dash blinker lights

[80spiddy]

Is it normal for both opposing arrows light when the blinker (left or right) is signaled? Mine does this and it reminds me of emergency flashers on modern day cars. Or is something amiss. First I drove this car since buying and rebuilding.

[juvius]

Yes. That's the way it is

[DieselSpider]

It's one light with double arrows.

[PhillySpider]

Thanks OP...Been meaning to ask that for months!!!

On another note, should they turn off themselves like modern cars? My blinkers stay on until i turn them off

[jandarah]

No, they should self cancel. My 77 Spider does. Guess you don't want to hear that.

[DieselSpider]

They should self cancel. Like most other cars if someone has forced them to the on position while the wheels are partially turned so that the cam for the self canceling feature is engaged the mechanism will break.

[RRoller123]

The reason they don't turn off can POSSIBLY be the aligned centering of the wheel. The car can track straight, the wheels can be facing forward, and the steering wheel centered, and it can still be all screwed up. This drove me crazy for the longest time until I figured out what was happening; try this:

Center the wheels and the steering wheel as best you can so the car is oriented straight forward. Mark on a piece of masking tape. The steering wheel mounting screw that is exactly (or closest) to the top of the steering wheel. Then rotate the steering all the way to the lock point on one side and count the number of mounting screws that pass this marked point. Rotate the steering wheel back to the initial starting point and do this in the opposite direction and count the number of mounting screws that pass by. These should match! If they don't, the little mechanism that turns off the turn signals is out of whack and won't work properly. In mine, it would sort of work in one direction but not the other. You can then unscrew the steering wheel, put it back on oriented/rotated in a new position either left or right a screw or two depending upon how far off it is.

What is going on here? Well... someone, a PO likely, had centered the wheels and steering wheel during an alignment, but didn't have it truly centered lock to lock, and adjusted the tie rod ends to make it all work and fit. One tie rod too long, one tie rod too short. Everything seems ok until you use the "Blinkah". There is enough adjustment available in the tie rods to do this.

Now, it is important to mention that this is not much of a problem here in Massachusetts, because we don't use our blinkahs; it is no one's g-damned business where we are going, so we don't broadcast it. But they may have some use in other states.

Pete

[divace73]

Is it normal for both opposing arrows light when the blinker (left or right) is signaled? Mine does this and it reminds me of emergency flashers on modern day cars. Or is something amiss. First I drove this car since buying and rebuilding.

I once had some ask me 'How do you which way you are turning?' to which I gave the that 'you are really stooopid look' and replied 'you know which way you want to go, yeah?'

[80spiddy]

Thanks. That's one thing I don't have to fix.

[PhillySpider]

The reason they don't turn off can POSSIBLY be the aligned centering of the wheel. The car can track straight, the wheels can be facing forward, and the steering wheel centered, and it can still be all screwed up. This drove me crazy for the longest time until I figured out what was happening; try this:

Center the wheels and the steering wheel as best you can so the car is oriented straight forward. Mark on a piece of masking tape. The steering wheel mounting screw that is exactly (or closest) to the top of the steering wheel. Then rotate the steering all the way to the lock point on one side and count the number of mounting screws that pass this marked point. Rotate the steering wheel back to the initial starting point and do this in the opposite direction and count the number of mounting screws that pass by. These should match! If they don't, the little mechanism that turns off the turn signals is out of whack and won't work properly. In mine, it would sort of work in one direction but not the other. You can then unscrew the steering wheel, put it back on oriented/rotated in a new position either left or right a screw or two depending upon how far off it is.

What is going on here? Well... someone, a PO likely, had centered the wheels and steering wheel during an alignment, but didn't have it truly centered lock to lock, and adjusted the tie rod ends to make it all work and fit. One tie rod too long, one tie rod too short. Everything seems ok until you use the "Blinkah". There is enough adjustment available in the tie rods to do this.

Now, it is important to mention that this is not much of a problem here in Massachusetts, because we don't use our blinkahs; it is no one's g-damned business where we are going, so we don't broadcast it. But they may have some use in other states.

Pete

Thanks...I have to try this. My alignment is perfect, but the steering wheel is at 1 o'clock. Been meaning to have it adjusted or research how to do it. PO had a service record for "alignment and new horn button"...wonder if that was the culprit. Can I litterally just remove those alen bolts around the horn button to remove the wheel and shift it over a notch or is getting the wheel off more involved than that?

[RRoller123]

Easy as that, just remove the screws and rotate the wheel and screw it back down. But making sure you are at true dead center of the lock-lock track is the key. There is enough adjustment available in the tie rods to make all appear ok, the tie rods can make up for it all being aligned when the car was NOT at the center of steering, and but then the blinkah turn-off is out of whack.