Turn signal and tail light problem

[Bill Goddard]

I just installed a Signal Stat 900 from Brattons. I had to use the special flasher for my LED lights front and bacl. The problem is both upper and lower sections of the tailight light all the time for all functions --running lights, turning flashers, and stop light (white license light comes on only for braking and there is no change in intensity when brakes are applied)
I would like to isolate the top and bottom sectors of the tail light so that bottom is lit for running, top and bottom come on for stoplite and white light is on with running light. I heard once about a wire you could cut in the tail light (a green wire?) to accomplish this. Does anyone know about this or have any other ideas. Thankx Bill G

[Mike V. Florida]

It should be separate the "running" lights are the turn signals and the brake lights are not changed if I remember let me see if I can fine a 900 schematic.

[Mike V. Florida]

Is this the schematic?

[SANTA Ray]

If you are using the LED replacements you can cut the jump wire. This will separate the upped and lower sections. I prefer to have the wire cut for my car but many do not. You should tape or cap the wire ends as I think it would be a loose hot wire looking to cause a problem.

[Growley bear]

I installed a Logo Lites turn signal kit on my Model A and have never had any trouble with it. No modification of the car and very bright; easily seen by other traffic.

Chet

[ABento]

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Mikes diagram looks to be the one but the red wire that is left unconnected I believe is the one that needs to be connected to the brake lite switch in place of the wire that goes to the lites,this allows the sig stat to blink and brake on the same filamont in the bulb,thus leaving the lower bulb for tail light,your rear lites need to wire in seperate,one bulb for tail and the other bulb for brake and sig.

[Bruce Adams]

I also had to cut the obvious wire jumping the running and brake/turn lamps on my LED taillite unit to permit them to operate independent of one another.

[Patrick L.]

There are a number of ways to install the Signal Stat units [ either 800 or 900].

But it would seems that you would want to have running lights just as running lights and the turn and stop lights operate together as one. There should be more than one diagram with the unit. I installed an old 900 unit in the A years ago and just tested each wire and sent it where it needed to go. There is no need to add extra lights unless thats what you want to do.
In the old days it was common to have to install these units, maybe the newer ones have changed, I don't know. There are not hard to put in and get working.

[Bill Goddard]

'30 coup--- that is the same diagram I used, except I used front bumper lights instead of cowl lights. I wonder if I should disconnect the cowl/park position on the light switch? What is it for?

Also, where is this wire I should cut?

[Bill Goddard]

I cut the little red wire inside the light that links the upper sector to the lower sector and the two sectors operate separately. Then I rearranged the wires (black and green) coming out the back of the lights so I have lower sectors on for running lights and license light and upper sectors for turn signal and braking. Everything works great now. Thanks everyone

[Mike V. Florida]

Thanks for letting us know.

[Bill Goddard]

I am reviving this thread because I still have a problem. When the engine is off, the flashers work great - they are everything you would want. But with the engine running the turn signals stay on with a slight flicker.

I am using a 12v neg grnd alternator putting out 14.57 v,
LED tailights and LED front fender lights.
The flasher is an electronic heavy duty no. 90651 (Taiwan)marked for use with LED lights

Why does all this stuff work so well with the engine off and so badly when it is running?
Bill G

[Y-Blockhead]

Bill, After many hours chasing many turn signal/stop light/running light problems in the past I would suggest you check all of your grounds. Didn't see bad grounds mentioned anywhere in the thread. That's always the first thing I check as it is very common, especially on a new install or new paint.

When a light circuit has a bad ground it will back feed into any other systems to find the easiest path to ground and causes some really strange things to happen.

Check each light, ensure your grounds are not insulated by corrosion or paint. Not saying this is your problem but easy to check.

[Tom Wesenberg]

Remove the fan belt and run the engine. If they flash OK now, then the alternator or higher voltage must be the problem. If they still don't work, then the ignition system noise must be the problem.

Have you tried another flasher?

[Bill Goddard]

Tom, I have another flasher coming, but I was wondering if I could go to Advanced Auto, etc, and get a 3 prong flasher for a modern car equipped with LED signal lights at 12v.

I checked my grounds and they are good. Car is a new total retoration so lots of clean metal.

I tried adding a 1000 ohm resistance to the power input to decrease the voltage but it had little effect.

I will try the fan belt thing.

Bill G

[Tom Wesenberg]

Depending on the load, 1,000 ohms may drop your voltage way to much to operate.

[Keith True]

The most important thing on a 900 series Signal-Stat is the ground of the unit itself.Everybody checks grounds at the lamps,but not too many realize how important it is on the Signal-Stat switch.I have no idea if it affects your problem or not,but a bad ground on the switch itself will produce some pretty strange actions.I've seen just a right front light glow,or a left rear,all because of the bad ground at the switch.Probably the easiest way to ground the switch is to drive a nail through the mounting strap,from the outside in.That will leave 4 little sharp points sticking inward.When you tighten the strap they will dig into the column.I worked on a newly restored Jeep once where the guy had no ground between the column and the chassis.He had done such a nice job of painting everything the column was insulated.I really thought that with all the metal-to-metal joints there would be a place for the juice to sneak through somewhere,but there wasn't.I touched a wire from the switch body to ground,the lights came to life.