Gremlins

[Blizzard]

Hello everyone. I'm new to the site but need some help.
I've got a 94 Ranger, 2wd, 4L, manual.
Here are my symptoms:
-w/ lights on, left-rear turn signal comes on (does not flash & front stays off)
-w/ lights on & left signal on, rear signal stays solid & front signal comes on solid
-w/ lights off & left signal on, all four signals flash...like hazards
-this all happens when it's really cold...like <15 deg. If the weather warms up a bit, everything's normal

Troubleshooting electrical stuff has never been one of my strengths, but my gut tells me it's a grounding issue, and there might be some moisture in a connection that's freezing & thawing. My Haynes book tells me there are separate grounds for the front & back, but it doesn't say where. It's 12 degrees outside, so I was hoping someone might know where to look.

Or if you think this is caused by something else, I'm all ears.
Thanks in advance!

 

[Insanejughead]

I'm sure it's a ground issue too. My thunderbird is doing the same thing to me.

I checked the grounds and cleaned them for the front bulbs, and they flash a little faster now. I haven't been able to get to the back bulbs' ground.

The more the temperature drops, the slower my flashers flash.

Oh, and my passenger flashers didn't flash at all a few days ago. They just stayed on, and it turns out that one of the filaments in a bulb in the rear was shot. It was still connected, but just didn't work... Odd.

It pretty much has to be a ground/wiring issue. You have checked all your bulbs though, right?

Edit: Forgot to mention where the grounds are at. I know my Haynes book doesn't say where they're at either. I would only be able to say that you need to follow each socket's wiring down along the frame and see which ground it ties in to. Also, check and clean each of the big grounding points in the engine compartment. That should help out in the meantime.

 

[Insanejughead]

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you, Welcome to The Ranger Station!

 

[Blizzard]

Thanks for the info. Yea, the bulbs are good & there's no sign of any moisture near the connections.

Some other things have jumped higher on the priority list, so I won't be able to work on it today. Luckily there's an extra car. When I get time to chase wires, I'll post what I find out.

I noticed you've got a 2.3T. Years ago I had an '84 T-Bird Turbo Coupe that got wrecked (engine was still good). I had grand dilusions of finding a cheap Ranger or B-series & doing a swap, but I found this 4L for a good deal & no headaches (I should say "fewer headaches"). I'm guessing you did what I was too wimpy to do.

 

[Insanejughead]

It's still a worthy swap... There's so much information on this swap out there (and on this site) that you can pull it off with minimal problem.

I did exactly what you're implying. I found an '86 thunderbird (guy thought it was an '83) for $400. It was ridiculous why he was selling it. It had a 6" gap in the valve cover gasket... So it was just spewing oil all over everything. We all know that engines don't run well without proper crankcase pressure. It was absolutely THE BEST $400 I've ever spent.

Oh, and it turns out that my turn signals crapped out on my completely yesterday. I think it's because of a pinched wire in the dash somewhere, because the fuse for the blinker keeps blowing everytime I even turn the car on.

Ugh... Another un-planned project. I hate these, but oh well.

 

[Blizzard]

Apologies for the 8-month gap.
The problem was in the in-line trailer light box (for the trailer light pigtail). I guess those things don't last forever getting blasted with dirt, salt, etc. Pulled it out & everythings back to normal.