc the parking lamps are indeed flashing? By parking lamps I mean the low intensity filaments in each rear tail lamp and low intensity filaments in the front turn signals along with the instrumentation back lighting and license plate lamp.

3.) When you rotate the headlamp knob, which is the instrument panel back light intensity control, the flashing can be made to halt?

If the above is in fact the case, it sounds like the turn signal flasher (not the emergency flasher) has made a connection to the instrumentation back light circuit. The turn signal (directional) flasher is powered from the ignition switch, however the other terminal of this flasher should route to the turn signal switch but instead it sounds like it was routed to the blue with red striped wires under the dash which is the instrumentation back light feed. When you rotate the headlamp switch (dimmer for these lamps) you are effectively back feeding into the rest of the parking lamps and causing them to flash as in the full dim position the instrumentation back light lamps do not draw enough power to activate the thermal flasher.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

 

[Johnny Pulvis]

Hello Johnny Pulvis,

If I understand this right:

1.) The emergency flashers function correctly with the ignition on or off?

2.) Only when you turn the ignition switch to run or acc the parking lamps are indeed flashing? By parking lamps I mean the low intensity filaments in each rear tail lamp and low intensity filaments in the front turn signals along with the instrumentation back lighting and license plate lamp.

3.) When you rotate the headlamp knob, which is the instrument panel back light intensity control, the flashing can be made to halt?

If the above is in fact the case, it sounds like the turn signal flasher (not the emergency flasher) has made a connection to the instrumentation back light circuit. The turn signal (directional) flasher is powered from the ignition switch, however the other terminal of this flasher should route to the turn signal switch but instead it sounds like it was routed to the blue with red striped wires under the dash which is the instrumentation back light feed. When you rotate the headlamp switch (dimmer for these lamps) you are effectively back feeding into the rest of the parking lamps and causing them to flash as in the full dim position the instrumentation back light lamps do not draw enough power to activate the thermal flasher.

Hope that helps.

Cheers

DesertXL
First, thanks for the reply.
Here are the answers to your questions.
1. The emergency flashers work with the ignition on or off. The emergency Flasher is indeed working this circuit.
2. When the ignition is at run or acc. the rear tails lights (not the fronts) the instrument back lights and the license plate lamp all blink.
3. When I rotate the headlamp knob the flashing can be made to stop at the tail and license plate lamps. However the instrument back panel lights continue to blink.

I have verified the turn signal flasher is operating during this anomaly. The two factory leads that go to it are the #8 Wire Orange W/Yellow Stripe and the #44 Wire Blue (this checks with the shop manual schematic).
The #14401 Plug has been checked and I have also verified #44 wire on both sides.

This morning I checked and tightened the trunk wiring.
Still no change.

Just performed a test.
1. With emergency flasher on both turn signal indicators and all for exterior directional lights flash, as designed.
2. With the ignition on, the headlights off, the dashboard lights flash, rear directionals and license plate bulbs flash.
Ideas?

 

[Johnny Pulvis]

The schematics I’m using.

 

[DesertXL]

DesertXL
First, thanks for the reply.
Here are the answers to your questions.
1. The emergency flashers work with the ignition on or off. The emergency Flasher is indeed working this circuit.
2. When the ignition is at run or acc. the rear tails lights (not the fronts) the instrument back lights and the license plate lamp all blink.
3. When I rotate the headlamp knob the flashing can be made to stop at the tail and license plate lamps. However the instrument back panel lights continue to blink.

I have verified the turn signal flasher is operating during this anomaly. The two factory leads that go to it are the #8 Wire Orange W/Yellow Stripe and the #44 Wire Blue (this checks with the shop manual schematic).
The #14401 Plug has been checked and I have also verified #44 wire on both sides.

This morning I checked and tightened the trunk wiring.
Still no change.

Hello Johnny Pulvis,

Diagnosing these kinds of oddball problems can be tricky from afar. However I think from what you told me here, circuit 44 is connected to the light blue w/red strip wire under the dash somewhere. That's my current assumption and the rear tail lamps are flashing on the low wattage (running/parking) filament and not the high wattage (brake/turn) filament. However lets see if we can't narrow this down or confirm that with some more questions.

1.) What happens when you have the ign. key in run or acc. with the tail lamps and license lamp blinking and you step on the brake pedal? Do the rear tail lamps light up bright and the license lamp still blinking?

