Wiring up my signals on my '55.1. I have an original cup type signal switch that mounts under the steering wheel (an option way back then), not an add-on, clamp-to-the-column, dealer-installed type. At the bottom of the speedometer there is ONE light that is the turn signal indicator. How do I wire it up to work properly? When I connect both the front signal lamp wires to the indicator light, both signal lamps flash like a hazard signal. If I connect it to just one of the front signal lights, then the indicator will only flash when that signal lamp is flashing and not the other obviously. Connecting it directly to the flasher makes the indicator light stay lit until the turn signal is actuated and then it starts flashing. Can't have it staying lit all the time even though the power is connected to the accesory terminal of the ignition switch. That would annoy the heck out of me when drivinig. Any thoughts? Andy
Turn signal indicator Andy, the turn signals and flashers turn out to be lots of fun. It took my son and I hours to get it all to work right having lots of wiring digrams in front of us On my 52 I'm using the after market deal, but looking at the diagrams I have, I believe for your indicator, one of the flasher posts should be live only when flashing occurs. Sounds like you may be on the wrong flasher post. You should be able to pick up the right post by using a test light or volt/ohm meter to find the post that is not hot until the turn signal is turned on. We struggled the most with how the tail light interacted with the brake light. If I was you, I would not worry about the indicator until you get the tail light indicators working right.
Andy, go to www.1954advance-design.com and look in the miscellaneous documents section. There are some drawings and wiring diagrams relative to turn signals. Hope it helps.
Andy, run a wire from your left front signal wire through a diode and on to the indicator light. Now run a wire from your right front signal wire through a diode to that same indicator light. This will let both sides blink the indicator light but not bleed back into the opposite side. If you can find a schematic for a Falcon in the early 60's they just had one indicator that blinked for right or left but doubt if they used diodes. I'm so far out in the sticks that I just knock a diode out of an old alternator but some of the guys will know of a diode from from Radio Shack or others that will do the job.
That is exactly what I had to do when I replaced the wiring harness in my '57 GMC. The GMC dash only has one turn signal indicator lamp while the '57 Chevy (what the wiring harness was for) has two. I used a pair of 1N4001 diodes. Still working after 10 years. If you aren't comfortable working with a text explanation let me know and I'll draw the circuit for you.
Thanks Evan and Bill, I got it. Picked up the diodes from Radio Shack today. A whopping $1.06 to solve that problem. Haven't wired it up yet. Taking the day off from the truck after figuring out the tail lamp wiring. will get to it tomorrow. Registering the truck on Tuesday and plan on bringing it to the glass shop to have the windshield installed. Working really hard to get it done by this week. I have the kids for five days over Memorial Day and want them to have the chance to run it on the road by then. Andy
If you aren't a diode person .... Tie the stripe ends of both diodes together and connect a wire from the joined ends to your single in-dash turn signal indicator lamp. Take the remaining end of one diode and connect it to the wire that goes to your front left turn signal. The remaining end of the other diode connects to the front right turn signal. I'd use a fairly small soldering iron to do the job. Insulate the whole mess with black electrical tape, unless you know how to use shrink wrap in which case you probably don't need any of these directions.
Turn Signal Indicator Light Having not touched a '54 in some 20 odd years , I don't recall if the lamp is a one or two wire typ , this helps make a decision as to how to wire it up ~ if the lamp lights with you energize the single wire , just attach that wire to the " P " terminal of any three prong flasher.... If the lamp lights up when you _ground_ the single wire , simply attach that wire to the _output_ (" L " ) terminal of any flasher , two or three prong . If the lamp has two wires , connect each wire to one front turn signal circuit , this will make the indicator work and if you add a toggle switch across the indicator's wires and flip it , you'll have four way flashers.... Handy when loading in an active traffic zone .
