Turn lights out of phase, is this right?

[M Tomson]

I have a ‘90 XJ.
With my head lights off the front turn indicator light, the side marker light, and the rear turn lights blink at the same time.
With my head lights on the front turn indicator light, and the rear turn lights blink at the same time, and the side marker light blinks out of phase.
With the head lights on and no blinker, the side markers and the front parking lights are on constantly.
Thanks, Mike

 

[XJLI]

Yup, that's the way they're supposed to work.

 

[souske]

Completely normal

 

[Nevada City Sparky]

Funny, my 89 don't work that way.

How do they get the sidelight to work as a turn indicator AND a running light with only one filamint in the bulb?

 

[M Tomson]

Thank you fou your responces.
I just had trouble with the wires burning in my "87 MJ.
I spoke to a mechanic at a dealership who said the out of phase blinking was indicative of a ground problem.
Now I don't know what to think.
Can anyone help me understand the circut that allows the side marker to work as both a running light and a turn indicator?
Thanks again, Mike

 

[Flyfisher]

I don't the side marker light is supposed to blink as a turn indicator. I know there's a mod out there somewhere to make it work that way, but it's not supposed to from the factory. I'm thinking the mechanic is on the right track bad ground suggestion.

My '89 side marker light does not blink...ever.

 

[Pelican]

On early models the side marker lights did not blink as a turn indicator. They obviously changed that at some point. I did the simple mod that Flyfisher mentions on my '85 and I seem to vaguely remember that it was out of sync with the other lights when flashing. I may be wrong about that.

In its simplest form, the side marker light is in effect controlled by a double throw switch (the turn signal stalk) with the bulb wired to the common terminal that is switched to either a constant current source or to the flasher module. Very simple in concept but the actual wiring will be somewhat more complex. Perhaps someone will post up a wiring diagram if it is important to you.

 

[995speed]

I don't the side marker light is supposed to blink as a turn indicator. I know there's a mod out there somewhere to make it work that way, but it's not supposed to from the factory. I'm thinking the mechanic is on the right track bad ground suggestion.

My '89 side marker light does not blink...ever.

my friends 95 and anothers 96 side markers blink or so i think i do know for a fact that my 99's blinds.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

my 95's side marker and front signal alternate blinking.

 

[Hellbent]

pretty sure that started in '90. my '89 mj doesn't do that-neither did my '87 xj, but my '91 & '96 xj's both did. together when the headlights are off, alternating when they're on. perfectly normal.

 

[WAZZUXJ]

The side marker light does not need a dual filament to blink. The fact that it is out of phase is what allows it to blink. When the flasher relay is activated (turn signal on) the constant on side marker turns off and the blinkers turn on. This is why they blink out of phase.

 

[ParadiseXJ]

The side markers blink on my 90 XJ - opposite the blinkers.

The side markers on the 88 MJ did not blink at all. Ever.

 

[GSequoia]

Headlights have nothing to do with it, park lamps do.

When the park lamps are on the park lamp wire is hot. With the blinker not blinking that circuit is delivering ground. When the blinker wire becomes hot it stops delivering ground thus turning the lamp off.

When the park lamps are off the park lamp wire delivers ground. When the linker wire becomes hot it turns the lamp on.