LED Changeover - 1970 to 1972 Skylark & GS

Discussion in 'Sparky's corner' started by knucklebusted, Jan 16, 2018.

  1. Rich Skylark

    Rich Skylark Gold Level Contributor

    As sometimes happens with me , the littlest obscure things can be overlooked and that’s what I’m doing now. As I said in an earlier post , alll lighting systems worked as they should before I began the conversion. The parking lights were bright on all corners brake lights were operational as were as reverse lights .The emergency flashers work spot on too . The parking & and brake lights are showing 12.2-12.3 V’s on my meter. The key is in the on position and the fuse is good ( I changed it anyway). I’m thinking of taking a closer look at the taillight housings double checking wires/ connectors . I used dielectric grease in all sockets. Keep up the good suggestions!
     
  2. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    As I understand it, if the tail lights, brake lights and emergency flashers are working, it isn't the last bit of wiring or sockets since the flasher uses the same piece of copper to the socket as the turn signals.

    I think your problem is a lot closer to the steering column or the under dash wiring.

    Things I'd do now.

    1) Unplug the steering column cable that connects to the wiring harness. Check it for nicked wires, loose connectors or connectors that need resprung. Clean the contacts if possible though unplugging and replugging often solves a lot of issues.

    2) Make sure the turn signal flasher wires are firmly in the socket. If you are getting 12V to the socket but not out of the other end of the flasher, the circuit is open somewhere and you've already ruled out the flasher.
     
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  3. Rich Skylark

    Rich Skylark Gold Level Contributor

    I’m liking your idea of doggy’s little deeper on the steering column wire connections.
     
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  4. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    If that doesn't solve it, I'd say you need to pull the wheel and look at the turn mechanism in the column. You should be able to short the connection without pulling the column and disassembling the column harness.
     
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  5. Rich Skylark

    Rich Skylark Gold Level Contributor

    Some good ideas that I’ll be putting to work this weekend. Another LED question is where would I find LED bulbs to fit my rear armrests . It is going to have to be a small bulb , preferably with a warmer light then the bright white/blue ones that are more common . The 1” X 1” lenses don’t offer much room for bulbs. I read the original bulbs were 211 or 212 bulbs. Along the same lines I’m looking for a warmer colored bulb ( 194 ) for my front side marker lights. Thanks again for making this upgrade happen
     
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  6. FLGS400

    FLGS400 Gold Level Contributor

    I used these in my rear panel lights (inside). I think the 68 fixtures are smaller than the 69, but they probably us the same bulb. These are the bright white ones, but the plastic covers tone them down some.

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/233254765745
     
  7. Rich Skylark

    Rich Skylark Gold Level Contributor

    I removed the LED replacement bulbs from the rear taillight’s and put the original 1157’s in and now have all 4 directional’s working . This is with LED’s still in the fronts . As I started in the previous post my hazards are working too . Also note that the hazards are making the traditional clicking sound while the directional’s are silent Currently I have the original flasher working the flashers and the new “ ground wire “ flasher working the directional’s. I reversed the 2 flashers and lost flashers and directional’s Going to try unplugging the column wire plug and see how those connectors look.
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2021
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  8. Rich Skylark

    Rich Skylark Gold Level Contributor

    O luck with the. Steering column harness; unplugged harness connections looked very clean , reconnected with no change . Tried leaving 1157’s in the directional’s and swapped in the LED’s in the inner socket . Nothing doing . Lost directional’s but this s time the Green dash lights glowed steadily. Looking a U Tube videos trying to get some new ideas to try .
     
  9. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    That is strange. At this point, I don't know what to think. I'd have to draw it all out with a matrix of what works and what doesn't to see if I could find a common issue.

    • All non-LED lights and signal action works
    • All LED works with emergency flashers
    • All LED does not work with directionals, no stays green
    • Half LED with non-LED flasher stays green (this is what I would expect)
    OK, if the directionals stay green with a non-LED flasher, I'd swap the LED flasher back in and see what you get. If that fails, maybe it is a bad flasher?
     
  10. Mike Trom

    Mike Trom Platinum Level Contributor

    Jumping in, it everything works with the standard bulbs its not the wiring. I think Greg may be correct on the LED flasher being bad.
    Do the LED bulbs have the same electrical connections on the bottom, the directional should have two "tits" on the bottom, can they be put in the wrong way?
    Try putting one LED in at a time with the 1157's in, to see if each one works, maybe one is bad causing the issue.
     
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  11. Rich Skylark

    Rich Skylark Gold Level Contributor

    Going to get another grounds flasher t test if the one I have is hinky. What are the grounded flashers that people have had success with ? I think one came out of Amazon and the other one was from Advance
     
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  12. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    Do you know which one works? I'd get another one of those. Both of the ones I listed worked for me.
     
  13. racenu

    racenu Well-Known Member

    I just converted my wildcat to led bulbs from super bright and bought 2 load capacitors instead of an led flasher, one load capacitor on each side blinker wired inline. Everything works fine although the 1157 amber bulbs for the front have a base that's to big to fit into the sockets so some mods ensued on the bulbs themselves...
     
  14. Rich Skylark

    Rich Skylark Gold Level Contributor

    The new grounded flasher works the LED fronts and only in the rear when the 1157’s are in The hazards work - all 4 when either flasher works . I ordered anoth grounded flasher , should be here tomorrow
     
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  15. Storm1

    Storm1 Silver Level contributor

    I'm having a similar issue. All my lights work correctly with regular bulbs. I swapped in the recommended LEDs all the way around, and replaced the flasher in the fuse panel with the EL12.

    No turn signals worked, but everything else did. I noticed my old emergency flasher was cracked (also an EL12) so I replaced it with the new EL12 and put the old metal can flasher back in the fuse panel. Emergency flashers work on all 4 corners and all other lights working normally except no turn signals.

    I took the amber LEDs out of the front turn signals and put the regular 1157 bulbs back in. Now everything works, even the LEDs in the rear and all 4 marker lights. If I put the amber LEDs back in, no turn signals front or back.
     
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  16. Rich Skylark

    Rich Skylark Gold Level Contributor

    Tried all combinations the rear directional’s will not work with LED’s . Front LED’s , rear brake LED’s work fine . Neither flasher makes a difference.Hazards work all around with LED’s . With rear LED’s installed and the regular flasher dash directional lights just glow faint green . With the new flasher no green lights no nothing. All other LED’s inside and out work normally . Would adding an extra ground from the rear lights be worth trying. A real PITA to do but running into a wall .
     
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  17. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    An extra ground can't hurt. I'm at a loss.
     
  18. FLGS400

    FLGS400 Gold Level Contributor

    It sounds as though you have exhausted every other option. Try making a temporary ground from a piece of wire with alligator clips. I bought a set of pre-made ones off eBay for a couple bucks. They were invaluable for diagnosing the wiring problems I had (unrelated to the LEDs). I use them to test the LED bulbs that I put in the dash, singe it is such a pain to get to them to replace.
     
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  19. racenu

    racenu Well-Known Member

    That’s probably why superbright sent me the 2 load resistors with my led bulbs. ( think I called them load capacitors) one in series to each front turn signals and they blink fine. I did have a ground issue with each of the front turn signals as I painted the housings and the bumper was painted so I wasn’t getting a ground through the housings. The housings need to be grounded on the wildcat, not sure about the A body cars?
     
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  20. Storm1

    Storm1 Silver Level contributor

    For the rears, A body harness have 1 ground wire on each side that bolt the housings to the bracket closest to the license plate. I have not found any ground wires on the front signal harness's.
     
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