2.) With the ign. switch in run or acc. and the tail lamps and license lamp blinking what happens when you pull out the headlamp switch one notch (parking/running lamps)?

3.) With the ign. switch off and the headlamp switch out one notch are front and rear running/parking lamps on?

4.) With the ign. switch off and the headlamp switch two notches out (headlamps on) do the front parking/running lamps turn off?

5.) Am I correct that with the ign. switch on run or acc. the turn signals still do not work?

Let's see where the answers to these questions ultimately leads.

Cheers

 

[Johnny Pulvis]

DesertXL
In answer to your questions:
1. The top element (on a 1157 bulb) begins flashing when the ignition is turned on. Once the brake is applied flashing stops at the tail lights and both elements illuminate. The flashing of the light over the license also stops, however if I turn the dimmer switch up all the way (short of turning on the courtesy lights) it will begin flashing. The dash lights flash at all times, unaffected by the dimmer.
2. All blinking stops, including the dash. The top element on the 1157 bulb is lit and the light above the license is on.
3. YES, again the top element is illuminated.
4. YES
5. NO, They do work, dash lights flash.
5.1. With the lights out one notch they work but the intensity is controlled by the dimmer switch.
5.2. With the headlights on, they work but the intensity is controlled by the dimmer switch.

I am beginning to feel optimistic.
Thanks again DesertXL
Johnny

 

[Johnny Pulvis]

Desert XL
Any additional ideas.
Thanks
J. Pulvis

 

[Kenny nunez]

Just a thought, have you checked if it was ever wired for trailer lights?

 

[Johnny Pulvis]

Kenny
Yes I have checked, it has not been wired for trailer lights.
JP

 

[djmahler83]

Might need some blinker fluid...

 

[fgibson895]

Hello,
I really need some help here.

djmahler We experienced as similar problem on our 67 Galaxie , both signal Indicator lights flashing at the same time,as if the flashers were on. At one point I believe the right back up light even came on.

After removing rear harness it resembled a basketball net, more than a wiring harness with patches from the door post back. You can romove the rubber seal on rear window and use a plumbers camera ,or a very good light to explore where the harness where it goes through and under door entry into left convertible hydrolic cavity. From there the harness travels out in the open easily seen by peaking from the back seat..
All of our wires had cuts,splits and frayed wires from under the door post back towards the trunk. If you need to pull these wires they come out pretty easily (providing you tape the two plastic harness clips together, with a snake. Then pull your harness back through with your snake following you ,this takes about 30 minutes to do including removal of wire from gas tank ...use dielectric grease on gas tank grommet .. yellow wire is captured under left hydrolic line to cylinder behind seat...be sure to disconect the yellow wire from your gas tank gauge, dont stretch your yellow wire, and life will be good to you. Use a good amount of dieletric grease in your plugs along the way, they twist off very easy. Hope you find your feedback in the wires. Good luck

 

[DesertXL]

Desert XL
Any additional ideas.
Thanks
J. Pulvis

Hello Johnny Pulvis,

I was away for a couple of days without access to a computer, whilst I do have a mobile phone it is intentionally NOT a smartphone.

However back to the puzzle. Based on your answers I do believe there is a connection between circuit 44 and 19 somewhere under your dash area. It even could be in the turn signal switch plug or in the column wiring or somewhere under the dash. Somewhere the turn signal flasher is feeding the instrumentation back lighting. The rear parking/runnings lights flash on the car because the power is back-fed from the instrumentation back lights through the dimmer and to the rear parking lamps. The front parking/running lamps do not blink when the head lamp switch is pushed in because that switch disconnects the front parking lamp filaments from the rears. I dunno why Ford did that, maybe other makes did it too but one click out on the headlamp switch and all the running lamps on the car illuminate, however when you pull the headlamps 2 clicks out the front running lamps shut off when the headlamps come on (that silliness stopped for 1968). The symptoms fit this diagnosis. It's very logical.

Now all you have to do is find where those wires (circuits) are crossed (shorted) together and separate them. Since circuit 44 comes from the flasher and goes up the column to the turn signal switch, withcidentally also houses the gear shift back light (circuit 19) same as the all the instrumentation back lights I would start there since both wires end up in the same turn signal connector. A small piece of metal or part of the pin or whatever may be causing the short right there. I said maybe. It also could be from a previous hack artist doing something underneath the dash and inadvertently connected those wires together.

Time to tuck in, start disassembling and examining

Cheers