LED Light Issue - Turn Signal Switch Shuts Off Brake Lights
 

Hello everyone. I recently installed some LED lights I bought from a local shop here in the Kansas City area called R&W Speed Shop. They are United Pacific brand lights and I love them, but have some issues when using the turn signals:

(1) When I brake, then engage the right turn signal switch, the right light flashes and the left side goes dead.

(2) Oddly the other side does not do this; the left light will flash while the right side remains lit while braking.

(3) Jiggling the turn signal switch while the brakes are pressed will make both sides cut in and out. At certain points after signaling and returning the turn signal switch to the center position the brakes may not be working and I have no idea.

Some other information:

(1) I have an LED rated flasher and have no issues with hyper flashing. As a probably unrelated note, my polarity was reversed but I happened to get a flasher that came with a little piece you attach to the end of the flasher and it reverses the poles (nifty!).

(2) I removed the tail light housings on both sides and cleaned them with a wire brush in the places where they make contact with the body. I was hoping this was a ground issue, but issue is still occurring.

(3) My turn signal switch is an original, and therefore old, piece. There is a hairline crack where the signal arm connects to the switch. This allows for a small amount of movement and may be my problem, but I don't know how the switch operates well enough to understand how it could be causing the above symptoms.

So all that is a very long winded way to say: any thoughts?

Re: LED Light Issue - Turn Signal Switch Shuts Off Brake Lights
 

If you jiggle the signal arm and the lights cut out, I would say you have a switch issue.
I would start by replacing the signal switch in the column
I do have an issue with the front left turn socket, but it "self fixes" and I can never find the problem. I cleaned the socket and scraped the crud off the contacts and then put dielectric grease in there, works most of the time. I gave up, its 48 years old and the sockets are the only original electrical items on the vehicle. They are bound to have problems, lol. I am also going to add a think LED strip at the top of the hatch glass on the inside and work for the high mount 3rd light, for safety. I am always paranoid someone isn't going to see the brake light lit even though they are much brighter than they were. I also painted the inside of the housing with chrome paint to get a little more reflectivity out of them

Re: LED Light Issue - Turn Signal Switch Shuts Off Brake Lights
 

Well I finally got around to installing the new turn signal switch. Unfortunately, the new switch did not fix all the issues. At least I have a working hazard switch again and I no longer have the issue of jiggling the switch causing the lights to cut in and out. The braking problem still remains.

To recap:

(1) When executing a right hand turn there are two scenarios that have the same outcome.

(a) I brake and then turn on the right turn signal. This causes the right to flash, left turns off.

(b) I turn the right signal on and then brake. This causes the right to flash, left never turns on.

(2) The opposite side does not act this way. Left turns behave as expected.


Back to the drawing board I guess.

Re: LED Light Issue - Turn Signal Switch Shuts Off Brake Lights
 

Also, just realized I posted in the incorrect section since my truck is a 68 C10 fleetside. Regardless, I welcome the knowledge of the suburban/panel crowd as the issue could be applicable there as well.

Re: LED Light Issue - Turn Signal Switch Shuts Off Brake Lights
 

I am going to move you to the "Electrical" forum - you might get more assistance there .

Re: LED Light Issue - Turn Signal Switch Shuts Off Brake Lights
 

Connect a separate ground to the tail light brake housing on both sides and see if you have the problem goes away. I would also connect a ground from the bed to the chassis. The bed normally grounds through the 8 bed bolts, but I would add one just to be sure. Can't ever have enough grounds......:D.