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64 Skylark blinker


Guest John Howell

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Guest John Howell

My front right blinker will not blink. The parking light works and the rear blinker works. Put in new bulb with same problem. Any ideas?

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This is a really dumb question, I am not trying to insult you, just trying to help. Did you replace the bulb with the correct one?? My one book shows 1157A.

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Guest John Howell

Turn signal works in both directions. Rear blinker works just not the front one. and the park light works fine. Yep, replaced the bulb with the right one. The bulb housing is difficult to get out so where exactly do you check the ground on that housing...or is is somewhere else

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Sorry I didn't think of this sooner. You must be getting ground if you can get that bulb to light. Its gotta be from the power wire back. See if you are getting juice at the wire, if not its gotta be traced back. Could just be a broken connection.

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Guest John Howell

Still having problems with the blinker. I've got power at the plug but when I tested it it did not go on and off as the blinker was blinking. Could the problem be with the flasher gizmo on the fuse panel?

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Don't think its the relay on the fuse panel as it is working for the other blinker as well as the tail light on the side you are having trouble on. There has to be something up with that socket or your wiring. If memory serves me right, typically when a bulb burned out the blinker would stay on, indicating ya need to change a bulb. Yours is working at the taillight which does not make sense. Backtracking--- was anything done to this car prior to this problem??

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If the front right signal light wire has steady power while the right rear is blinking, then there is a crossed wire somewhere. Usually the signals on the side with the non working bulb will light and stay on without blinking. So I sort of expect to see steady power with a bad bulb. But the rears should not be blinking if you have the front bulb out of the socket. If it is doing so, then the front signal wire is grounded somewhere.

I presume you checked inside the front socket for a broken connector spring? Also the insulation inside the socket may be deteriorated and the spring could be riding on the back of the socket shell. This seems to be a persistent problem with cigarette lighters too. the insulation cracks and the lead shorts blowing the fuse.

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I had a similar problem with a '63 Riviera. Ended up getting a complete schematic of the electrical system and tracing every wire. There might be an easier way but this worked. Oh yea, it was indeed a loose ground.

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Guest John Howell

Thanks for everyone's responses. I agree that it is probably in the socket itself. I cleaned the spring contacts and made sure they were "springy". I know this is the stupid question of the day but I can't figure out how to take the socket out. It must come out thru the front but I haven't tried it in case I break it. The service manuel doesn't tell how to remove it. They just say replace bulbs! Guess they didn't think about 47 years later! Anyone know the combination to getting the socket out?

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According to my Chassis and Body book the entire socket comes out by taking two bolts out from the back, and removing the entire assy to the front. If it were me, I'd try and repair it where it sits as you pointed out, its been there for 47 years. Snap is not a happy sound.

Edited by brh (see edit history)
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Before removing the socket from the housing I'd try to disconnect the wire and then make sure the rear signal on that side does not flash. If the socket is bad the system thinks there's a light in there. If the problem is elsewhere, disconnecting the socket would result in no change

And if this is anything like the interior light housings on my convertible, the socket appears to be held in by the series of tabs on the socket being pressed onto the light housing. In this case replacing the socket may be difficult and you may want to try and find a new or better signal light housing alltogether.

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Guest John Howell

OK folks. I got the blinker problem solved. For those who may be interested here was the problem. I removed the steering wheel and found that the screw holding the blinker signal arm had been over tightened and it had torked the blinker assembly out of line so that only one side was making contact.

Now got a new issue. This is a 64 Skylark convertible. The lid has hook clasps on each side and a pin that must line up with a hold on the frame above the window visor. The passenger side pin lines up with the hole great. The driver side is off by nearly 1/2 inch and it takes two people tugging on the frame to line it up. Lots of grunting! Does anyone know if there are adjustments to the frame, pin or hole bracket that will allow me to realign the hole and pin.

The service manuel does not address the convertible top. Thanks

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Wow, gotta remember that one. I'm glad you fixed it, and appreciate that you took the time to post the results.

As to the top, there should be adjustments. The service manual may not address the top but then the Body manual should. 1/2 inch is a long way off in one of these, and I suspect one of the bolts in the mechanism on that side has loosened and possibly fallen out.

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Glad ya got it, those electrical gremlins can be a pain. Been there done that.

First off check your top frame to make sure nothing is binding. Does this happen after ya lock down the passenger side or before?

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Body Manual lists everything for the convertible (folding) top. I have a 65 Body Manual for the full size Buicks. Not sure if it's the same for a 64 Skylark.

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