[T3] 71 emergency flasher and turn signal help

[Jim Adney]

On 19 Dec 2019 at 18:46, B Fye wrote:

> My right side signals will not flash, though there is enough load on
> the thermal relay to make it flash the dash lights.  Left side works as
> it should. Also, when I activate the e-flasher, only the left side
> flashes, if anything does, and now it is smoking fuses. I can not find
> any grouded wires.  I seem to remember that on the 71 everythi g runs
> through the e-flasher switch.  Will a bad switch cause a complete amber
> lamp failure on just one side? 

The TS circuit is probably the hardest one to figure out, and the '71 circuit 
diagram in the Bently is almost no help at all. Try looking at the '73 diagram, 
as that shows the current paths, #51-55, clearly. The fuse numbers may be 
different, but the fuse assignments changed 3 time even in '71. Since you've 
been blowing fuses, you already know which fuses are in play.  

Note that the power for this system can come from 2 different fuses: The 
4-way flasher gets power from a fuse that's hot all the time. The TS get 
power only when the key is ON. That would be why you're seeing 2 different 
fuses blowing.

The most likely place for a problem to occur is in the RF or RR TS housing. 
The bulb in question should be a dual filament bulb. Look to see if someone 
has tried to install a single filament bulb in there and pushed it in too far. 
That can cause a short to the metal body of the bulb.

If you don't find it there, see if you can find the Tees under the dash that split 
the power for each side. See if you can disconnect the RF or RR wire and 
find out which end of the car the problem is at. That helps narrow it down. 
-- 
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Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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