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Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #676963 December 16th 2014 1:59 pm
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Festerus Vannimus
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Festerus Vannimus
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I FOUND IT ! yay yay yay

It appears that when I removed the old "dead" bulb, the contact stayed behind with a sliver of wire that, when I put the new bulb in , made contact between the contact in the socket and the ground of the socket. This is what killed the brake light and pissed off the flasher causing the light to not work. . . .

I have my daily driver back , SWEET !


My van : 1989 Ford E-150 Econoline, currently named “WOLF-DEN II”


Founder & President of Sooner or Later United Truckers and PROUD TO BE A S.L.U.T. ! !
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Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #676965 December 16th 2014 2:38 pm
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Yay! I was going to ask if there was anything in the socket or if you were accidentally inserting the bulb wrong (I only ask because I have done it).

Glad you got it all fixed.


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #676988 December 16th 2014 10:51 pm
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veteran
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Glad you found it.

Sometimes getting old bulbs out can be a pain. On my 89 it helps to pull the wires back from the receptacle Against the spring. Then push and twist the bulb.
Some dielectric grease not only helps protect contacts, but helps transfer heat from bulb base to receptacle to reflector.


Did cleaning that firewall ground allow the horn to work?

Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #677009 December 17th 2014 12:48 pm
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Festerus Vannimus
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Nope, no luck on the horn. . . . I am gonna clean the mounting points for the horn and the relay next, once it warms up ! lol


My van : 1989 Ford E-150 Econoline, currently named “WOLF-DEN II”


Founder & President of Sooner or Later United Truckers and PROUD TO BE A S.L.U.T. ! !
Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #677011 December 17th 2014 1:44 pm
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On Dodge vans the contact for the horn is a ground wire. The horn buttom pushes on a switch that closes the ground contact. However, since the switch is mounted on the steering wheel, the ground connectin is made between the horn switch and the rest of the van through a copper disc on the bottom of the steering wheel. The copper disc rides on a little spring loaded ball that connects to the frame and completes the ground circuit. The spring loaded ball is pat of the turn signal switch assembly.

In my old 83 Dodge van I replaced the turn signal assembly with an aftermarket one due to the original Dodge assembly becoming loose. The ground "ball" on the aftermarket turn signal switch was rough and didn't turn properly. The horn worked for a while, but eventually the sharp edge of the "ball" on the turn signal swticth wore through the copper disc on the bottom of the steering wheel and my horn worked intermittently. I went back to the riginal turn signal switch and the horn started working again.

My point is that if you know the horns are good, and you know the horn relay is good, then you should check the condition of the copper disc on the bottom of the steering wheel (especially if the van has lots of miles and therfefore lots of revolutions of the steering wheel).


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #677016 December 17th 2014 4:15 pm
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Festerus Vannimus
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I have tried shorting the wire in the steering wheel straight to the center bolt, still works when it want. I have tried a different factory steering wheel, to see if that was it, no go. Only thing I have not done YET is replace the relay and the horn unit, but soon.


My van : 1989 Ford E-150 Econoline, currently named “WOLF-DEN II”


Founder & President of Sooner or Later United Truckers and PROUD TO BE A S.L.U.T. ! !
Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #677017 December 17th 2014 5:20 pm
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Try bypassing the relay and running a wire directly to the horn. That will tell you if the horn is working. If the horn works when hooked directly to the battery then you likely need a new horn relay.


Windows- they're what make a van worth owning!
Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #677041 December 18th 2014 1:25 am
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Festerus Vannimus
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Good idea. . .


My van : 1989 Ford E-150 Econoline, currently named “WOLF-DEN II”


Founder & President of Sooner or Later United Truckers and PROUD TO BE A S.L.U.T. ! !
Re: Lighting help
Uncle_Fester #677121 December 19th 2014 6:04 am
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Uncle Fester,

It might not hurt to try loosening, then re-tightening the two horn mounting bolts. There's one for each horn, and naturally they're hidden in recesses behind the driver side turn signal lens housing... you'll have to pull it for access.

The thing is that the horn mounting bolts have a special, heavy-flange toothed washer, which was designed to pierce through the paint to make a chassis ground. It only takes a bit of corrosion to upset the connection, as they draw a fair amount of current; about 10 amps for the pair of them. With these being right at the front of the van, weather and salt does reach them.



-It's been such a LONG TIME... BlueShift>> 1981 Dodge Ram B250 Custom Sportsman Maxi Van


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