Blinker / side marker light issues driving me mad

jeepbiscuits

jeepbiscuits

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Joined
May 23, 2023
Messages
43
Location
Oakland, NJ
I think my drivers side side marker and blinker are working the correct way but holy hell I cannot figure out the passenger side. I tested for voltage at the wires..check. Replaced bulbs and even replaced side marker bulb socket. Ground seems fine as well. Tested ground by using a multimeter positive to battery and negative to ground location at passenger front. Volts looks fine so dunno what the hell is going on. FYI both sides of lights seems to be wired the same as well. I am NOT using LEDs anywhere except interior and instrument panel.

Here is what I am dealing with....

Drivers Side
-Side marker - ON​
-Blinker - OFF​

Passenger Side
-Side marker - OFF​
-Blinker - OFF​

Drivers Side blinker
-Rotate side marker and blinker​

Passenger Side Blinker
-Blinker fast blink​
-Side marker off ​

Any Idea where I go from here?
 
jeepbiscuits said:
I think my drivers side side marker and blinker are working the correct way but holy hell I cannot figure out the passenger side. I tested for voltage at the wires..check. Replaced bulbs and even replaced side marker bulb socket. Ground seems fine as well. Tested ground by using a multimeter positive to battery and negative to ground location at passenger front. Volts looks fine so dunno what the hell is going on. FYI both sides of lights seems to be wired the same as well. I am NOT using LEDs anywhere except interior and instrument panel.
Click to expand...
Do you mean where the wire grounds to the fender? Or the light socket?

The 2000 I had (recently rehomed) had a similar issue with the driver's side. The the ground wire was "open" but the insulation showed no signs of pinching or wear. I checked continuity between the socket and the ground point using the diode check feature (so it would beep when/if a connection was made) and performed a wire wiggle test. Once I got close to where the wire was internally broke it beeped for a split second when it made a connection.
 
reddvltj said:
You should check continuity between the fender and the light socket.
Click to expand...

So resistance or ohms I think this means. Dumb question but where would I connect the positive and negative on the multimeter. Do I do it with the battery connected or disconnected?

I think I tried this last week and noticed wires getting hot. Ooops. I tried the positive on the wire going to the light socket then put the negative to the front fender ground screw. Thats when shit started getting hot so pretty sure I am doing it wrong lol.

I have zero experience with electricity. I was shocked once by a lightbulb. Might explain some things.
 
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jeepbiscuits said:
So resistance or ohms I think this means.
Click to expand...

jeepbiscuits said:
Dumb question but where would I connect the positive and negative on the multimeter.
Click to expand...

jeepbiscuits said:
Do I do it with the battery connected or disconnected?
Click to expand...
Select the Ohms for reading resistance and continuity.
You can use the red (positive) on either the ground connection or the light socket ground wire/terminal.
You do not need to disconnect the battery cable as long as you verify which socket wire/terminal is ground.
 
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Sorry I am dumb. So RED to ground connection or light socket ground connection. What do I do with the Black wire?

FYI this is the ground connection I am using. I can also use the ground wire which goes down the harness to the sidemarker/blinker area.

1698173736633.png
 
jeepbiscuits said:
So resistance or ohms I think this means. Dumb question but where would I connect the positive and negative on the multimeter. Do I do it with the battery connected or disconnected?

I think I tried this last week and noticed wires getting hot. Ooops. I tried the positive on the wire going to the light socket then put the negative to the front fender ground screw. Thats when shit started getting hot so pretty sure I am doing it wrong lol.

I have zero experience with electricity. I was shocked once by a lightbulb. Might explain some things.
Click to expand...

CharlesHS said:
Select the Ohms for reading resistance and continuity.
You can use the red (positive) on either the ground connection or the light socket ground wire/terminal.
You do not need to disconnect the battery cable as long as you verify which socket wire/terminal is ground.
Click to expand...

To add a little to what Charles said. Checking for continuity with "Ohms" is going to show 1 of 3 things, Very low resistance (continuity is good), very high resistance (really bad contact with meter, not very likely), or open (no reading at all) (wire broken some where between the socket and the ground).
 
Last edited:
jeepbiscuits said:
Sorry I am dumb. So RED to ground connection or light socket ground connection. What do I do with the Black wire?

FYI this is the ground connection I am using. I can also use the ground wire which goes down the harness to the sidemarker/blinker area.

View attachment 468214
Click to expand...

It doesn't matter which lead from your meter you use at either end for checking resistance on a wire.
Put the red lead on the ground side of the light socket, and the black wire from the meter where the wire is bolted to ground.
 
Ok did this and got a reading of 1.7.

I did this by putting one end to the ground screw on the fender, and the other one to the ground wire that goes to the blinker and side marker.
 
jeepbiscuits said:
Ok did this and got a reading of 1.7.

I did this by putting one end to the ground screw on the fender, and the other one to the ground wire that goes to the blinker and side marker.
Click to expand...

Is that in milliohms or ohms. if it's ohms then you definitely have a problem. Possibly a bad contact at the ground bolt, ot corrosion build up inside the light socket.
 
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