[Vwdiesel] 81 vw pickup turn signals do not work; cluster light displays solid green

[ken1]

I am at my wits end because I lack the knowledge and understanding of how to diagnose and debug electrical circuits. I am helping a friend replace his wiring harness and have everything tested and functioning except the turn signal indicator lights. I have performed the following:
installed brand new fuses
new bulbs
new flasher relay
new hazard light switch
new ground cable from battery to frame
cleaned front and rear ground connections

All other lights work properly.
The hazard lights flash on all corners when switch is turned on.

Have tested multiple turn signal switches on the 1981 caddy as well as on my 1982 mk1 caddy. All switches, including the 81 caddy switch work on my caddy. But all switches have the same result on the 81 caddy; solid dash indicator light and no turn signal lights.

I have searched the interweb and found responses from over 10 current and archived web sites. Solution not found, yet. Any suggestion or guidance is definitely needed as well as step by step test procedures.

[sandy cameron]

Post by ken1
I am at my wits end

(Been there!)

If your hazard lights are working, but turn sigs are not, check fuse #8.

Hazard fuse is #6 (OK?), T-sigs, #8.

If it uses the old style rabbit fuses, with the naked metal strip on the
plastic or ceramic body, could be making a bad contact.

Basically, the problem is between the fuse panel, through the sig sw, to
the back of the hazard switch.
Did you mess with the turn signal sw, or other steering column
wires/plugs. Those are shitty connectors, and easily plugged wrong, or
pins bent.

Sandy

[James Hansen]

Ken.
Be sure the back side of the fuse panel has good connection to the wiring harness.
Is the caddy you are working on an american fuse style panel, or the European one? (american fuses have push pins, european ones are naked fuses) European fuse panels have notorious bad plugs on the back of the fuse panel, and I have never had the caddy one out, so don't know.
Check for power with a test light on both sides of the fuse first.
If that's good, look for power at the switch. If no power, figure out why, bad connection, etc. If power, check for switching, does it energize another wire when you operate the switch. If so, follow that wire color back out of the switch area to the under steering column where it goes off to the flasher. does that energize? etc etc... No easy way other than eliminating each thing in the chain till you find where power isn't.
Do you have a wiring diagram? that's pretty much essential if it gets tough.
-james

-----Original Message-----
From: Vwdiesel [mailto:vwdiesel-***@vwfans.com] On Behalf Of sandy cameron
Sent: June-26-15 2:38 PM
To: ken1; diesel
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] 81 vw pickup turn signals do not work; cluster light displays solid green

Post by ken1
I am at my wits end

(Been there!)

If your hazard lights are working, but turn sigs are not, check fuse #8.

Hazard fuse is #6 (OK?), T-sigs, #8.

If it uses the old style rabbit fuses, with the naked metal strip on the plastic or ceramic body, could be making a bad contact.

Basically, the problem is between the fuse panel, through the sig sw, to the back of the hazard switch.
Did you mess with the turn signal sw, or other steering column wires/plugs. Those are shitty connectors, and easily plugged wrong, or pins bent.

Sandy
_______________________________________________
Vwdiesel mailing list
***@vwfans.com
http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel

[ken1]

Sandy:
The 1981 and 1982 diesel pickups used the grey fuse block with two-pronged fuses. The Turn signal fuse is #10 with a 15A fuse and the hazard lights is a 15A fuse at #24. I will double check the fuses on Saturday and document the flasher relay and the emergency flasher switch. I think that if I pull the turn signal connector and test the power pin with a test light, that should verify that power is getting to the turn signal switch, but am at a loss for what to do next. I suppose if there is no power at the pin, I should try to find the source of power to the turn signal connector.
----- Original Message -----
From: sandy cameron <***@storm.ca>
To: ken1 <***@embarqmail.com>, diesel <***@vwfans.com>
Sent: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 16:37:34 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] 81 vw pickup turn signals do not work; cluster light displays solid green

Post by ken1
I am at my wits end

(Been there!)

If your hazard lights are working, but turn sigs are not, check fuse #8.

Hazard fuse is #6 (OK?), T-sigs, #8.

If it uses the old style rabbit fuses, with the naked metal strip on the
plastic or ceramic body, could be making a bad contact.

Basically, the problem is between the fuse panel, through the sig sw, to
the back of the hazard switch.
Did you mess with the turn signal sw, or other steering column
wires/plugs. Those are shitty connectors, and easily plugged wrong, or
pins bent.

Sandy

[sandy cameron]

Post by ken1
The 1981 and 1982 diesel pickups used the grey fuse block with two-pronged fuses. The Turn signal fuse is #10 with a 15A fuse and the hazard lights is a 15A fuse at #24. I will double check the fuses on Saturday and document the flasher relay and the emergency flasher switch. I think that if I pull the turn signal connector and test the power pin with a test light, that should verify that power is getting to the turn signal switch, but am at a loss for what to do next. I suppose if there is no power at the pin, I should try to find the source of power to the turn signal connector.

You are on the trail. DO NOT USE A MULTIMETER FOR TROUBLE SHOOTING 12 V
WIRING. IT WILL LIE TO YOU! it does not draw enough current to "prove"
the integrity of a 12v circuit.

Use a small 12v lamp bulb in a reliable socket, or with wires soldered
to it.
If you want the signal flasher to operate (flash), you will have to use
2 - 21cp signal bulbs in parallel to "wake it up" although it might
flash double speed using only one.

Remember that the turn signals are powered through the ignition switch,
(which must be on for testing) while the hazards are powered directly
from the battery (via their own fuse).

I once drove my wife's buick home after the infamous GM ignition sw
failure, by turning on the hazards, which apparently back- powered the
ignition/start circuit enough to run the car! No smarts here, just dumb
luck.

