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I've got a new to me 1983 Recaro Trans Am and I am trying to figure out why I don't have my front driver side marker lights working. When I pulled the switch assembly it looks like I am missing a connection in the wiring harness. Should I have a connector in that second from the top spot? I've checked my service manual but I didn't find the answer I was looking for.
Identify the terminal on the switch that's incoming power to it. (Big Red Wire) Connect your ohmmeter between that terminal and the "mystery" one. Operate the switch through all positions while watching the meter to see in what position(s) it gets connected to power. That'll tell you what the terminal is for, to some extent. One thing you can be sure of though, is that it has nothing whatsoever to do with the side marker lights.
Side marker lights are connected between the parking light power feed and the turn signal filament and are thus in series with the blinker filament. As such, their logic is, they light whenever the parking lights are on and the TS bulb is NOT lit. Wired this way, they blink OPPOSITE to the TS. (off when the TS bulb is lit, on when the TS is dark) They won't work if the TS bulb is missing, burned out, or improperly grounded. Since they rely on the very low resistance of the TS bulb filament, they also won't work if you put LED bulbs in for the TSs, at least, not unless they are ALSO LEDs, and maybe not then, depending on the 2 bulb types' electrical characteristics.
