side markers as turn signals

[azruss]

I am installing LED turn signals. I find if i put it in parallel with any non
LED bulb, the flasher works properly. Others have talked about converting the
side marker to turn signal and claim they work in both capacities. It seems to
me that once the light is activated as a marker, it will also activated the
turn signal as a marker as well. What am i missing.

[westy64]

Russ,

I did it.
I did the mod at the front connectors under the hood and at the rear ones into the trunk.
basically what you have to do is to derivate the side marking wire to join the turn signal wire in each connector.

but if you make a mistake, you can do the reverse and have your turn signal work as a marker.

hope this help

[redcars]

Your turn signals will not work with the side markers because the marker light is a low wattage bulb and not enough current can get through it to light up the turn signal.

[johndemar]

Russ,

Daniel Stern covers this on his site.

http://www.danielsternlighting.com

[RRoller123]

I did the upgrades with his little computer gadget and it is excellent. Just be careful of the wiring instructions, to be sure you get the right ones. Ask me how I know.

Pete

[leeputmanjr]

Copied from another site:

The turn signal bulb has two filaments, one for the running
light and a second for the turn signal flasher. A yellow wire supplies the
running light power. A light blue one supplies the turn signal power.

The side marker picks up its power from the same running light circuit.
I believe that it too has a yellow lead. Both the front bulb and the side bulb
have black ground wires connected to the front fender ground clusters.

The poor man's blinking side marker pIan is to disconnect the side maker
ground at the cluster splice it into the blue wire feeding power to the turn
filament. When running lights are lit, the power flows to through the
marker filament and then through the cold turn signal filament to the
ground wire on the front light.

But wait you say, why didn't the side marker's current light the turn signal
as it passed through it on its way to the turn signal ground. Because the
resistance of the first filament drops the voltage of the current as it passes
through and it no longer the power to light a second one.

When the turn signal is activated the side marker loses its ground and goes out.
That is, it blinks. It does not blink at the same instant as the turn signal
rather they alternate on and off.

If the running lights are not turned on when the turn signal is activated, the
current follows a second flow path. The side marker sees the same current
flowing to the turn signal and it sees the cold running light filament in the
turn signal as a ground path. So, the front turn signal and the side marker
blink in unison.

The rich man's version of this is an electronics module sold by Daniel Stern
Lighting that works with a variety of lighting sources and blinks all bulbs at
the same time.

[TX82FIAT]

This is exactly what I was looking for with respect to some modifications to the turn signals. Brilliant simplicity. Thanks, Ray

[baltobernie]

Why bother? The side marker lamp is a measly 3 candlepower miniature bulb ... only slightly brighter than OE instrument cluster lamps ... and we all know how dim they are. The side marker lens on US Spiders is either flush or recessed, depending on model year. This modification would only yield visible results in total darkness, at near-right-angles to your car.

[RRoller123]

Not the case, they are quite visible in daylight, certainly bright enough, especially with Daniel Stern's bulb upgrades. This is the result with his little device that allows them to blink in unison to the bumper turn signals.

http://s1205.photobucket.com/user/RRoll ... sort=3&o=0

try this, the video didn't seem to come through. Photobucket is still a disaster, looking for something else.

[chrisg]

It's fairly simple to convert to a dual filament housing...albeit, I'd guess with the space available in a US market Fiat marker lens, it's not as simple as some cases, but with the correct orientation, you could have markers that also blink or use an LED switchback. I assume you know the European cars had the small round (front only) markers only as turn signal repeaters..which, personally I think makes more sense all around.

[baltobernie]

If you replace the 5-watt OE bulb with a 10-watt halogen bulb (Wagner 17833), you get an indicator with a very wide viewing angle and intensity sufficient to be useful.