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1K views 26 replies 10 participants last post by  Hookem6 
#1 ·
Good day all. I just got done rewiring my 67 chevelle with AAW harness. Good news is it starts up and runs. The bad news is all the lights work but when I turn on headlight switch blinkers quit working. Turn headlights off..blinkers work. Sometimes good other times barely??????
 
#2 ·
I am not sure, but I think there is a ground wire that goes between the headlight switch and the dash, should have a big round eyelet on it and the headlight switch retainer screw goes thru it and supplies the ground for the circuit!!
 
#16 · (Edited)
Add a ground from the frame to the radiator support or a fender. Make sure the ground wire for the headlights and turn signals are attached to the radiator support on a clean metal to metal surface. It wouldn't hurt to add a ground from the frame to the firewall.

Like others have mentioned, you have poor ground to the headlights or parking lights/turn signal housing. You get a backfeed of ground through the headlights or parking lights when they are off. This goes away once they get turned on.
 
#17 ·
I had all kinds of weird electrical issues when I first put mine together. ('68 Chevelle)
I ended up installing braided ground straps from the block to the frame and 2 more in various spots from the body to the frame.
That solved 90% of the problems.
the headlight switch (only about 8 years old) was the last problem. The tail lights and marker lamps would turn on in the first position, but would turn off when the headlights were turned on I finally pulled the dash (Not easy anymore with arthritis giving me hell) and took the switch apart.
I found corrosion on the contact areas inside it so I wire brushed it to death and lubed it with Dielectric grease.
Grounding problems will give you fits!
 
#20 ·
It will only spark if something is drawing current. A clock, radio, interior lights if the door is open. Something is pulling power if you see a spark. It would be a good idea to figure out what is causing the draw. Your battery is being drained by something when she sits. A battery tender will help prolong the life of your battery If you don't drive the car regularly.

I think te 67 has ground wires from the light housing connector to the inside area of the trunk. Make sure those are clean and firmly attached. Most flashers require a certain amount of amperage draw to get them to function correctly. So if you have a poor ground or burned out bulb, the signal may not function. This will usually illuminate the dash turn indicator bulb solidly without flashing.
 
#21 ·
Welp. I appreciate all the input. I have checked wires and checked ground and nothing. The only thing I found a little weird is I put my test light on the positive side of battery and no light.. I put test light on negative side of battery and the test light came on..... WTH
 
#26 ·
The only thing I found a little weird is I put my test light on the positive side of battery and no light.. I put test light on negative side of battery and the test light came on..... WTH
I asked where you had the clip of the test light connected. The light coming on when connected in this fashion tells me that whatever panel you had the clip hooked to has poor ground and the ground circuit was flowing current through the light because something in the car was pulling current and connecting the test light in this fashion supplied a good ground.

When your battery was in the stock location in the engine bay, there was a ground wire that ran from the neg batt post to the fender. This grounded the body to the battery. When you moved the batt to the trunk and grounded only the frame your body lost path to ground as the frame is isolated from the body and radiator support by rubber bushings. Your engine is isolated from ground by the rubber trans mount and engine mounts.

Most Chevelles will have a ground wire from the batt neg to the fender. A ground strap between the right inside of the frame to the firewall. A ground strap between the engine and firewall. It would not hurt to add a ground strap from the current trunk batt to a body location in the trunk. If you have ground straps in these locations, the terminals may be corroded or otherwise have a bad connection.

Sometimes we will see certain body panels with poor ground. An example would be radiator support in a fresh restore where the panels have been painted in pieces then reinstalled. The paint inhibits a good ground connection. This can happen on old panels too due to crusty corrosion between the parts.
 

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#24 ·
The relay on the headlights is a modification we do on these older cars to get full voltage and brightness to the headlights. It's like a bandage to restore the workings of long wire run through older wiring system and design. It will have no effect on your turn signal issue.

You don't have a good enough ground connection between your frame and body panels. Read back to the places I said to put a ground cable and I think your turn signal issues should be resolved. You'll need good clean grounds wherever your turn signal housings are grounded.
 
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