I recently bought a '29 Sport Coupe and am installing seat belts, a second tail light and turn signals on it. I bought all the parts from Brattons, proceeded with the installation per the instructions and schematic drawing. The tail lights work but the break light/turn signal lights will flash 4 or 5 times and then quit and the break lights don't work at all. Per the schematic I connected the white wire to the break light light switch. Am I missing something or could I have done something to the break light switch?
Turn signal installation
- Thread starter Loyd Nix
- Start date
Will N
Well-known member
The turn signal uses the original brake light wire to flash the brake light on one side, plus an additional wire not in an original loom to flash the brake light on the other side. If you have an original style loom, you need to run another wire back to the other taillight and hook it up to the appropriate wire in the turn signal harness. The output from the brake switch should be routed up to the appropriate wire in the turn signal wiring harness (can't tell you which one that is without the wiring schematic from the turn signal manufacturer) so that when you step on the brake, juice is sent out through the brake switch up to the turn signal and out the two wires to the brake lights.
qtcoupe
Junior Member
a picture of the wiring diagram would be a big help in determining what your problem is. if the white wire is meant to go to the brake switch it must go on the cold side. that cold side wire you disconnected goes to the left stop light wire coming out of the turn signal switch. what are you using for front turn lights? and are they grounded properly. if not you may be overheating the flasher and that is why they only flash for a short time. Just guessing!!
Last edited:
BillLee/Chandler TX
Senior Member
My wiring diagram for turn signals can be found at http://www.cedarcreekas.org/TechTopics/12vWiring_and_Turn_Signals.pdf
Ed Saniewski
Well-known member
Bill, thanks for the great link. We have a few people in our club that bring up electrical questions and this will be a great help. Thanks again, Ed Saniewski
I spoke with the techie at Brattons and he advised me that the stop light switch is to get the white wire from the new kit while the green wire from the original loom stays on the other terminal of the switch. The green wire that I disconnected gets taped off and is not connected to anything. I did all this and now I have brake lights but no turn signals. The turn signal buzzer sounds continuously and the stop light/turn signal light glow very faintly. Sounds like a ground problem but the only pace I grounded anything was at the front signal lights--the little ones that bolt onto the bumper. I double checked those grounds and they seem ok. Any further suggestions?
qtcoupe
Junior Member
Is your car still 6 volt? is the turn signal kit the same voltage as the car? If not the flasher is wrong voltage. So is the light indicator in the turn signal unit. Are the rear lights mounted to steel fenders?. I checked Brattons online and I don't see a 6 volt turn signal kit but that doesn't matter if you change the flasher it will still work. Still guessing. qtcoupe
The car is still 6 volt. The set up is supposed to be 6 volt. The flasher is 6 volt. A few years ago I changed my 30 Tudor to twelve volt and installed turn signals and they worked without a hitch. I do have steel fenders and have removed the rubber pads from the mounting brackets.
I am at a loss.
I am at a loss.
Patrick L.
Well-known member
Certain turn switches have to be grounded and may not say so [signalstat]. Also, its hard to find a good quality 6v flasher, you may very well go thru a few before finding a good one. Lights lighting but not flashing or flashing erratically is a symptom of a faulty flasher. If the switch is a signalstat, many times it needs to come apart and most of the contact terminal grease removed.
Patrick is 100% correct. Is it a 3 prong flasher? If so, I had the same problem. The switch HAS to be grounded. The flashers sold, 535, are total JUNK, the indicator light stays on & they won't flash. The LL535 by Tridon WORKS! Have to go to E-Bay or Amazon to buy. AND THEY ARE MADE IN USA
insomniacshotrods
Senior Member
Hmm, i just put signals and third brake light on my tudor. Its the signal stat 900. I ran a new wire to the right rear tail light up to the black wire on signal switch. Disconnected top wire on brake light switch and ran that as the left rear light signal ,hooks to the gray. In its place,top switch connection, goes the gray with blk stripe wire from signal stat. On the front signals i had the only problem. They had a separate ground wire for a normal setup. I wired it to the neg on batt,but the lights grounded out to pos on frame. Disconnected the ground worked great. I did scratch my head alot on this but most was trying to figure how to get wires to be hidden as much as possible and still go where i needed them to go. 
dennisonk1957
Senior Member
Nice loom insomniacshotrod....nice...
Tom Endy
Well-known member
Loyd Nix:
I also installed a turn signal set up from Bratton's. You do not state which part number you bought. I purchased part number 18770, which is the 6-volt hidden switch version. It is very pricy at $180. and does not come with a wiring diagram. What you are paying for at this price is some very good engineering. The lack of a wiring diagram tells me that the mfg is trying to protect his product from being undercut by an opportunist.
The instructions are very good. The only problem I found was the white wire was too short and I had to extend it. My advice is to read and re-read the instructions and follow them to the letter.
My installation was in a 6-volt 1931 Victoria that has cowl lights and two tail\brake lights in the rear. At the same time I purchased from Bratton's two LED tail\brake light assemblies for both sides, 6-volt, part number 18982, $54.60 each. This part number has the lower LED's that shines down on a license plate. They are very well made, the lenses are actually the LED's. The assembly comes complete with the metal cup assembly and wiring long enough to reach through the support structure. The tail and brake lights are extremely bright. LED's draw significantly less current then originals and has to be considered when using a turn signal flasher and operating LED's.
I also replaced the bulbs in the cowl lights with brighter bulbs, not only to afford brighter lights, but to increase the current flow in order to cause the bi-metal turn signal flasher to receive enough current to operate properly. I ordered the bulbs from Bratton's, part number 18480, $1.65 each, 10 candle power.