Sandy

[sandy cameron]

YIKES! SOLID GREEN! Didn't notice that before. I think you said all 4
sig lights flash on hazard.
Are there 2 flashers, one for sigs and one for hazards? (hazards draw
twice as much current, 4 vs 2 lamps).

That proves your path from power to load is OK. Did you try another
flasher module?

Could (probably) be a dead flasher.

Or pwer is not getting as far as the sig sw.

Does the green flash when the hazards are on?

Sandy

[ken1]

james:
Both are american fuse blocks with two prong fuses. So as I told Sandy, the pertinent fuses are 15A fuses at #10(turn signals) and #24(emergency flasher). I do have the proper wiring diagram, so I will try to perform your procedure and document the results. I will report back tomorrow when I go back to my friends location. Thanks for the process to follow. That is my weakest area. ken
----- Original Message -----
From: James Hansen <***@sasktel.net>
To: 'diesel' <***@vwfans.com>
Sent: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 20:12:26 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] 81 vw pickup turn signals do not work; cluster light displays solid green

Ken.
Be sure the back side of the fuse panel has good connection to the wiring harness.
Is the caddy you are working on an american fuse style panel, or the European one? (american fuses have push pins, european ones are naked fuses) European fuse panels have notorious bad plugs on the back of the fuse panel, and I have never had the caddy one out, so don't know.
Check for power with a test light on both sides of the fuse first.
If that's good, look for power at the switch. If no power, figure out why, bad connection, etc. If power, check for switching, does it energize another wire when you operate the switch. If so, follow that wire color back out of the switch area to the under steering column where it goes off to the flasher. does that energize? etc etc... No easy way other than eliminating each thing in the chain till you find where power isn't.
Do you have a wiring diagram? that's pretty much essential if it gets tough.
-james

-----Original Message-----
From: Vwdiesel [mailto:vwdiesel-***@vwfans.com] On Behalf Of sandy cameron
Sent: June-26-15 2:38 PM
To: ken1; diesel
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] 81 vw pickup turn signals do not work; cluster light displays solid green

Post by ken1
I am at my wits end

(Been there!)

If your hazard lights are working, but turn sigs are not, check fuse #8.

Hazard fuse is #6 (OK?), T-sigs, #8.

If it uses the old style rabbit fuses, with the naked metal strip on the plastic or ceramic body, could be making a bad contact.

Basically, the problem is between the fuse panel, through the sig sw, to the back of the hazard switch.
Did you mess with the turn signal sw, or other steering column wires/plugs. Those are shitty connectors, and easily plugged wrong, or pins bent.

Sandy
_______________________________________________
Vwdiesel mailing list
***@vwfans.com
http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel

_______________________________________________
Vwdiesel mailing list
***@vwfans.com
http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel

[James Hansen]

Yeah, let us know what gives. It really is just elimination along the circuit path, just find where power isn't, and fix that, remember your grounds too. To test for ground, hook the test light to power, and touch the tip to ground. you touch your ground point, and the light lights up, you know the ground is good.
I've lost count of the times I've traced the whole circuit and it was something simple stupid like a bad bulb. makes you humble and all that after your head stops smoking :-)
good luck.
-james

-----Original Message-----
From: ken1 [mailto:***@embarqmail.com]
Sent: June-26-15 6:44 PM
To: James Hansen
Cc: 'diesel'
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] 81 vw pickup turn signals do not work; cluster light displays solid green

james:
Both are american fuse blocks with two prong fuses. So as I told Sandy, the pertinent fuses are 15A fuses at #10(turn signals) and #24(emergency flasher). I do have the proper wiring diagram, so I will try to perform your procedure and document the results. I will report back tomorrow when I go back to my friends location. Thanks for the process to follow. That is my weakest area. ken
----- Original Message -----
From: James Hansen <***@sasktel.net>
To: 'diesel' <***@vwfans.com>
Sent: Fri, 26 Jun 2015 20:12:26 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] 81 vw pickup turn signals do not work; cluster light displays solid green

Ken.
Be sure the back side of the fuse panel has good connection to the wiring harness.
Is the caddy you are working on an american fuse style panel, or the European one? (american fuses have push pins, european ones are naked fuses) European fuse panels have notorious bad plugs on the back of the fuse panel, and I have never had the caddy one out, so don't know.
Check for power with a test light on both sides of the fuse first.
If that's good, look for power at the switch. If no power, figure out why, bad connection, etc. If power, check for switching, does it energize another wire when you operate the switch. If so, follow that wire color back out of the switch area to the under steering column where it goes off to the flasher. does that energize? etc etc... No easy way other than eliminating each thing in the chain till you find where power isn't.
Do you have a wiring diagram? that's pretty much essential if it gets tough.
-james

-----Original Message-----
From: Vwdiesel [mailto:vwdiesel-***@vwfans.com] On Behalf Of sandy cameron
Sent: June-26-15 2:38 PM
To: ken1; diesel
Subject: Re: [Vwdiesel] 81 vw pickup turn signals do not work; cluster light displays solid green

Post by ken1
I am at my wits end

(Been there!)

If your hazard lights are working, but turn sigs are not, check fuse #8.

Hazard fuse is #6 (OK?), T-sigs, #8.

If it uses the old style rabbit fuses, with the naked metal strip on the plastic or ceramic body, could be making a bad contact.

Basically, the problem is between the fuse panel, through the sig sw, to the back of the hazard switch.
Did you mess with the turn signal sw, or other steering column wires/plugs. Those are shitty connectors, and easily plugged wrong, or pins bent.

Sandy
_______________________________________________
Vwdiesel mailing list
***@vwfans.com
http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel

_______________________________________________
Vwdiesel mailing list
***@vwfans.com
http://www.audifans.com/mailman/listinfo/vwdiesel