CK5
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Electrical Headaches...

Temp gauge has to have a wire or a solid probe to the engine. I'll look for a diagram when I can.
It never had A/C?
 
..., and I have an afternarket temp gauge cause the stock one doesn't work but the temp gauge just uses a sending unit, no wires correct?
I think you have some of terminology mixed up so I'm going to go on rant, so that I'm cLear about what I talking about.

There are both mechanical and electrical aftermarket temperature gauges. Mechanical gauges don't have a "sensor ", those gauges uses a probe. It that the gauge and probe is one unit. What connects the the two is copper tube filled with a liquid and sealed. Don't ever cut the tube on mechanical temperature gauge.

With that bring said, I'm going to assume what you saying is somebody installed a mechanical temperature gauge in your vehicle, yes one of the green wires is probably for the factory temperature gauge.
 
I installed the aftermarket mechanical temp guage and yes it has a probe. So you think one of the green wires is to the factory electrical temp gauge? What about the other one? And in answer to blazer 74's question, no my truck is a custom deluxe, didn't come with AC.
 
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76 no fact A/C hopefully not blurry.
 
Wow! Thanks for the pics, do you mind pointing out where the wire block thing is on there, the one right under the wiper motor on the firewall?
 
Dark green also to horn and yes dark green for temp, also dark green for back up on 4sp trucks but doesn't come from junction block.
 
Alright I'll check that out when it's light in the morning, as for the green horn wires, they are removed, I have a horn botton on my floorboard.
 
I am about to buy a new turn signal flasher and a new hazzard flasher as well. Do you guys think this will fix the problem I described with the headlights and turn signals I described in the OP.
 
Dang. I now have the same headlight/ turn signal problem.

No clue on what is causing this just yet. I will head back out soon and take another stab at it.
I have a 1988 blazer- manual trans.
The seal on both my headlights has been broken and they have been dim for a long time.
TodAy i replaced both headlights with ones that ive had laying around (pretty sure they were new- one was still in box- think i bought them about a year ago)
I replaced the headlights, and also replaced the front main seal. I sprayed the underside of the car down with water when i was done. -2 hours later i try to drive away and pass side turnsignal is on (solid- not blinking) any time the headlight switch is on.
-turn signals do not blink when turned on- they stay on constantly.
-cannot turn off pass side blinker when headlights are turned on.
-when the headlights are off, blinkers and hazards seem to work fine.

Not sure what to think yet- didnt think the headlights and blinkers shared any wiring.
 
Yep, that's the exact problem I'm having except mine is the driver side. I'm replacing both flashers Tuesday so I'll let you know if that fixes it. Hopefully somebody else will chime in and help us out... Let me know if you figure it out before I do.
 
OK, coming from a Ford perspective, but I have seen this sort of thing before. If you have front turn signal bulbs that are dual filament, odds are you have a ground problem. When you turn on the headlights, the "parking lights" try to come on.
If the bulb base does not have a good ground, the power will backfeed through the turn signal filament.

I had a '76 Torinio that did that. Drove me crazy. I checked all the grounds, leads, everything was fine.
Turned out it was where the ground wire was crimped into the base contact inside the bulb socket.
I noticed that the ground contact on the side was corroded and looked like it had been hot.
When I cleaned it, the problem went away for a little while but came back.
I could attach a piece of wire to a good ground, turn on the headlights and work the end of the wire down alongside the bulb in the socket.
When it touched the base of the bulb, the problem quit.

It seems that there were a lot of cars and trucks that had the same problem in that model year.
I guess that a factory somewhere made those sockets for lots of companies.
 
Well, first remove the bulbs from both front blinker sockets. Then, when you turn on the headlights, see if the indicator stays on.
If not, then the power is crossfeeding through those bulbs.
Its faintly possible that the filaments inside have shorted together. Swapping the bulbs from side to side would show if the problem followed a bulb.
Or just replace the bulbs to be sure.

Also, examine the inside of the socket carefully. If the side contact looks funky, its probably the problem. Also examine the ground for that side headlight and the blinker socket.

You can also attach a long wire to a known good ground, I recommend the negative post of the battery.
Then, with the lights on, touch it to the ground part of both the head light and the blinker bulb, one at a time.
If the problem goes away when you touch one or the other, then you have a bad ground there, no matter how good it looks like.

Of course, do the ground testing after all the bulbs are back in place.
 
Ok, I'll give that a try tomorrow at the shop, replacing the flashers as well because the hazzard one is bad and it don't hurt to replace the turn signal one while I'm at it.
 
Ok I did what you said, with bulbs removed, the problem is still there, swapping bulbs also had no effect. I don't understand what you mean by run a long wire from a good ground to the turn signal and headlight body? Will you walk me through this. I geuss I have ruled out the bulbs As the problem as no matter which side their on the drivers side turn signal indicator is still on and not blinking.
 
Ok actually I just figured out what you meant. When I touch a ground wire to the ground side of the left turn signal socket, it goes off. This means I have a ground problem where? Where are the typical ground spots for turn signals on these things?
 
Yeah, I often write faster than I think. The instructions sound so clear when I'm typing them.
I think you also said that the headlight was dim on that side. That is more evidence of a bad ground.
As to where the grounds are, you are going to have to hear from others. My expertise runs mostly to Fords.
I know that a lot of GM stuff has a small ground wire from the battery terminal to the front clip. You might check that.
Or just try tracing the ground wire from the turn signal socket back to where it hooks up.
I have some schematics that give wire colors, but they are on the other computer. If no one chimes in soon, I will be to the other computer later tonight and will post some more.
 
I traced both wire that come off the turn signal bulb. Both end up back at the wire block on the firewall under the wiper motor. The ground from the battery to the front clip is good. Anybody else want to chime in on this?
 
Should be several grounds at/near the radiator support for the lights, not just the power wires to the junction block on the firewall.
 

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