driver turn signal does not flash. driver side brake light is lit just not as bright as passenger side. driver side tail light is lit but agian not as bright as right side, here is what is strange though, when I turn on the tail lights and then put on the brake lights both of them go out...

I thought that the bulb was out because the fiber console light was out, replaced with one I had when I went to use turn signal they did not flash, figure I had wrong type of bulb, so had wife pick one up at local parts store.

Any Ideas? Fuse? flasher unit. Please tell me it is something easy because I'm not a real handy kind of guy.

Bad ground.

Without the ground the lights dim, and you get a feed back through the park lights while the turnsignal is trying to ground. With the park lights on, the ground path goes away, and the lights go out. This also reduced the amperage through the flasher and prevents the turn signal from working properly.

This could be a bad ground wire from the socket to the frame, or a bad contact in the socket itself.

The ZEN Master Ken has spoken.....

Common problem with older cars especially Vettes with separate grounds for the lights due to the fiberglass body. While you've still got the problem you should see all sorts of wild things happen to your rear lights. Like all the lights flashing when you have the taillights on and an indicator switched while pressing the brake pedal.

Confuses the crap out of someone following you!!

Okay first thing is glad to hear florida is still with us, now onto my vette, I disconnected what I believe to be the ground, cleaned it up and tighten back to frame, drivers side turn signal still will not flash, tail light is lit but dimmer than right side and when i pur the brakes on they driver side goes dark. Master Ken or anyone else, could some one explain how to check to socket and/or ground wire I am really non-mechanical and I really don't have a clue as to what the H- I am doing, One thing is that I have to fix this without going to shop to cover lifetime member fee, few home fixes and it will pay for it self and she can't argue. thanks for the help. type slow cuz I'm slow.... Larry

I had similiar problems. I replaced all my bulbs at the rear of the car. The base sockets also need to be cleaned. I used a small peice of emory cloth to clean the socket connections and inside the socket to ensure a good connection.
To check your ground at the socket, you can run a jumper wire from the base socket to a clean spot on the frame. If the light works correctly, you have a ground problem that you'll have to trouble shoot.

Hope this helps.
--Eric

There are many places to have a bad ground. The connection to the frame is only one of them. Any point in the wire could be bad. The socket could be bad. Connection to the bulb, harness connector, solder joints, etc. It's still a bad ground, just not at the eyelet.

You can connect a jumper wire to a good ground. Then use the end of the jumper to tap into different places along the harness to find good and bad spots when the lights are operating. You can even touch the edge of the bulb. Just don't touch any hot leads.

If you get a change when you touch the jumper to ground, that spot is okay, you have a connection to that spot. If there is no difference, you are past the bad ground point.

Try removing the lamp socket to clean it and/or check the condition.
Carefully pull back the rubber boot, the socket comes out basically the same way a bulb does. Twist and pull.
On the chance you have a bad socket, replacements can be bought locally.
While your under there, The suggestion of using a jumper ground is an excellent first step.

okay update on my virginness- pulled the socket out of the back, then my father in law comes in who is retired electrican, says lets put in together so I can see what it is doing, pur socket back put bulb in, and everything was working. Could his walking into the garage have scared the socket into working? anyway driving with the top down tomarrow (after I mow the damn lawn). Thank you to all that reply cost of lifetime membership is down to oh lets say 120.00

Yep, by pulling the socket out and then putting it back in you've sort of cleaned the connection. (father-in-law magic may have helped as well)

Now that you've found that it works, I would pull all the sockets at the back and clean them. You need to clean the bit on the socket that clips into the taillight housing. Usually if one is dirty they all are and will fail at the most inopportune moment.

Glad to see it was an easy fix!


--Eric