Well here is the deal...my turn signal only works when i am pushing on the gas. if i sit at idle or am readt for a turn, it doesnt blink...it just stays on. if i rev the engine it will blink until idle speed again..any thoughts? thanx-james
i had something similiar happen for me. when sitting still at a light the signal will blink VERY slowly, like time every 10 seconds. whereas when driving and turning ont o turn it will be a normal steady blink. blink. blink. no clue as to why!??!
at idle, check voltage at the battery. should be 13 something. 13.5 13.8... more than 12 something. almost sounds like you don't have enough alternator at idle. let us know
Scott nailed it right on the nose. I noticed this years ago, whenever my alternator was going weak or bad, the blinkers would slow, or stop blinking. Sounds like you indeed are getting too low a voltage at idle.
oh no... my car is awaiting a new intake manifold now, but im assuming i need new alternator now too!?!? ahhhhh
Signal I have one dollar that says you are the victim of a bad ground James. Check every ground that has to do with your signals. Clean them all up and I think you'll find your signals are working properly again.
todd is wanting to put in a power booster/amp. we were wondering about if the car has enough power to run it. we went to this site to find out what a new alternator costs. not much if you ask me. i have dealt with these guys before with great results. good luck http://www.advanceautoparts.com/
Scott, the alternators in these cars are not very high in capacity for use with the sound equipment that is used today. They can be anywhere from 45 to 60 amp in size, so depending on how much power the amp draws, you should consider at least a 90 amp or larger unit, then an upgrade in the battery capacity. And stay away from under drive pullies. This subject is gone over and over on all the boards. Some people try to run big systems and then complain about poor starting, dim lights etc. The stock system is just barely able to meet demands. Even when converting a car to EFI, the charging system has to be upgraded soley because of the fuel pump and the computer use 15 amps continously plus any lights and heat/AC usage.
Leave it to a fellow Pennsylvanian to hit it right on. These cars had very limited charging systems, not unlike many smaller cars and imports up to more recent years. One thing you may want to check also before you run and buy a new alternator is the voltage regulator. In modern alternators, the regulator is internal so if one component goes, you have to replace the whole thing. Nice for the mechanics, more costly for us. Make sure you are getting full charging voltage coming directly out of the alternator before it gets to the regulator. If you are in fact getting full voltage, then the regulator is the culprit. The general rule is that the higher the electrical demands you place on your car, the bigger the alternator. On the emergency vehicles we use at work, the electrical systems can handle several hundred amps of demand between lights, sirens, etc. You can't just buy a Crown Vic or Impala or a F-450 showroom specs and slap a lightbar, siren, and radios in it and expect it to start everytime you need it to. Our street vehicles, new or old, are no different.
Wes; one question concerning charging system...I have a voltmeter, hooked to the fuse box. It always reads about 12 volts, swings wildly when the signals are on, and drops when the lights or AC it turned on. Where do I put the voltmeter to read the charging volts...on the field coil (black) terminal, or on the battery directly? Thanks in advance for the help. Earl
Earl, I know your question is addressed to WES but I wanted to be sure that you understand that what you are discribing is a serious voltage drop accross the wiring from the battery source to the fuse holder location and right on out to the equipment locations, to see that wild a change in voltage with just the turn signals operating. I would really check over the wiring, terminal ends and grounds for problems. To monitor the battery voltage/charging, hook the meter to or near the battery. This permits you to see what the charging system is doing but would not tell you the problem you are now seeing so metering at both locations is sometimes needed to see what other problems there might be. One of the ways you can help the situation is to install slave relays to operate the head lites right from a fused battery location instead of the current going to the headlite switch and back again to the headlites. Doing this removes a lot of wire resistance in the total circuit and brightens the lights to boot. Forgive me for butting in , take care.
Ken; thanks for the information. I am certain that the wiring is the problem, and I will check grounds, wiring and the bulb sockets. No problem answering the post...good, solid information is always appreciated, no matter the source. Thanks again, Earl
