1964 TBird Emergency flashers + dash mess

[Shadrack]

Okay,
After my victory with the horn...I realized I need emergency flashers for inspection 🙁 I looked in the fuse panel fuse is missing. Moved a fuse and they still would not work.

Could it be a bad flasher? Do these cars have a separate flasher for the turn signals and one for emergency signals? If so, where is the emergency flasher located on a 64?

My car is a little weird under the driver's dash - not sure this was an option on a 64 but maybe it was. I turn the key on and there is a starter button right beside it, looks factory. I looked under the driver's side of the dash and there is a harness pulled down that looks like a relay is missing from it. I noticed that my courtesy lights and those reds lights don't light up - am I missing a relay?

Thanks in advance!

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[64ZCODE]

My '64 doesn't have a starter button so I'm guessing that's not factory. I'm envious! I also don't have the emergency flasher, maybe that's part and parcel with the courtesy/red lights option?

I'm feeling a little inadequate now but hopefully will get over it🙂

 

[Shadrack]

Okay, I have to admit - the starter button is cool LMAO. I just hope that harness hanging down looking like it needs a relay is not related or maybe it is and someone knows what relay I need 🙂

The power locks are neat - and don't work - I will have to redo the vacuum lines, they wanna work but just do not, they make noise and move a bit. The lights are cool, but none of them work - eek. I do not think the interior lights work (could be wrong only looking at it during daytime) and the red lights do not work. My fuse box is filled with old fuses and missing a few. I have a BAD feeling someone has "worked," on it before me.

Do you have factory AC? Because if you do I am SUPER jealous! Also, your bird looks awesome, mine looks like it has had its wings broken but I will set them and heal them again!!!!

I am super worried about this emergency flash thing - wondering if it is a separate flasher from the regular one and wondering where it is located at on my 64. Any insights from anyone would be helpful - I must have this to pass inspection - the last thing I need really

I mean the car needs to not smoke with a rich idle - lol but they don't test emission so I guess as long as it doesn't look like a fire it is okay.🙂

 

[fordrodsteven]

s1nemesis1s said ; I am super worried about this emergency flash thing - wondering if it is a separate flasher from the regular one and wondering where it is located at on my 64. Any insights from anyone would be helpful - I must have this to pass inspection - the last thing I need really

Yes, There is one flasher for the directional (3 wire) and one flasher (two wire) for the emergency lights. It looks like one of the two wires is yellow and the other wire is white with a red tracer.

 

[64ZCODE]

Okay, I have to admit - the starter button is cool LMAO. I just hope that harness hanging down looking like it needs a relay is not related or maybe it is and someone knows what relay I need 🙂

The power locks are neat - and don't work - I will have to redo the vacuum lines, they wanna work but just do not, they make noise and move a bit. The lights are cool, but none of them work - eek. I do not think the interior lights work (could be wrong only looking at it during daytime) and the red lights do not work. My fuse box is filled with old fuses and missing a few. I have a BAD feeling someone has "worked," on it before me.

Do you have factory AC? Because if you do I am SUPER jealous! Also, your bird looks awesome, mine looks like it has had its wings broken but I will set them and heal them again!!!!

I am super worried about this emergency flash thing - wondering if it is a separate flasher from the regular one and wondering where it is located at on my 64. Any insights from anyone would be helpful - I must have this to pass inspection - the last thing I need really

I mean the car needs to not smoke with a rich idle - lol but they don't test emission so I guess as long as it doesn't look like a fire it is okay.🙂

No A/C, the car didn’t come with it and where I live I don’t need it, although a black car on a sunny day can get pretty warm!

 

[Shadrack]

s1nemesis1s said ; I am super worried about this emergency flash thing - wondering if it is a separate flasher from the regular one and wondering where it is located at on my 64. Any insights from anyone would be helpful - I must have this to pass inspection - the last thing I need really

Yes, There is one flasher for the directional (3 wire) and one flasher (two wire) for the emergency lights. I just looked at the wiring diagrams over at squarebird(dot)org. It looks like one of the two wires is yellow and the other wire is white with a red tracer.

Is there a location by any chance? Not sure where it is at on my 64 bird?

 

[64ZCODE]

The regular flasher unit is under the dashboard on the firewall on the drivers side.

 

[Shadrack]

The regular flasher unit is under the dashboard on the firewall on the drivers side.

I am seeing a separate emergency flasher - any clues on that one? MACs said above the fuse panel pass side - hmm

 

[fordrodsteven]

I cannot remember clearly but I do remember (1973ish) my '66 Thunderbird under the dash there was one flasher (directional) near the steering column and another over towards the console (still on the drivers side ) for the emergency flashers. I must warn that I am not 100% certain. It's been a long time and I've worked on quite a few cars.

 

[fordrodsteven]

I am seeing a separate emergency flasher - any clues on that one? MACs said above the fuse panel pass side - hmm

Now that you say that it might have been on the passenger side. lol

 

[Shadrack]

Thank you all for the help - I ordered one on Amazon as I am kinda stuck at the house. I am a little bit leary though - that connector that looked like it needed a relay and the lack of interior lights makes me wonder if power is just not getting to where it needs to be.

