Headlight blinker problems

[zlyles]

I was noticing my left blinker was working sometimes and others not. When I payed closer attention, it turned out that my left blinker stops working when my headlights are turned on. Also at the same time, all of the front left lights dimm down. With headlights on, if I turn on the left blinker, the indicator goes solid, the rear blinker light goes solid(full brightness), but the front does nothing. Turn the headlights off, and the left blinker works like a charm.

I also noticed when my headlights are on, my car's temp goes up, a LOT. It runs right around 200 with the headlights off, A/C on, radio(amp/sub) blasting. Flip on the headlights, almost instantly the temp goes up to 220+ sometimes as high as 250, even with accessories off. I flip the headlights back off, and almost instantly my temp drops back down to 200.

Thank for the help,

Zak

 

[HISSIN50]

Sounds like you have ground-pathway issues. Has anything been rewired on the car?

 

[zlyles]

I wish I knew. The car had a lot of work done on it before I bought it, and I don't know enough about fox bodies to be able to tell by looking. The cooling fan was definitely rewired, which I had to fix the other night. Other than thatI don't know where to look. It just started doing this recently, in the past 2 weeks.

Zak

 

[LiquidGT]

I also noticed when my headlights are on, my car's temp goes up, a LOT.

My temp gauge does that too, I can have the car ice cold and turn on the lights. It slowly rises from 0*- 270*. Turn the key and it goes back to its proper position. I swaped the temp/volt part of the cluster, the same. I added an extra ground and sending wire to the back of the cluster, same thing.

 

[Shakerhood]

My Temp Gauge goes up slightly when I flip the Headlights on too.

 

[HISSIN50]

Are you the guy who had the fan wiring catch on fire (and it was tied into the foglight wiring)?

Put together a sig with all of your mods and stuff. That helps us help you. I dont even think I saw what year of fox you have.

I would go over all of the wiring for the lighting. I have the feeling (that if you're the fan wiring guy) that your lighting grounds were compromised. If needed, run new ground wires (I would first do temporary jumpers for diagnostics, and then if needed, make soldered and weather-tight connections since you dont want to have lighting issues again).

 

[jrichker]

Zlyles:
The headlights, parking lights and turn signals all share a common ground. Look on the radiator support just above the headlight. There is a small screw that serves as the ground point for all the lights. There should be a black ground wire attached to that screw.

LiquidGT & Shakerhood:
Look for a bad or missing secondary power ground. The secondary power ground is between the back of the intake manifold and the driver's side firewall. It is often missing or loose. It supplies ground for the alternator, A/C compressor clutch and other electrical accessories such as the gauges.

Any car that has a 3G or high output current alternator needs a 4 gauge ground wire running from the block to the chassis ground where the battery pigtail ground connects. The 3G has a 130 amp capacity, so you wire the power side with 4 gauge wire. It stands to reason that the ground side handles just a much current, so it needs to be 4 gauge too.

 

[bloopbloob]

have you checked your blinker fluid lately?

 

[zlyles]

Yeah, my blinker fluid is full, but believe it or not the headlight ground jrichker referred me to wasn't even on the ground screw, it's the same screw my cooling fan relays are grounded to, and at some point in the 2-3 times the fan has been rewired, it managed to sneak up under the radiator support and disappear completely. Thanks again, headlights and blinkers are working fine again.

I did however notice the hose to my blinker fluid was too short, gonna go pick up a hose stretcher tomorrow.

Zak

 

[Shakerhood]

Zlyles:
The headlights, parking lights and turn signals all share a common ground. Look on the radiator support just above the headlight. There is a small screw that serves as the ground point for all the lights. There should be a black ground wire attached to that screw.

LiquidGT & Shakerhood:
Look for a bad or missing secondary power ground. The secondary power ground is between the back of the intake manifold and the driver's side firewall. It is often missing or loose. It supplies ground for the alternator, A/C compressor clutch and other electrical accessories such as the gauges.

Any car that has a 3G or high output current alternator needs a 4 gauge ground wire running from the block to the chassis ground where the battery pigtail ground connects. The 3G has a 130 amp capacity, so you wire the power side with 4 gauge wire. It stands to reason that the ground side handles just a much current, so it needs to be 4 gauge too.

I did the Extra Ground a couple years back so I am good to go, my Temp Gauge only rises slightly when I turn the Switch on, its no big deal, thanks for the input though.

 

[zlyles]

Any car that has a 3G or high output current alternator needs a 4 gauge ground wire running from the block to the chassis ground where the battery pigtail ground connects. The 3G has a 130 amp capacity, so you wire the power side with 4 gauge wire. It stands to reason that the ground side handles just a much current, so it needs to be 4 gauge too.

Is this the same ground that connects from the back of the intake manifold to the firewall?