Question for the electrical wizards here!

[bjorn2bwild]

To get a steady voltage test (assuming it has an easily accessible old fashioned electromechanical flasher), remove the flasher unit, and rig a jumper.

 

[aja8888]

To get a steady voltage test (assuming it has an easily accessible old fashioned electromechanical flasher), remove the flasher unit, and rig a jumper.

On that truck, the flasher is behind and to the right of the gas pedal buried behind some wire bundles. I thought about this, but the UTube videos on getting to that flasher cooled me.

 

[Just_Steve]

Tracing those wires (signal harness) brought me to the steering column and clockspring area, Grounds are very clean and no corrosion seen in any of a half dozen connectors. Good idea, though. Battery voltage is 12. - 12.6 volts everywhere I checked it. That includes at light housings in the fenders.

The truck has 46,000 garage-kept miles on it and no corrosion noted anywhere.


View attachment 28986

A ground can NOT be eyeballed and determined to be good it MUST be measured.
A bad ground will absolutely cause a voltage drop.

 

[aja8888]

A ground can NOT be eyeballed and determined to be good it MUST be measured.
A bad ground will absolutely cause a voltage drop.

I agree. I didn't conduct a voltage drop test as I had no wiring diagram and 50 untested wires and plugs are in that area, including the clockspring.

I do believe my issue with measuring the 10.7 volts with a digital voltmeter at the mirror wire when cycling the blinker has to do with what EDR50 stated earlier and I suspected. So tomorrow I will conduct a "live" test with a LED and see how it performs connected to the output of the signal wire at the mirror housing location.

 

[Just_Steve]

I agree. I didn't conduct a voltage drop test as I had no wiring diagram and 50 untested wires and plugs are in that area, including the clockspring.

I do believe my issue with measuring the 10.7 volts with a digital voltmeter at the mirror wire when cycling the blinker has to do with what EDR50 stated earlier and I suspected. So tomorrow I will conduct a "live" test with a LED and see how it performs connected to the output of the signal wire at the mirror housing location.

I'm spoiled by my Fluke that captures and holds fast pass min/max voltage.

 

[Mr._Graybeard]

Thanks, 88 year old guy had it and I bought it out of the estate from his nephew. Even the leather seats are mint. Has all new brakes and tires. Came with the fiberglass bed cover and inside the bed it has a bed liner.

That was a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy!

 

[travelover]

That was a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy!

Well, it lasted a lifetime.

 

[nphx]

http://www.car-part.com

http://www.car-part.com , numerous starting at $25.00

 

[Just_Steve]

How about an update? I'm curious as to what you found.

 

[aja8888]

How about an update? I'm curious as to what you found.

Output wiring (two wire connector to the mirror LEDs) fires the trial LED I soldered connection wires to. And it fires it brightly. My 10.7 VDC measurement is probably due to peak voltage not being grabbed by my meter and 12V is actually available.

My assumption is either (or both) the embedded signal LEDs are shot or that flaky glass mirror backing is restricting bright illumination.

My remedy is to order a set of towing mirrors (the ones I linked earlier) and install those. That will solve the signal light problem and also the power adjustment shortcomings of the original mirror drives.

Thanks to all for the great suggestions and tips!

 

[Just_Steve]

Resolution, thanks.

 

[lwp2017]

Glad it's resolved.
I will share my experience with a 2004 F150 door ground cable.

My driver side door electronics (widow, locks, mirror) went intermittent then failed.

Ford dealer wanted $850 to replace harness and controls. I got on YouTube and found my problem.

The ground cable broke at the hinge. It was a few strands of heavy cable, high cycle fatigue failure from opening and closing the door.

I soldered in a splice repair in 30 minutes and drove it 2 more years.

 

[Big_Hitter]

have you tried posting this on the f150 or fordification forums?