A previous owner of my 1949 Chevy 3600 installed an aftermarket turn signal
kit, but when I bought the truck it wasn't working. I'm rewiring this truck
and finding the turn signal wiring was a mess, and several of the connections
don't make sense to me. My trusty "How to Wire Your Streetrod" booklet has a
page illustrating a sample aftermarket turn signal kit wiring diagram "for
illustration only", but is vague on a couple of wires and where they go and
how the flasher unit should be wired up. I'd appreciate advice on where the
following wires go:
Coming out of the turn signal mechanism on the steering column, there are
seven wires:
Yellow and green wires which I believe go to the left and right front turn
signals lamps.
Orange and brown wires which I believe sgo to the left and right rear turn
signals lamps.
A red wire - The "How to wire your Streetrod" booklet says that depending on
the make of the aftermarket turn signal kit this may go to the stoplight
switch, although I don't see why. I usually associate red wires in
aftermarket electrics with being connected to a fused block or other hot wire
to power the unit. Where should the red wire from the turn signal mechanism
on the column go?
A black wire - The "How to wire your Streetrod" booklet says that depending
on the make of the aftermarket turn signal kit this may go to the turn signal
flasher unit, although it doesn't specify which terminal on the flasher unit.
My experience is a black wire usually is a ground wire. Where should the
black wire from the turn signal mechanism on the column go?
A blue wire - The "How to wire your Streetrod" booklet says that depending on
the make of the aftermarket turn signal kit the blue wire may go to the
"headlight switch", but doesn't say which terminal on the headlight switch.
Why does the turn signal mechanism have to be connected to the headling
switch if the turn signal mechanism on the column has its own power source
and separate wiring to the separate turn signal lamps? Where should the blue
wire from the turn signal mechanism on the column go? If to the headlight
switch, which terminal on the headlight switch?
Finally, I went to the local auto parts store to buy a new flasher unit, and
all the turn signal flasher units on display had three terminals. None of the
flasher units came with installation instructions, and the one I bought "for
light trucks" has three terminals marked "P", "L", and "X". My GUESS is a
hot wire from the fuse block goes to the "P" (Power?) terminal on the flasher
unit; the "L" (Lamp?) terminal is for a wire that goes to either the red or
the black wire from the turn signal mechanism on the column. As to the "X"
terminal on the flasher, does this go to ground, or to the turn signal
mechanism somewhere?
Regarding the flasher unit, the "How to wire your Streetrod" booklet shows a
two-terminal flasher unit with a black wire going from the turn signal
mechanism on the column to the flasher unit and a black wire from the other
flasher unit terminal going to the fuse block. But it doesn't specify the
terminal on the flasher unit. Since this booklet only shows a two-terminal
flasher unit, it may not make any difference which terminal is connected to
the wire coming from the turn signal unit on the column and which flasher
terminal goes to the fuse block.
Given time I can probably figure it out by trial and error, but I'd very much
appreciate help from anyone out there as to the proper wiring hookups for the
red, black, and blue wires coming out of the turn signal mechanism on the
column, and how the flasher unit should be wired.
Many thanks in advance.
John Doak in Baltimore, MD
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