CrossT

I've done various searches here and on Pelican Parts, but am still needing advice.

Car is 89 3.2 Carrera

I have no turn signals, no high beams, and no emergency flasher. I've looked under the dash and every connector is plugged in. I have just replaced the flaher/turn signal relay and no change. I have also removed the turn signal switch and it looks new. I cleaned it up a bit and bent the actuator bar a bit so that the contacts appear to do what they are supposed to per picts posted on Pelican BBS.

Prior to this, the signals worked intermittantly, and when they didn't, they would buzz and cause the alternator light to partially illuminate and stay on after canceling the turn signal.

Maybe the turn signal switch, but I don't think the emerg flasher is related there [?] The headlight switch is sort of loose and so it appears this has been messed with. Maybe loose connection there. I don't know.

todd
89 targa

lfe132

Boy, this is a tough one. Generally the Emgen. Flashers are a completely different circuit than the others because of their "Emerg" status in the car. (check with your Bentley manual) I wonder if its as simple as a bad ground. That's were I'd start anyways.

CrossT

Thanks - I sold my Bentley manual because I had planned on getting a 964 after selling my prior 86. I decided after all to get another but newer 3.2. Haven't gotten around to buying another one. I'm wondering about the light switch, wiring, ? If it were just the hi beams and the turn signals, I'd buy a new turn signal switch, but with the flasher not working either . . . I dunno

thz
todd
89 targa

Amber Gramps

CrossT, I have not yet had that problem but I do have a Bently book open to the pagers you are in need of. how can I help?

Amber Gramps

ok here we go.....I think lfe123 has this one pegged.

it is your ground #G116 used by the emergency flashers and your turn signals. this doesn't explain the high beams that use ground #G106

now we just have to find the ground points in the car.

EDIT:
ground location: G106 is Battery ground strap next to battery.
G116 is trunk floor plate, left(below fuel filler tube)

CrossT

Thanks Doug

I'm finally back in AZ from Xmas in Cali.

I'm heading out to the trunk and am checking those ground points out.

I laso need to get online and order a new Bentley manual! I have a Haynes from the PO, but that's is not useful for these 84-89 cars

todd
89 targa.

Droops83

OK sounds like you did a good first step by checking the plug connectors under the dash that go through the firewall. These can come loose and cause all sorts of things not to work. I would initially suspect the turn signal switch, but you should do some checks first.

Doug has a good point in checking ground #116, that could explain it, but all of your gauges and instrument lights use that same ground, and if it were that badly corroded or loose, it is most likely none of those would work either and you probably would have mentioned it . . . .

First, check the simplest circuit, the high beams. Using a 12V test light, check if there is power going into the high beam fuses with the high beams switched on. If not, work your way backwards. The next best point to check is at the headlight switch itself. First, check that there is power going into the switch (red/white wire), and if so (most likely there is if the low beams, taillights etc are working), see if power is going out of the headlight portion of the switch to the combination switch. If power isn't going into the combi switch, then the headlight switch is probably at fault, but that wouldn't explain the turn signals/hazards. If there is power going into the combi switch from the headlight switch but the high beams don't work, then the combi switch is your most likely cause. Now the turn signals/hazards use a different portion of the combi switch from the headlights, but I have seen plenty of these switches go bad and they can do weird things since so much current goes through them and burns the contacts.

Another point to check would be the hazard light switch. These can corrode quite badly at the plug connection (pull it out and see) and if this is the case, neither the turn signals nor the hazard lights will work, but that doesn't explain the high beams . . . . anyway I know I could figure this out if it were in the shop in front of me, but hopefully this helps a little bit. Get your hands on a wiring diagram and a test light and start poking stuff!

2002M3Drew

I'd be willing to bet it is simply the entire turn signal switch. When I bought my car, I had no emergency flasf (i.e flash to pass), or low beams...the switch was stuck on high. After replacing the switch, no worries. Remember to do one wire at a time, from the old to the new unit. (They get confusing and are not marked well.)

CrossT

Thanks guys. Good ideas. Didn't even think about pulling the emerg switch to have a look. Will do.

I have a few picts here of the signal switch and it looks to have been replaced before, because it looks pretty new. That said, it could still be bad. If I pull back on the switch, the dash hi beam indicator lights [but no beam]. Also, if I leave the turn signal switch in 'turn' position when the car is off, the turn indicators stay on, which I believe is intended.

Are all the connections in the headlight switch supposed to be occupied? I have at least one which isn't. How do you pull the switch ****? I can see the switch is held to the dash via a nut [which is loose]. I would like to have a look, but don't just want to crank on it.

I renewed the #116/106 grounds, which looked ok anyway.

There are a few unconnected cables, but I expect that's normal.

Also, there is a fuse/relay holder in the front of the trunk by the washer pump. 7.5 a fuse, but no relay.

Amber Gramps

The turn signal that stays on is your "London Fog" parking light.

CrossT

I pulled the emerg switch and it looks normal, not burnt or anything odd.

Also figured out how to pull the light switch and took a pic of the connections which are not hooked. There doesn't appear to be any loose wires in the area looking for a home -- except for the two with blue crimp connectors as you can see in the pic.

I guess the switch could be bad, or still, the turn signal switch . . .

Droops83

Geez, anytime I see a bunch of crimp connectors and loose wires under the dash (or anywhere) on a car, I cringe. Like many old 911s, somebody has messed with it in the past. So, while I still suspect the turn signal switch, it could be a wiring issue, IE something is wired wrong, or a bad crimp connection, etc. You really need to get your hands on the wiring diagram and start checking for power/continuity everywhere on that circuit.

I would like to know what color the loose wires are near the headlight switch, I can't tell from your picture. The empty spade connectors that you can see in the pic are supposed to be that way, the black/white wire (56) goes to the turn signal switch (make sure there is power coming out of this wire and all the way into the turn signal switch!) and they grey/white one goes to the fog light switch. Go get yourself a diagram, I don't have a scanner otherwise I'd email you the pages; I'm sure someone on here would.