Turn signal.

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ashadow1

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I have a 77 C20 p/u.
With my headlights off, when I step on my brakes my dash lights come on. When I turn my left blinker on they all flash. With my headlights on, my left blinker doesn't work.
The right blinker works fine with headlights on or off.
 

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Randy and Easton

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Check the ground from instrument cluster to cab, should be attached just around the emergency brake housing. Then check the grounds in the rear taillights make sure they are grounded to bed inside the housing, and good and rust free. If that is not it I would suspect individual sockets bad possibly and you can easily test each with a test light.
 

WP29P4A

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How about some history? Did I just start doing this one day? Did someone work on wiring for a trailer lights? Did you buy it this way?

After checking ground like mentioned above, if that does not fix the problem, check for single filament bulbs in dual filament sockets. Does your truck have the factory grounds from battery to engine, from battery to fender or radiator support, from back of engine to firewall?
 

ashadow1

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The truck was bought new in 77 by my wife's grandfather, The blinkers did this one time since we had it and it fixed it self. I'm hoping for just a ground, will check when I get off work. Yesterday I removed the trailer plug and trailer brakes hoping that would fix it, no luck
 

ashadow1

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The grounds are factory and all look good by eye. The truck is all original and has never been altered
 

dboydb

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Sounds like a ground is bad somewhere. Maybe look at the right tail light. Inspect the filaments in the bulb too.
 

Raider L

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@ashadow1,
Yeah, all those checks sound good but that doesn't explain why his instrument lights blink when @ashadow1 steps on the brake? Wait a minute, I must have read that wrong or something. Okay, I read it again, they blink when he turns the left signal on.
Okay, all those wires in the turn signal switch go to the lights front and rear. There are two wires in the turn signal switch that go to the fuse panel. One is to feed the turn signal flasher, and one other wire in the turn signal switch that goes to the fuse panel, goes to the hazard flasher. The only other wire that goes to a part other than the lights is #28 wire, black, and it goes from the horn button to one side of the horn relay.
There are no wires going to the instrument lights from the turn signal switch.
The only time they get power is when you activate the turn lever and the switch directs power to whichever turn light through the relay at the fuse panel. The instrument lights turn on from the headlight switch. More than likely you may have a problem in the headlight switch. But why your dash lights blink? I couldn't tell you due to those two systems aren't connected. You've got some wires crossed up somewhere under the dash. You'll have to crawl under there and camp out until you see where the problem is coming from. And more than likely you'll have to take the steering wheel off to get to the turn signal switch.
 

dboydb

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The reason I suggested to check the elements in the bulbs is because I actually had a brake and turn element break and fall onto the tail light element and weld itself there. This can make the instrument lights blink when the signal is turned on.
 

Raider L

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@dboydb,
Really??! Man, that's weird! What was happening? The two elements together was causing somekind of a short when you turned the headlights on?? And it caused them to blink?? That's even more weird!
 

rusted nuts

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I have a 77 C20 p/u.
With my headlights off, when I step on my brakes my dash lights come on. When I turn my left blinker on they all flash. With my headlights on, my left blinker doesn't work.
The right blinker works fine with headlights on or off.
Bad ground.
 

dboydb

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@dboydb,
Really??! Man, that's weird! What was happening? The two elements together was causing somekind of a short when you turned the headlights on?? And it caused them to blink?? That's even more weird!
Power from the turn signal circuit back fed the park light circuit.
 

ashadow1

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Ok, sorry I'm taking so long to get back. I have been nit picking this little by little once a week. I replaced the head light switch and tried a new turn signal switch. I eleminated a lot of other things as well. I have it narrowed down to something under the truck from the transmission area.
 

Rustisbest

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I had a similar issue and if there's any rust or corrosion between the bed and frame you won't get a good ground for the lights. Unless it was just my truck there was no ground cable from the frame to bed from the factory. A braided ground cable at the rear fixed mine.
 

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