In my '89 GTA my front left turn signal stopped working correctly about a week ago. When you pull the turn signal lever down the green arrow stays on and after 10 or 15 seconds it finally flashes. When you turn on the headlights, the green arrow for the left hand turn signal is always there, but the left rear light isn't brighter than the right.

Anyway, I changed the flasher and it didn't change anything. Sometimes (but not very often) when I try to use the turn signal it will work like normal. I was just wondering if anyone else had or knows how to diagnose this problem, cause it sucks not being able to signal in one direction.

89GTA5spd

 

89,

Check the lamp, lamp socket contacts, and ground connection for the lamp. Chances are, one of them will be the cause.

If that doesn't solve it, you might have a problem with the turn signal switch. An easy way to eliminate the lamp, socket, and grounding is to turn on the hazard warning flashers AND parking lamps at the same time. If everything works normally, you'll be looking at the signal switch and wiring. If the same lamp has the same symptoms, you need a closer look at that lamp and socket.

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Later,
Vader
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"No matter how hard you try you can't stop us now"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

You probably have a bulb out somewhere. Get someone to check all the left lights when you put on the blinker.

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1983 Pontiac Firebird SE
LG4-Based Chevy 400
700R4 Tansmission
Modified 4 Barrel Q-Jet Carb
Accel Super Stock 8mm Wires
Edelbrock Pro-Flo Air Cleaner
3.23 Posi Rear
14X7" Cragar SS/T Wheels
35X4 CD/AM/FM Head Unit
100WX2 Amp
2 Pioneer 12" Subs in Custom Box
Third Gen Performance

 

My front turn signal light bulb (in the nose) had a broken filement, and it would sometimes touch and work, and sometimes not.. and that was the whole problem. $1.98 later, it's fixed.

I am assuming that the turn signal level is a switch that sends voltage to the bulbs, and if a bulb is out the circuit is broken and that's why it wasn't working?

Thanks for the help.

 

The turn signal switch sends power to the flasher. The flasher then sends power to the bulbs. When all the correct bulbs are working properly the power 'pulled' from the flasher causes the flasher to heat up and cut off power(kind of like a breaker in a house). It cools and then reconnects power. It does this over and over and causes the lights to blink.
If a bulb is burned out, or not the correct size, or has a bad connection, not enough power is 'pulled' from the flasher to make it flash.


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82 camaro--original steering wheel, brake/gas pedals, seats--everything else modified
82camaro