My turn signals work extremely well. I added some additional features that made the installation much easier and will make future trouble shooting easier. At the very rear of the car I attached a Jones Strip to the underside of the body on a rear wood panel. A Jones Strip is a device that has a series of screw-in electrical terminals on an insulated strip. Jones Strip is an old seldom used terminology. They come in any number of terminal point connections. The one I chose has 8 connection points. You can buy them at most any electronic supply store. All the wires that run to the rear of the car were incorporated with terminal lugs and attached to the Jones Strip. The wires from each tail\brake light were mated up here as well. Since I have a rear window LED strip attached to the brake light\Turn signals, these wires were also connected here. I also have a trailer hitch for a Mullins trailer I occasionally pull, more wires attached to the Jones Strip. Without the Jones Strip I would have had an unmanageable conglomeration or wires and connections.
Another feature I added was a very small L-bracket that bolts under the dash rail. The bracket mounts two very small pilot lights, red on the left, green on the right (port & starboard). The two power leads (small gauge wire) runs all the way back to the Jones Strip and connects to the left and right brake lights. When I signal for a turn the appropriate light illuminates and flashes along with the beeper. When I apply the brakes both lights come on. If the turn signals are activated at the same time the appropriate signal indicator light will begin to flash.
The only problem I foresee with this installation is that there is a "package" of wiring that tucks down inside the left kick panel that I Know nothing about and do not have a wiring diagram to help me trouble shoot it. For now it works great and I hope it stays that way.
Tom Endy
I also installed a turn signal set up from Bratton's. You do not state which part number you bought. I purchased part number 18770, which is the 6-volt hidden switch version. It is very pricy at $180. and does not come with a wiring diagram. What you are paying for at this price is some very good engineering. The lack of a wiring diagram tells me that the mfg is trying to protect his product from being undercut by an opportunist.
The instructions are very good. The only problem I found was the white wire was too short and I had to extend it. My advice is to read and re-read the instructions and follow them to the letter.
My installation was in a 6-volt 1931 Victoria that has cowl lights and two tail\brake lights in the rear. At the same time I purchased from Bratton's two LED tail\brake light assemblies for both sides, 6-volt, part number 18982, $54.60 each. This part number has the lower LED's that shines down on a license plate. They are very well made, the lenses are actually the LED's. The assembly comes complete with the metal cup assembly and wiring long enough to reach through the support structure. The tail and brake lights are extremely bright. LED's draw significantly less current then originals and has to be considered when using a turn signal flasher and operating LED's.
I also replaced the bulbs in the cowl lights with brighter bulbs, not only to afford brighter lights, but to increase the current flow in order to cause the bi-metal turn signal flasher to receive enough current to operate properly. I ordered the bulbs from Bratton's, part number 18480, $1.65 each, 10 candle power.
My turn signals work extremely well. I added some additional features that made the installation much easier and will make future trouble shooting easier. At the very rear of the car I attached a Jones Strip to the underside of the body on a rear wood panel. A Jones Strip is a device that has a series of screw-in electrical terminals on an insulated strip. Jones Strip is an old seldom used terminology. They come in any number of terminal point connections. The one I chose has 8 connection points. You can buy them at most any electronic supply store. All the wires that run to the rear of the car were incorporated with terminal lugs and attached to the Jones Strip. The wires from each tail\brake light were mated up here as well. Since I have a rear window LED strip attached to the brake light\Turn signals, these wires were also connected here. I also have a trailer hitch for a Mullins trailer I occasionally pull, more wires attached to the Jones Strip. Without the Jones Strip I would have had an unmanageable conglomeration or wires and connections.
Another feature I added was a very small L-bracket that bolts under the dash rail. The bracket mounts two very small pilot lights, red on the left, green on the right (port & starboard). The two power leads (small gauge wire) runs all the way back to the Jones Strip and connects to the left and right brake lights. When I signal for a turn the appropriate light illuminates and flashes along with the beeper. When I apply the brakes both lights come on. If the turn signals are activated at the same time the appropriate signal indicator light will begin to flash.
The only problem I foresee with this installation is that there is a "package" of wiring that tucks down inside the left kick panel that I Know nothing about and do not have a wiring diagram to help me trouble shoot it. For now it works great and I hope it stays that way.
Tom Endy
Last edited:
big job
Well-known member
I advise another look at the print if you have one. My switch on my loader
a run of the mill signal stat went south. I got a new one from Napa. I hooked
it up same wires same everything, also a signal stat. That was a big no GO.
Of course I never read instructions. So I read it, and find out they changed
the colors, more confusing the brake light is grey but there is two grey wires.
Why cant these Mfg.s leave things alone. I think the origional was from the sixties, and the new one looks more cheapie.....
Patrick L.
Well-known member
Hmmm, we still don't what unit he has. Even if he has a signalstat, which one would it be. Many times more info in the original post would be helpful.
1931 flamingo
Well-known member
Insomniacshotrods: I thought I was looking at my install ! Same loom/sw, I mounted a buss bar w/magnets behind cowl kick panel along w/flasher.
Paul in CT
Paul in CT
insomniacshotrods
Senior Member
Hey Paul, I extended all my wires and ran them down into the kick panel as well with a buzzer and my flasher. Didnt use a buss bar although i bought one. Looks best to me putting all that stuff under the kick panel, but harder to get too. Notched out the floor panel, to run the wires that went under the car ,and to battery, and brake switch, and lights.