Turn signal turns on with parking light switch

[OhBilly]

I've been going through my combination switches and cleaning them up in the hopes of getting the electrical system working reasonably well. I feel pretty confident I haven't screwed anything up within the switches themselves but I have a new electrical gremlin I just can't figure out.

 

When I turn on my parking lights my RH turn signal comes on solid: the RH indicator on the tach lights up as well as both the front and rear RH turn signal lights. With the parking lights turned off, the turn signals work fine. Also strange is that the headlights do not work now. When I turn on the headlights I do not measure any voltage at the fuse box, on either side of the fuses. Fuses are good.

 

I have also cleaned up the contacts on the turn signals and dimmer switch. If I completely disconnect the turn signal/dimmer switch I still get the same issue with the turn signal coming on with the parking light switch.

 

Good news is that the parking lights do come on, as well as the dash lights as they should.

 

I've gone through the wiring diagram pretty carefully but I can't see any way for the turn signal to come on by powering up the parking light circuit.

 

Any help is appreciated.

 

Car is a '72 240Z with stock harnesses throughout.

 

Thanks,

 

Bill

Edited December 10, 2012 by OhBilly

[Miles]

You may have mis-aligned some of the contacts in the turn signal and/or light switches when you worked on them. Look at the contacts closely as you move the switches. Make sure that the copper contacts are connecting and disconnecting completely. Be careful bending/adjusting the contacts. It doesn't take much movement of the contact to make them work properly. And, of course, check that you have the switch harnesses  plugged in correctly.

[OhBilly]

You may have mis-aligned some of the contacts in the turn signal and/or light switches when you worked on them. Look at the contacts closely as you move the switches. Make sure that the copper contacts are connecting and disconnecting completely. Be careful bending/adjusting the contacts. It doesn't take much movement of the contact to make them work properly. And, of course, check that you have the switch harnesses  plugged in correctly.

 

What's weird is that I can completely disconnect the turn signal/dimmer combination switch and the problem with the RH turn signal coming on when I turn on the parking lights still happens. With everything hooked up, the turn signals work fine as long as I don't turn on the parking lights. I'm pretty sure I have the harnesses plugged in correctly.

 

I think the next thing I'll check is the hazard switch. In reading some more, it sounds like that thing can cause some weird behavior with the turn signals. Perhaps it is just a coincidence that it started giving me fits about the same time as me fiddling with the other switches.

 

Thanks for the help.

[Miles]

Good plan.

 

Try a Google search of HybridZ:

 

Type: site: hybridz.org  "hazard switch"

 

A Google search usually gives a number of hits.

[OhBilly]

Problems resolved. Here's a quick summary of the problems and eventual solutions in the event this thread might help someone else hunt down their electrical gremlins.

 

Problem: Headlights would not turn on despite good fuses and a cleaning of the electrical contacts inside the combination switch.

Solution: When I originally cleaned up the contacts, when I put the switch back together I flubbed it up. The little electrical contacts rocker back and forth with movement of the switch, and these rockers are held in place at their pivot points by being cradled between a metal piece that forms one of the contacts. My pivot ended up being too tight and slightly pinched the rocker, not allowing it to travel its full range inside the switch. I simply loosened up the squeeze on the rockering contact and now the lights work fine.

 

Problem: When turning on the parking lights, the RH turn signal indicator on the dash would light up solid and the front RH combination bulb would not. All other parking and turn signal lights worked fine.

Solution: Turned out the RF bulb socket ground was badly corroded and essentially open. The electrical current, instead of going to ground and lighting up the parking light filament, was back-feeding through the turn signal filament and into the indicator light on the dash which has it's own ground, hence why it lit up instead. I fixed it by cleaning up the socket and re-soldering the ground.

 

Miles, thanks for your help. You nailed it on the headlight problem.

Edited January 24, 2013 by OhBilly

[Miles]

Congrats. You're in the club now.

 

While you are at it, inspect/clean up all of the light sockets and grounds. 

[motomanmike]

Really good to know Billy, my car has this exact problem but its intermitten.  Some days the right rear light will light up when I start the car.  Mess with the blinkers it goes off.  At least I know what it is now thanks for posting it up.