Ugh. when it rains it pours - electrical issue (headlights)

[badmix]

Drove my truck last nite and the left turn signal indicator stayed light the whole time, Get out and look at the headlights, ive got quad lights (84 k5). The high beams were 1/2 glowing, when I hit the high beams all kinda weird stuff goes on, parking lights dim, one high beam lights up, there other stays dim, one blinker goes slow, one fast, Blah blah Blah.

Obviously there is a short or ground issue, but trying to figure out where to start. I havent had a chance to mess with it, but I was going to pull the headlights and try and work backwards, but wanted to see if anyone has a quicker solution where to look.

One item ruled out is the voltage regulator/Alternator, the lights act all funky even with the truck not running.

 

[ryoken]

work the opposite direction.. simple first.. turn the ign on.. put on one turn signal.. see what happens.. diagnose from there.. a lot of those directional issues tend to be bulb stuff.. but this sounds more like a grd issue..

 

[Kain]

bad turn signal socket?

 

[badmix]

I checked all the turn signal sockets and all connections. Today the headlights acted normal, i did have them act up once (reg. headlights on with hi-beam 1/2 lit).

I unplugged my trailer lights, it didnt fix it. Check all turn signal and headlight sockets, no corrosion. I checked all the grounds I could find.

When I put the turn signals on, here is what they are doing, they will blink a few times like normal and then just stop and stay on and maybe they will blink again or they wont and then just stop. It seems there is a pattern. If I turn off turn signal and then back on, they will blink and then stop, this is pretty consistant.

Now for the fun part. I pulled the turn signal relay (round thingy in the fuse panel) and the headlights were fine, I put on hazards (seperate circuit), all the lights worked as they should (so this makes me think sockets and wiring to the lights is fine).

I think its the round flasher relay thing under the dash. Gonna pick one up tomorrow and put it in. Funny part is, I pulled it out, looked at it and put it back and the flashers worked pretty much like normal. Im going to let things settle down and then go back down later on and see what happens.

Could bad flasher relay cause these kinda problems, with headlights and turn signals.

Im guessing this is the org to the truck, from 1984

 

[rampage]

I would say it's a bad flasher. I'm not sure if you know how they work, but inside the flasher is a bimetal strip that heats up when current flows through it. When it heats up the electrical connection is broken. When it cools down it makes contact again. If it gets stuck in the 'on' position then too much current is always flowing through it which would make your headlight go dim. Simple check is to swap flasher from side to side to see if the problem follows.

 

[sweetk30]

ground from harness at core support next to batt location both sides .

ground tab in turn/marker sockets brake off .

bulb with bad filament and droped to 2nd filament and making backfeed.

and bad trailer wiring install job .

just a few common I have seen .

 

[badmix]

ff .

1) bulb with bad filament and droped to 2nd filament and making backfeed.

2) bad trailer wiring install job .

.

1) I didnt know this, ill check all the bulbs, i all the turn signal bulbs are dual filament as they are parking lights

2) Im taking out my trailer wiring, I did find a ground that wasnt in good shape but it was there and I fixed it, but didnt fix anything.

Going to get a flasher tomorrow (quick and easiest)

 

[badmix]

Stupid truck, lol. I went down just now and ran it thru its paces with the headlights and turn signals, working like its suppose to.

I wonder if me pulling the relay and shaking it did anything.

Still gonna replace the flasher relay, cheap insurance.

 

[diesel4me]

Floor mounted dimmer switches have given me headlamp grief like this before...

Usually the headlamps aren't affected if you have parking,tail or brake light issues,but I suppose it could make the breaker click on and off in the headlamp switch if the parking/tail lamps circuit had a short circuit..