Intermittent electrical quirk with turn signal

[montana_hiboy]

This one has me baffled, it's happend maybe 3 or 4 times over the last few years and invariably returns to normal operation on its own after a period of time, what happens is when i turn my lights on (headlights and/or parking lights) my right turn signal indicator on the instrument panel remains illuminated (not flashing, just steady) yet my right parking light is not illuminated, when i turn on my right turn signal the indicator light on the instrument panel flashes as it's supposed to, as does the parking light (turn signal), so it still functions properly as a turn signal during this anomaly, it's the parking light which becomes inoperable during this quirk. Turn signal switch, headlight switch, flashers and bulbs are all new, sockets and grounds are clean and secure and all other lights function properly, it's the intermittent nature of this problem which has me puzzled, anyone have any ideas? thanks.

[fordman]

i think that may be a feedback issue with the pilot light in the cluster. power is crossing over something and sending a constant power to the pilot light. so the light stays on.

[montana_hiboy]

I think you may be right, the circuit board is the only thing i have yet to replace, even though everything else is ok i don't know what else it could possibly be, as i write this it went back to "normal" but i know it will happen again so i'd like to fix it if possible.

[fordman]

well i was thinking it was something in the turn signal switch that was making it curl up on the outer edges of it and making contact wrong or something like that. i was considering a circut board. i had in my head a 67-69 cluster. but i guess the circut board could go bad and do that. i think its probably in the tss.

[Thunderfoot]

From what you are describing it isn't the TSS or the Instrument panel...
You say that the park light on the right side doesn't come on when this happens, are you referring to just the front park light... correct... the right rear tail light comes on fine???
If so then the problem is in the right front park light, either the element of the bulb is broke and bounces over and makes contact with the turn signal element or the socket has an issue where it is shorting out to the turn signal circuit.
Does this happen when you drive in wet conditions or after???

[montana_hiboy]

From what you are describing it isn't the TSS or the Instrument panel...
You say that the park light on the right side doesn't come on when this happens, are you referring to just the front park light... correct... the right rear tail light comes on fine???
If so then the problem is in the right front park light, either the element of the bulb is broke and bounces over and makes contact with the turn signal element or the socket has an issue where it is shorting out to the turn signal circuit.
Does this happen when you drive in wet conditions or after???

That's correct, it's just the front parking light, the tail light is fine, i know it's not the bulb (i've tried three) and it doesn't appear to be a weather related issue i.e. rain, your suggestion that it may be a faulty socket shorting out the t/s circuit seems very plausible though, i'll pick up a socket on my next parts run and wire it in and see if it happens again, thanks.

[montana_hiboy]

It was a faulty socket, the ground strap inside the socket was broken and only making intermittent contact, i picked one up at the junkyard for two bucks, thanks for the help.

[Thunderfoot]

You are quick! Glad you found it
If it is something you can take a pick of to show where it was broke that would be to show others for reference. No problem if not.

[peanutman]

This site rocks. Mine does the same thing except on the left, turn indicator on dash lights up when you turn on the head or park lights. Iv'e thought i had it fixed 2 or 3 times, guess i need to bite the bullet and buy a new one. Mine acts up same as described, one day it's fine next day it's screwed up. Well at least my radio no longer comes on when i turn the head lights on. Don't ask.