# Yet another bizarre turn signal problem



## 65sohc (Aug 13, 2019)

I just acquired a beautiful 65 GTO restomod: FiTech-equipped built 406 Chevy smallblock, QA1 suspension, Tremec 5-speed. The front turn signals work fine. The rears seem possessed. My wife noticed they weren't working. With both bulbs removed and checking the sockets with a test light both sides flash appropriately. With the bulbs in the sockets but not installed in the bezels when I move the lever for a left turn the right bulb flashes and with the lever in the right turn position the left bulb flashes. The sockets looked old and wouldn't stay in the bezels so I replaced them. Turns out the new sockets don't fit any more securely in the bezels than the old ones. The car has a high end stereo and much of the wiring is new American Autowire. Any thoughts?


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## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

poor ground at the socket ?


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## 65sohc (Aug 13, 2019)

I installed new sockets and cleaned the area on the housing where they insert. A former mechanic friend came over today and took a look. As he was testing power at the brake light switch he accidentally giggled the ignition key and the test light flickered so I'm going to replace the switch and go from there.


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## BLK69JUDGE (Jun 10, 2010)

its still a ground issue .... the housing isnt grounded

if your test light has an alligator clip on the end and you touch the bulb contacts and the tester works fine...

your housing isnt grounded.... some times over restoration you dont get clean grounds...

run a scrap wire jumper for a ground over to the socket nad to a known good ground and check the blinker....

Scott t
buy NOS GM so it looks and feels right and you can use your key again
1965 Pontiac GTO Tempest Ignition Switch 1116654 D-1457


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## 65sohc (Aug 13, 2019)

Is there some magic trick to getting the socket to stay in the housing? I push it in until it is flush but nothing snaps into place and there doesn't seem to be any mechanism by which twisting would secure it. It just seems like a very tenuous press fit after which it falls out. As far as ground, from what I can see the only ground for the tail lights/signals/brake lights is the bulb socket making contact with the lamp housing. Is that correct?


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## integrity6987 (May 10, 2017)

65sohc said:


> Is there some magic trick to getting the socket to stay in the housing? I push it in until it is flush but nothing snaps into place and there doesn't seem to be any mechanism by which twisting would secure it. It just seems like a very tenuous press fit after which it falls out. As far as ground, from what I can see the only ground for the tail lights/signals/brake lights is the bulb socket making contact with the lamp housing. Is that correct?


Perhaps you can fab a donut-shaped spacer out of some compressible foam or soft rubber to provide a weather seal and some tension on the socket-bezel interface.


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## baba67 (Nov 26, 2015)

After multiple socket replacements and adding external ground wiring, my taillight problems still persisted.
I just installed a set of these and all my taillight problems are gone.
They fit tight and ground to the housings perfectly..
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-1157-Br...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649


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## 65sohc (Aug 13, 2019)

baba67 said:


> After multiple socket replacements and adding external ground wiring, my taillight problems still persisted.
> I just installed a set of these and all my taillight problems are gone.
> They fit tight and ground to the housings perfectly..
> https://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-1157-Br...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649


Thanks. I found them at O'Reilly's.


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## 65sohc (Aug 13, 2019)

Today my mechanic friend and I made progress. Turns out one of the new sockets I just bought was faulty so it is just as well I got these Dorman all metal ones that actually snap into place. We discovered my brake light switch was on all the time. For whatever reason the pedal was not compressing the plunger enough to shut it off. The previous owner had taped a nut to the contact point on the brake pedal to push the plunger in deeper. The lights were working when I videotaped it backing out of the transporter but apparently the central California heat melted the glue on the tape enough that the nut was dislodged. Most importantly we pulled the steering wheel and put a test light on the turn signal switch and got abnormal readings so I ordered a switch from Summit.


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## 65sohc (Aug 13, 2019)

Is there an actual step by step description of how to install the switch? I have searched for hours and found nothing useful. The main thing I don't understand is how you can possibly shove the horseshoe connector down the through the tube unless the connector comes separate and you connect it after feeding the wires like with an Ididit column.


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## baba67 (Nov 26, 2015)

Take a look at this video.
It may shed some light on the replacement.
Be prepared to deal with the 3 screws and springs at the lock plate assy.
It looks intimidating when they come apart but just loosely assemble the screws and springs to the plate and twist to seat back in to collumn,


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## 65sohc (Aug 13, 2019)

Also, how does one remove the long flat piece on the underside of the column through which the harness runs?


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## baba67 (Nov 26, 2015)

On my 67 it just unsnaps.
You squeeze in on both sides and it pops off.
I forget if my 65 goat was the same.
Many moons ago.


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## 65sohc (Aug 13, 2019)

Well, it turned out to be a relatively simple job. That flat guide didn't pop off but rather just slid down, exposing the wiring. Got everything connected and voila! Lights! BUT another, hopefully minor problem emerged. The nut securing the steering wheel to the shaft is shot. I went to a local hardware store that almost never fails but they did not have a nut that would fit. Does anyone know what size that nut is?


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## PontiacJim (Dec 29, 2012)

65sohc said:


> Well, it turned out to be a relatively simple job. That flat guide didn't pop off but rather just slid down, exposing the wiring. Got everything connected and voila! Lights! BUT another, hopefully minor problem emerged. The nut securing the steering wheel to the shaft is shot. I went to a local hardware store that almost never fails but they did not have a nut that would fit. Does anyone know what size that nut is?


Easy, GTO's have BIG NUTS! :smilielol:


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## baba67 (Nov 26, 2015)

PontiacJim said:


> Easy, GTO's have BIG NUTS! :smilielol:


LOTS of THEM!


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