I wish I had time to investigate more - I am wondering...I suppose an electrical shop could rig something up for me - I just hate to take the car even more out of the survivor state and also - spend that kinda money....and find an electrical shop. 🙁 I remember when there were three close by, they could rebuild all your parts - might be more expensive than Autozone but it was built right. Now they are all closed, going to have to really look - hopefully, my mechanic can do something if I cannot get this working. He does have a 67 tbird in front of his shop...but it hasn't moved in 6 years 🙁

 

[Shadrack]

Now that you say that it might have been on the passenger side. lol

I will look and see if I can find it, would I be looking on the firewall area? I assume so - I swear - when this is done I am going to write all my reps and try and get this inspection thing K.O. - we do not do inspections on cars yearly here in KY, it is silly to do on an out of state car - especially one that is a project. Ugh.

 

[Shadrack]

The regular flasher unit is under the dashboard on the firewall on the drivers side.

I looked in there Doug and it looks like a mess under there. I will take some pictures when time allows and upload them to this board and show you guys what hacking has been done. It looks like it was done with purpose...I mean they bought new horns...but did not have the sense to check the relay....hmm.

Again - thank you guys so much - I am going through a difficult time in my life and this hobby and these boards are keeping me going.

 

[fordrodsteven]

I will look and see if I can find it, would I be looking on the firewall area? I assume so - I swear - when this is done I am going to write all my reps and try and get this inspection thing K.O. - we do not do inspections on cars yearly here in KY, it is silly to do on an out of state car - especially one that is a project. Ugh.

When I looked at Pat Wilson's thunderbird parts web site. It shows the flasher for sale and states that it is usually mounted above the fuse panel. Try looking there.

If the flasher checks good it could be a relay. I see there is also a relay for that circuit (according to parts for sale at that same web site). but it doesn't say where it's located.

 

[Shadrack]

When I looked at Pat Wilson's thunderbird parts web site. It shows the flasher for sale and states that it is usually mounted above the fuse panel. Try looking there.

If the flasher checks good it could be a relay. I see there is also a relay for that circuit (according to parts for sale at that same web site). but it doesn't say where it's located.

Hey Steve!
This is what I am trying to figure out as well - if there is a relay in the emergency circuit, and if so, where it is located. I have a flasher on order am going to go pull the other one as soon as I can. hmm.

 

[fordrodsteven]

Hey Steve!
This is what I am trying to figure out as well - if there is a relay in the emergency circuit, and if so, where it is located. I have a flasher on order am going to go pull the other one as soon as I can. hmm.

I really think the problem is most likely the flasher. I would think the relay would be up under the dash. It has a bracket so I'm sure it is screwed down. Maybe in back of the console not too far from the switch? I cannot say for sure.

 

[Shadrack]

I really think the problem is most likely the flasher. I would think the relay would be up under the dash. It has a bracket so I'm sure it is screwed down. Maybe in back of the console not too far from the switch? I cannot say for sure.

Lol you were right, my back is hurting this morning. I got the flasher out, just waiting on the one to come from Amazon now. Here is what was under the passenger side, I also notice another relay that was hanging down....strange

 

[Shadrack]

My '64 doesn't have a starter button so I'm guessing that's not factory. I'm envious! I also don't have the emergency flasher, maybe that's part and parcel with the courtesy/red lights option?

I'm feeling a little inadequate now but hopefully will get over it🙂

So here is the driver's side and the weird hanging plug that is missing a flasher - also my starter button.

 

[fordrodsteven]

View attachment 3713 View attachment 3714 View attachment 3711

So here is the driver's side and the weird hanging plug that is missing a flasher - also my starter button.

View attachment 3711

My guess is that the plug went to the back of the ignition switch and whomever installed the push button did some rewiring to go around / bypass that plug.

What color wires are on the back of that plug? I can probably look at a wiring diagram to try to help you figure it out. If it is something that has been bypassed I personally would try to put it back to original configuration. Ford paid engineers a LOT of money to design those wiring harnesses / systems.

 

[fordrodsteven]

I think I see a black-red wire on that connector plug. The only black-red wire is for the back up lights. My guess is the other wires on that plug are white and two red-blue wires. The black-red and white are for the back up light circuit and the red-blue wire is from the ignition switch to the solenoid and passing through the safety start switch. That plug goes to the back up light and neutral safety start switch. (probably on the steering column above where your feet would be when driving the car) Also, the black-red comes from the fuse box to the plug and there should be another black-red paired up with white. The white goes out to feed the windshield washer switch. I would guess that they bypassed that back up / neutral start switch when they put in the start button instead of actually repairing whatever it was that was stopping the car from starting. Do you have working back up lights? Will the car start in any gear other than park or neutral? (it shouldn't) Do your windshield washers work?