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Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off randomly
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2016 2:36 pm
by 12Valve
Hello, All
I have a few questions regarding my swepty. I have a new alt, and voltage regulator all the grounds are clean and I have this weird issue I can't seem to track down. While driving all the gauges FUEL, TEMP specifically, and the radio will suddenly stop working when I put the turn signal on. From reading other posts in this forum I figured that the turn signal had a short in it causing the gauges to fail intermittently. I removed the steering wheel and turn signal assembly to find that there was no frayed wires and the turn signal performed its functions like it should. However taking the turn signal off cleaning the interior of the housing made it function well for all of yesterday. Today after installing my new blower motor I drove the truck to test it out and then all of a sudden the temp gauge and fuel cut out, the radio died, and the blower stopped blowing. About a half mile down the road they all came back on, then when slowing down and putting the turn signal on the same thing happened.
I believe that this is a voltage regulator issue am I correct in thinking this? Some more information the truck is a 1963 D100 and the only electrical modification is that I added a tachometer which is tapped into the cigarette outlet.
Thanks, Paul
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 7:20 am
by Hobcobble
You might have a failing voltage limiter. It is integral to the
fuel gauge and maintains a steady ~5V for your instrument
panel. When this limiter fails it allows additional voltage to
pass through the panel. When I hear fuel & temp gauges, I
think of this limiter. There is a homemade limiter diagram on
this site. I made one for each of my Sweptlines. This might
be only a part of your issue..... but its probably worth investigating.
John
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 8:11 am
by gww
take a moment doing a little wiggle test on your fire wall plugs just for giggles.
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 3:09 pm
by 12Valve
So I did the wiggle test for Stuff and giggles, which didn't help nor hurt it so I don't think a corroded connection is the issue ( I pulled them apart and looked at them)
With the voltage limiter from what I have read seems to control just the fuel and temp gauge or does it also control the signals, wipers, blower motor too?
I traced all the wires in the dash nothing looks chaffed or cut so that it would short on a ground
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 5:22 pm
by 712edf
12Valve wrote:With the voltage limiter from what I have read seems to control just the fuel and temp gauge or does it also control the signals, wipers, blower motor too?
No.
Does your 63 have a fuse box? I can't recall what those older trucks did & didn't have.
Also seems like most of the components you are having issues with are things that only work with the ignition switch On and aren't powered at all times.
Bucky
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2016 11:41 pm
by PwrWgnDrvr
Bad ignition switch or connections on it?
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2016 10:47 am
by 12Valve
The ignition switch was replaced and I had replaced the connectors on the wires at the same time so that was not the issue. My truck does not have a fuse box.
I'm now 100 percent sure that the issue is in the turn signal switch, Last evening when I was checking the connections again I reconnected the battery and turned the ignition on. The fuel gauge rose, temp gauge climbed into the lower portion of the operating temp, and the radio came on. When I then tested the signal lights moving the stalk downward to indicate a turn to the left worked fine. When I then moved the stalk to the upward position indicating a turn to the right the light flashed once then went dim. Shortly after all powered gauges, and radio turned off. I disconnected then reconnected my battery to retest and somehow my stalk is becoming energized on the signal to the right, so when I move the stalk it contacts the outer housing of the steering column causing a short.
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2016 12:31 pm
by PwrWgnDrvr
12Valve wrote:.... I disconnected then reconnected my battery to retest.....What does this have to do with anything? .....and somehow my stalk is becoming energized on the signal to the right,.......Did u verify this with a test light or meter?..... so when I move the stalk it contacts the outer housing of the steering column causing a short.....If there is a short, where did u see smoke, spark or heat? Does the "short" open when u move the sig handle back to the center position?.....
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2016 4:55 pm
by 12Valve
I disconnected then reconnected my battery to retest.....What does this have to do with anything?
Okay, I know it sounds strange but when the stalk would short out on the housing the gauges would go dead if I waited enough time they would have came back on with the key in the run position, to make this time go by faster disconnecting and reconnecting battery seemed to do the trick. Secondly I did it as a safety precaution. I would not like to watch my truck's wiring harness or watch it burn down to the ground in front of me.
and somehow my stalk is becoming energized on the signal to the right,.......Did u verify this with a test light or meter?
I verified with both I am getting current to the stalk when the ignition is turned on.
so when I move the stalk it contacts the outer housing of the steering column causing a short.....If there is a short, where did u see smoke, spark or heat?
I saw a spark similar to what you would when you connect a battery's terminal back on.
Does the "short" open when u move the sig handle back to the center position?
I'm not quite sure what the question is here. But I'll try my best to answer what I think you're asking. If you mean when I but the stalk back into the middle position does the short stop sparking, then yes once back into the middle position there is no spark however it does then take time for the gauges to come back on and radio to turn on.
If you look at the turn signal assembly there is a white wire, I don't have a wiring schematic in front of me currently, that particular wire is frayed at its connection, several strands of that wire are contacting the the assembly. Which leads me to believe that that is the culprit to why the stalk is becoming energized.
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Sun Aug 21, 2016 8:19 pm
by 712edf
12Valve wrote:If you look at the turn signal assembly there is a white wire, I don't have a wiring schematic in front of me currently, that particular wire is frayed at its connection, several strands of that wire are contacting the the assembly. Which leads me to believe that that is the culprit to why the stalk is becoming energized.
You may be on to something.
Bucky
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Mon Aug 22, 2016 5:57 pm
by 12Valve
Today I replaced the turn signal assembly and now everything works. I took apart the old one, the white wire was burned contacting the assembly in various places.
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 4:46 pm
by Dood
Can I ask, when I last looked at this, I recalled the wires being directly soldered into the harness which confused me. Is that not right? I'm thinking about replacing mine.
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2016 10:11 pm
by 12Valve
Yes they are on mine at least. I just cut the loom where its under the dash at at various lengths and put spade connects on the harness. It took me an hour or so to make everything pretty.
Re: Gauges, lights, turn signal, radio, blower turn off rand
Posted: Wed Aug 24, 2016 8:19 am
by Dood
12Valve wrote:Yes they are on mine at least. I just cut the loom where its under the dash at at various lengths and put spade connects on the harness. It took me an hour or so to make everything pretty.
Thanks for confirming!