turn-signal switches

[hemi68charger]

Hey gang..
I know this is  , but man, today's reproduction turn-signal switches are junk. I am back working on my friend's '71 Challenger. It, once again, has a "No-brake light condition" and everything points to the turn-signal switch. The white wire coming from the brake pedal light switch is energized when the brake is applied and I get voltage to the 4-way hazard pull-switch as I should. BUT, I get no voltage from that to the rear. When the brake lights are energizes, which wires in the circuit leading away from the turn-signal switch should be energized? Is it the same ones for the left/right rear turn signals ( hence giving voltage to both sides of the rear )?

Also, has anyone modified the new reproductions so that last longer? My observation is the plastic halves of the switch are flimsy compared to the originals and with that, the contacts inside the switch loose contact, no?

Whatcha think?  I see there are various suppliers for the reproduction switch; Year One, Standard Automotive ( TM7 ) and Amazon.. True 71-74 NOS e-body switches are next to impossible to find and when found, cost a fortune...

Cheers,
Troy

[Chryco Psycho]

Yes power goes up the white wire spits inside the switch so both leads to the rear lights are independant , so when the turn signal is operated it interupts power to one side from the flasher but when the brake circuit is operated it powers both sides bypassing the flasher .
 Maybe yours was made after a long weekend , I have used probably 20 or more TM-7 & have no had problems or is the guy rough on the switch / lever ?

[hemi68charger]

...
 Maybe yours was made after a long weekend , I have used probably 20 or more TM-7 & have no had problems or is the guy rough on the switch / lever ?

Thanks for the input.. So, I'm taking it, when the brake pedal is applied, the juice comes up through the white wire, to the flasher switch, then gets channeled to the two wire colors for the rear brakes ( brown and dark green ). I should be able to put my test light on either one of the previously mentioned wires on the signal switch ( brown or dark green ) and it will come on when the brake is applied ( in a serviceable condition of course )....

[Chryco Psycho]

yes 

[rUNCHARGER]

I bought two signals switches from Chrysler this summer. The flasher knob isn't correct for 70 but they are factory quality. Seems to me the part # is in the restoration MP catalogue.

Sheldon

[anlauto]

I bought two signals switches from Chrysler this summer. The flasher knob isn't correct for 70 but they are factory quality. Seems to me the part # is in the restoration MP catalogue.

Sheldon

Funny story: So I too have bought these switches and in one case I had to install one in a 70 column. So I got my Dremal tool and opened up the area on the column and made a nice clean job of it and it worked fine....

So the other day my new buddy was over who's restoring a 70 Cuda...I was saying to him how I had to modify another 70 column to make a new switch work.....He simply said " When I did my column, I modified the plastic switch with a file to make it fit" DOH !  Why didn't I think of that

[Katfish]

[rUNCHARGER]

Alan: Sometimes I think we're riding in the same boat, floating down the same river....

Sheldon

[anlauto]

 

Alan: Sometimes I think we're riding in the same boat, floating down the same river....

Sheldon

  Hey at least we both have paddles

[hemi68charger]

Got the new switch yesterday and temporarily installed it, brake lights work......... Dang previous switch.... Grrrrrrrrr. Hopefully this one will last longer...... I've gotten to be an old pro at troubleshooting and swapping switches now........ Thanks all..... 

View from taking the steering column out Sunday while double-tasking: Working on Mopars while watching the Sprint Cup race.. 

[ed-pv]

Those aftermarket turn signal switches are kind of sketchy!  I installed one in my 70 challenger, had to modify the hazard button as mentioned above and everything fit and installed properly.  Everything worked except for the brake lights!  Went through all the troubleshooting steps and everything was pointing to a bad turn signal switch (everything was working before with the old switch, I just changed it out because when I selected the left turn signal, the lever would not stay down).  I didn't really want to take apart the column again so I played around with the switches.  I found that if the hazard button was pressed all the way in, the hazards would turn on (normal I think), but when the hazard button was pulled out all the way the hazards would turn on again (not normal I think since all the way pulled out should be off).  When I put the hazard button in between full in and full out, the hazards would turn off but the brake lights would not work.  I also found that the brake lights work when the hazard button is pressed all the way in albeit, the hazards would be on as well.  What I ended up doing was pressing the hazard button all the way in and disconnecting the hazard flasher...now everything works as it should except the hazard lights of course.  I guess when I have some time I'll purchase another switch and replace it again!

[dutch]

I`d look into having the Original restored by fellow member Slotts @ JSResorations.   

[TelisSE440]

Well there is something we can do without buying a new switch and more importantly keep the factory one, but it has a little frustrating work if you don't like working on your Mopar... Anyway drill the four little rivets, extra carefully to prevent any damage so as to remove the small case which houses the switch...

[TelisSE440]

Now you can see when you turn the switch around that there are six brass points which the H shaped switch makes contact at the first and second pair and when you pull the switch, at the second and third pair. The first four are when emergency switch is not activated so watch the brass points carefully,as you see in my switch I put solder in one that had been weared out, so the white wire could not make contact and get current through the H shaped switch from the other white wire and thus the biggest problem with signal switches was repaired. I checked the others and were ok, so I put some small rivets and some glue and closed it, never had a problem in one and a half years...