electrical issues with lights and indicators

Discussion in 'Sparky's corner' started by canuck buick, Jan 2, 2012.

  1. canuck buick

    canuck buick Silver Level contributor

    Thanks Tom , but there is no electrical ground on the indicator lights only the mechanical ground once the sockets are screwd into the tailight frame?
     
  2. GSX 554

    GSX 554 Gold Level Contributor

    All turn signal lights have a separate ground. Each socket has 3 wires. One is the parking / tail light. The second wire is the Turnsignal / brake light. And the third is the ground.

    Tom is correct.

    Also flashers ARE different. There are different # two prong flashers for a reason. A # 323 flasher is designed to flash 3 bulbs. And a #525 flasher is designed to flash 5 bulbs. The # of bulbs to be flashed determines which flasher to use. It is designed to work this way so it gives the operator a idea when either a front or rear bulb is out. If one bulb is out the turn signal will flash VERY FAST letting you know one or more bulbs are out.

    Try the flasher . Its cheap. Just remember there are 2 flashers . One for the turn signals and one for the 4-way flashers.
     
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2012
  3. canuck buick

    canuck buick Silver Level contributor

    I just picked up a tridonLL552 flasher so hopefully that wil work. Now in case of the grouding can I just cut the black electrical ground going to the bulb and splice it and run a wire to the ground, this seems to be the simple solution.
     
  4. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    No, there is a ground right on the tail light harness. There may be more than one.
     
  5. canuck buick

    canuck buick Silver Level contributor

    Thats strange as I haven't seen any tails from the tail lights and I have had them out, I will check again. the hazard flasher does it plug into the top of my fuse block as I see what looks like space for one but it is blank.

    Man I though putting this car back together was going to be easy and cheap and I was going to take the wife to florida in it at the end of March. I think it will have to march of next year , but I will still go to FLA just not in the Skylark!
     
  6. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member


    And here is the value of owning a Buick Factory Service Manual. A simple look at the wiring diagram reveals 2 grounds back there. Have a look.
     

    Attached Files:

  7. tom_gonzalez@ve

    tom_gonzalez@ve Well-Known Member

    The ground for the light housing is the mechanical ground, so the important thing is to check and make sure there is no corrosion at the point of contact. Foreign cars came out with a third ground wire and some newer American cars did also, but usually due to plastic tail and headlight frames. The emergency flasher is usually mounted on the fuse block alongside the regular signal flasher.
     
  8. canuck buick

    canuck buick Silver Level contributor

    Totally frustrated now, new flasher still no change so I cut the ground wire on the taillight side ofthe two the weak indicators and put these directly to ground, no change. so I jumped from the frame to each socket mechanical ground ( you know that goes around the lip of the socket) and lights are as bright as anything. when I put the hazards on the one side is weak and when I use the headlights the one side is a no go.
     
  9. CJay

    CJay Supercar owner Staff Member

    Do you own a DVOM and a test light?
     
  10. canuck buick

    canuck buick Silver Level contributor

    A DVOM I don't know what is, I do have a test light and I am a electrician ( building by trade) though I haven't done it in years. I do have a test light and ohm,volt, ampmeter.

    I spent some time on this this afternoon. What I have found out is that if I ground out the top of the socket itself giving either the tail light or indicator a point to ground the system works fine. After some further investigation I have discovered that the bracket that the sockets screw into is plastic so there would never be a mechanical ground.I then looked closely at the socket again and could clearly see that the electrical ground does not make contact with the metal that lines the socket and makes contact with the side of the bulb in essence completing the circuit.the black ground wire does terminate in the socket but never makes contact with the the metal ring in the socket. I tested this through my ohm meter. Now I am not familiar with auto wiring but this doesn't make sense to me, I am going to check the side that works after dinner.
     
  11. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    DVOM = Digital Volt Ohm Meter.

    On my 70, there are 2 grounds that terminate in grommets. They go between the plastic tail light backs and the bumper, where they screw together. When I got my bumper back from the chrome shop, I missed them when reassembling everything, and nothing worked back there.
     
  12. canuck buick

    canuck buick Silver Level contributor

    Larry mine is a 70 as well , and the bumpers were removed prior to me getting this so this could be the case as well. My problem is that I don't ever see how my sockets could ground the bulb as there is no contact either electrical or mechanical, I have a feeling that these sockets were grafted onto this car but were not meant for it. If my plate was metal that the sockets twisted into I could see it working but it is plastic. I am going to look for new sockets.

    Thx
     
  13. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    My backings are plastic as well. The grommets ground to the bumper. You may in fact have the wrong harness, I don't know, but the 70-72 harness should be the same.
     
  14. tom_gonzalez@ve

    tom_gonzalez@ve Well-Known Member

    Oh the joys of trying to pick up after someone elses "project".
     
  15. canuck buick

    canuck buick Silver Level contributor

    I think that if I get some new sockets it will accomplish the grounding that i require.
     

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