1992 ranger blinkers not working

[HarpDaChicken]

My 1992 Ranger's blinkers and hazards all suddenly stopped working so I changed the fuses the blinker/hazard flasher and then the blinker switch and I also checked every ground I could find and cleaned it and I still don't have any blinkers. Any Ideas?

 

[scotts90ranger]

I was hoping this would have been simple, I was fighting a similar issue on my '90 where the turn signals wouldn't work right but the flashers did work and I just cycled the flasher switch a couple dozen times and the turn signals started working... but since you changed all that I'm not exactly sure. Do your brake lights work?

 

[mr_manny]

Out of curiosity, do you have LED bulbs installed?

I recently resolved a similar issue.
Hazards and Turn Signals didn't work...haven't worked since I got the truck (3 months ago). Also, every time you pressed on the brakes, the front parking lights would also come on.

It ended up being the flashers, and LED light bulbs in the rear.
The fronts are still LED, but could be of better quality then the rears...

Once the flashers were replaced and standard bulbs installed in the rear, ALL GOOD.

 

[Brain75]

Checking some terminology so I know what you have changed and what not... by "blinker switch" you mean the multifunction switch (on the column) - runs high/low/turn/flash to pass/wipers/wash/hazards etc - whole bunch of stuff.

By blinker/hazard "flasher" - you mean the relays in the fuse box next to the drivers left knee - there are two , front side runs turn signals and backside runs hazards - those are pure timer/relays they are what cause the on/off cycling.

Problem wise the turns and hazards are basically identical and parallel/duplicate before the multi-function, and after that are one system (wiring and bulbs).
So if BOTH hazard and turn are bad, 99% of the time it is the multifunction or wiring after.
If only ONE of em, then look at fuses and relays.

At this point having replaced the multifunction I would look at either A) a crappy aftermarket multifunction bad out of the box B) wiring after the multifunction.

Has this had an aftermarket trailer wiring added (splice nest)?
When you turn on hazard, cold truck (nothing else on - not even key in ignition) what do you get - anything? front only, rear only, one corner even?
Hazards are continuous battery power and do not need truck on.

Does anything else work with the lighting system - headlights, park lights, etc?

Here's the wiring diagram, you could start probing along the path with hazards turned on working from battery towards the tail lights looking to see if you have power at each point.

from the tech library:

https://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/EDiagrams/files/Diagram_turn_stop_hazard.JPG

 

[Brain75]

something else I just thought of....
I did a column swap (changing to a tilt column) and on 2 of the trucks at the junkyard when I unplugged the multifunction switch it de-pinned one or more wires from the multifunction connector head - if any of your wires de-pinned themselves and fell loose out of the connector and aren't making connection that would explain.. but there is a different wire for all 4 corners so that would be 4 wires.

 

[Brain75]

+1 to scotts question on brake lights - as brake lights also use the high power (brighter) filament too - so if you have brakes but not hazard/turn that eliminates one section of wiring.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

So, I’m just going to point this out since it was brought up in comments…

There are blinker relays that tolerate variable power specifically for LED and trailer use. If you have LEDs or tow a trailer, these are what you should have.

The old method of installing LEDs was to wire a resistor in line to make things work. Any splices on the wires can lead to problems.

Also, as someone who has had mysterious problems electrically, what is the condition of your battery grounds? I’ve had the wires corrode inside the insulation and cause weird problems like that. I also usually upgrade the body ground from the usual 10 gauge wire to a 4 gauge.

Otherwise, you need a test light and multimeter to start tracing things out.

 

[HarpDaChicken]

my brake lights do work and by blinker switch yes I did mean multifunction switch and I just figured out that when I push the brakes and turn on the hazards the brake lights stop working like I mean zero light coming from them

 

[sgtsandman]

my brake lights do work and by blinker switch yes I did mean multifunction switch and I just figured out that when I push the brakes and turn on the hazards the brake lights stop working like I mean zero light coming from them

This is starting to sound like a wiring issue. As in something is broken or corroded. Maybe even shorted where there is a break.

 

[Brain75]

At first thought I would agree wiring issue, but I got to ask, are we sure hazards worked before?
Just about nobody tests their hazards till they have a problem....

Brake lights working eliminates a whole lot of testing - the vast majority... Fuse #1 in both cases of brakes and hazards, everything coming out of and after the multifunction (wiring, bulbs and all). So that leaves a short bit of wiring to the multifunction. R/WH wire that runs through the hazard relay in the fuse box (like 3 inches of wire) and then runs to the multifunction... another 2' of wire.

I doubt unless some PO really spliced in a world of junk into that you would have a problem (especially since that 2' of wire is not continuously hot, it pulses since it is all after the relay - useless for running a toy/accessory).

I look squarely at 2 things, and both are new parts you threw at it, so most likely new and bad out of the box.

Everything I have highlighted green is basically proven good at this point with your brakes working (including one straight through path inside the multifunction that doesn't have any components involved - i.e. switches).
I would start by finding the W/R (white/red stripe) wire coming into the mutifuntion switch and A) checking it didn't de-pin itself B) probing it with hazards on.... if you have intermittent (flashing) power there in normal hazard speed, you have verified the hazard relay and can replace the multifunction. If not, then replace the hazard relay on the backside of the fuse block and test again.

Since turning hazards on kills brakes and inside the multifunction is the only place the two meet I think you will be replacing the multifunction.

Another possibility is that something is shorting to ground in the hazard path - but that should pop fuse #1 immediately.

When you turn either turn signal or hazards on separately, do you get indicator lights on the dash?

 

[HarpDaChicken]

No I don't get indicator lights on the dash and also if I hit the blinkers to either side while hitting the brakes that sides light will turn off

 

[HarpDaChicken]

And I honestly never tested the hazards before

 

[Brain75]

You can install the hazard relay wrong for sure (it has 2 pins, but there are 3 "sockets" so you can have it turned 90 degrees wrong- I've done it once), don't know about the turn signal...

From what you describe there is a short in the hazard and turn relay both (the round jobber bottom right of the fuse block) that somehow is pulling the power down out of the working circuit yet without dropping it directly to ground and popping the fuse.

What brand / make relays did you get and put in as replacements?
For that matter where did you get the replacement multifunction?

 

[Brain75]

something else to help you in the probing...

 

[HarpDaChicken]

on my ranger the blinkers and hazard share a relay but I will try rotating the relay 90 degrees.