Chrysler Repair: left turn signal not working 1991 LeBaron, turn signal switch, left turn signal


Question
QUESTION: Our 91 LeBaron convertible's left side turn signal is not working (front and rear). (Not even making the clicking noise). When we turn the emergency lights on , the rear (left) come on but not the front.  Everything on the right side is good.  We have checked the fuses, the bulbs, the relays.  We looked at the wiring and found this small square electronic device covered with a jelly like silicone that the wire from the turn signal plugs into. That unit is located close to the left tire underneath.  We undid the switch but it seems to be functioning properly (no real way to test).  Do you have any advice?  We have read some replies to similar e-mails and some speak of replacing flasher unit.  Where is that?  and what do you think?

ANSWER: Hi Manon,
I would not think this has anything to do with the flasher since it does work on one side. I suspect that the front left bulb is either shorting to ground, or burned out, or that the black ground wire is not grounded well. So I would open that housing and inspect the condition of things, and with the bulb removed see if you get the pulsing voltage when you try the left turn on the light green wire at the housing. The mysterious module you found is the daytime running lamp module only found in the cars marketed in Canada. That is not involved in the problem. The combo flasher is under the dash, to the right of the steering column and is clipped ot the A.C. distribution duct and is painted yellow. I doubt it is the problem. If it is not local to the left front bulb housing, then check the front marker light on that side if your vehicle is so-equipped.
Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: now that we reconnected everything, the rear turn signal comes on but the clicking is really fast (resulted from jiggling the wires behind the turn signal switch).  We checked the voltage at the green wire and there is none.  That front light comes on when you turn the parking lights on. Any more advice?

ANSWER: I would check that front socket's wires: one is grounded (black, check for continuity to ground) one is black/yellow and should show 12v when parking lights are on, and one is light green and it should showing pulsing 12v in synchorny with the rear bulb when you have the turn signal on or the emergency flashers. That bright filament is probably simply burned out so check the continuity of both filaments to the ground lead of the bulb. That rapid flashing is usually due to a filament being burned out. If you don't have voltage at all to the light green wire then it is open somewhere back to the flasher.
Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: That black wire goes on with the rest of the wires.  How do you check if it is grounded?  There is no voltage at the green wire and we know the bulb is good.(we checked it on the other side). At the next connector the light green wire turns to green with navy stripe.  we checked the wire from the light to the daytime running light module and the wiring is good. However it seems that the connection is lost as it goes through that daytime light module. There are 9 wires going through that unit and I am not sure what color my wire (for the turn signal) is as it comes out.  (It was green with a navy stripe going in). I tried to get connection between the pins in that unit from my wire going in.  Does that unit need power to show connection when unit a multimeter and touching the pins?

Answer
You check for grounding by measuring the resistance between the pin socket for that wire and the - clamp at the battery (or any shiney surface on the chassis). It should read 0 ohms.
I am not sure what you mean by the 'black wire goes on with the rest' unless you mean that it shows 12v compared to ground and that you have the bulb in the socket when you are measuring it, which if that were the fact means that it isn't grounded at all. It should be connected to a common ground point at the left headlamp. If it weren't grounded then the filaments in the bulb would not light even though they were getting 12v.
AT the daylight module you can compare the outputs of the left and the right side to see if they are symmetric when you ask for left or right turns, respectively. The voltage from the left front turn signal relay comes to the module on a light green wire, the voltage from the right front turn signal relay comes to the module on a tan wire. Before it gets there each also sends a spliced wire of the same color to the marker lamp on its side. That same left side voltage source appears to leave the module on a light green/dark blue which goes thru a disconnect by the radiator closure panel and then becomes light green on the other side of the disconnect and goes to the park/turn signal bulb. On the right side the output is tan/dark blue and follows the same pattern at its disconnect on the right side radiator closure panel. So see if there is anything different between those pathways when you try the left turn vs. the right turn.  The other wires at the module are power/headlamp hi and low/ground and a speed sensor but those presumably aren't involved in the problem because it does work on the right but not the left.
The failure could be due to a bad left front relay so try switching the left and right front relays in the relay block on the left kick panel. Those are side by side in the 4th row of the relay block (counting from the top). If the problem is now with the right side, then you need a new left front relay. If not, then you problem may be the 'diode package' located near the relay bank which also has a left and right component to it.
Roland