Turn Signal Lighting Conundrum

[khansmith]

Hey All:
as I finish up the cobra, I was going through testing all the electrical when I noticed something odd with my front turnsignal/parking light. Here is the order of weirdness
1.) Parking light would turn on but would not blink
2.) When I took bulb out, turned it 1/2 turn and put back in, the turn signal now worked but the parking light did not
3.) When I took bulb out and turned it 1/2 turn again (back to the original position), only the parking light works.

Thoughts?

Thank You,
Khan Smith

[CHANMADD]

Make sure that you have the correct bulb for the fitting. Should be a double filament bulb.Check the wiring to the fitting.
John

[lnfletcher]

First off, you "should" not be able to "turn it around". There is a problem with the socket or you have a single filiment bulb.

Get a cheap tester and test each of the contacts in the socket while the lights or on. This will give you an idea of the problems location. If each of the contacts work correctly, then look at the bulb type. Also, make sure that both of the contacts in the socket are possitive and the socket side is negative (or ground). I have seen a person wire one of the contacts as ground and the side as possitive.

[khansmith]

Originally Posted by lnfletcher

First off, you "should" not be able to "turn it around". There is a problem with the socket or you have a single filiment bulb.

Get a cheap tester and test each of the contacts in the socket while the lights or on. This will give you an idea of the problems location. If each of the contacts work correctly, then look at the bulb type. Also, make sure that both of the contacts in the socket are possitive and the socket side is negative (or ground). I have seen a person wire one of the contacts as ground and the side as possitive.

Thank you for the reply. When I said "turn it" I meant that I removed the bulb, rotated the bulb in my hand 180 degrees and then put it back in the socket.

[CHANMADD]

Exactly....a double filament bulb only goes 1 (one) way ..the little tags are staggered.

[khansmith]

Originally Posted by CHANMADD

Exactly....a double filament bulb only goes 1 (one) way ..the little tags are staggered.

Here is what happened. I was using double filament bulbs but they technically can go in two ways in relation to the contact pads in the socket. My issue (or so I am guessing) was that the signal didn't work right unless both bulbs were installed exactly the same way as each other. Once I did that, everything worked. Maybe I am fooling myself. Guess I need to stock up on "blinker fluid"