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1960 Turn Signal/brake light issue

Started by cowboyblondie, October 27, 2016, 12:24:32 PM

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cowboyblondie

We just acquired a 1960 Deville for my 16-yr old. Have had it at the mechanic trying to get the turn signals and brake lights working. It currently only has one taillight and that's it. The mechanic says it needs a part he cannot find anywhere, so we are picking it up today. Does this issue sound familiar to any of you, and if so, is there a work around to this missing switch (I am told it is possibly in the steering column)?

76eldo

The first thing to try it to make sure that the bolt holding the tail light in is good and tight.  These cars have a lot of muck sprayed inside the fin from the factory and the grounding is accomplished by the housing being bolted to the inside of the fin.  This is accessibly by feeling around inside of the fin with the trunk open.

Try a 9/16 deep socket with an extension and tighten it up.

Maybe that will fix it.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

chris cunliffe

I had similar problem on my 57. It was the indicator switch in the top of the steering column. The steering wheel has to come off to access the switch. I cleaned the contacts in the switch and everything worked again.
1957 Eldorado Seville #967

Bob Schuman

I had a similar issue with my nearly new 1959 Pontiac, which may be of help. On that car, the turn signal switch, that was located on the steering column a little above the floorboard, had to be adjusted to carefully center the switch with the turn signal lever in the center off position. If the switch was off center, the brake lights did not work and there was a turn signal problem I can't recall(that was 56 years ago). The switch mounts were slotted to allow moving the switch for alignment.
Bob Schuman
Bob Schuman, CLC#254
2017 CT6-unsatisfactory (repurchased by GM)
2023 XT5

59-in-pieces

T Black,
I agree with Brian.
The problem is more often a Ground or Broken Wires - not nearly as often as a bad turn signal switch.
You can do a simple continuity test to check out if the light assemblies are grounded properly or there is a broken wire and loss of continuity on its way from the front of the car to the rear tail lights.
I could not tell if the tail lights light up when the headlight switch is pulled out, or if after that if they do light up if the lights go bright after stepping on the brake pedal.
God forbid it isn't something as simple as burnt out bulbs - since there are one each on the fins and one each in the back-up assembly of the bumper.
Good luck, and have fun.
Steve B.
S. Butcher