directional signals with a mind of their own !!!

On the IM (which has an automatic transmission) the most odd situation has developed. If the car is in 'drive' AND your foot is on the brake, the turn signals don't function. If the car is either not in drive OR you don't have your foot on the brake, they work just fine. Problem is, when stopped to make a turn it is always (1) in 'drive' & (2) foot is on brake; so it is not possible to signal a turn at a light or a 'stop' sign. Has anyone got a theory about this. It seems to be much too specific a problem to have more than a couple potential causes, it just has me baffled.

Has this just started or has it always been this way. One or the other will help whittle down the cause.

TC

I'm pretty sure it just started. I have only had the car a few months, but I think I would have noticed. Thanks for any help you can give. Could it have anything to do with the wiring tied to the shifter? I had to change the shifter because the pin that locks it in 'park' was broken off. That's just a plug though and it would be hard to have screwed that up, unless I wire got pinched.

Check ground wires on the turn signal lights. The lights in the back (bulb) needs to be grounded. Check to see if one has slipped off...

One more piece of the puzzle. It only happens when the headlights (and tail lights) are already switched on. When the lights are off, everything is fine.

yup sounds like ground.......

Here's another angle. If you've not noticed the problem but may have been an exsisting one, after the other possibilities i.e. grounds etc. are gone over , it's very possible thatit is in the harness wiring .
On one older CMC speedster I refurbished, the over all wiring was a nightmare but most everything still managed to work with the exception of a directional problem. I was a similar problem that you have.
I had to add into the rear harness, a four into three wire trailer converter ($15)to allow the directionals to operate when the brake lights were applied. Never did figure out the "why" of it but, that was the fix.

Throw a charge on the battery and see what happens. Good Luck

My first vote would be a poor ground somewhere in the directional circuit, either under the dash (where I would look first) or out at one or more of the lights. If NOTHING is working, then it's probably somewhere under the dash. If you get one or both lights on one side to light but not blink, then it may be a poor ground.

My second vote, considering that you say they work until you turn on the headlights (thus pulling your overall voltage down, slightly) would be a corroded contact somewhere in the +12V line leading to the directionals. Start with the fuse for the directionals and make sure the contacts are clean, then work your way along the circuit, cleaning connections as you go; at the flasher, press-on tab connections, in-line connections, anything you find. There should be several connections for wires coming from your directional switch, exiting the steering column at the base of the dash. You might also check the connection of the big buss wire feeding your fuse panel to make sure it's clean and tight.

Try all that and report back. P.S. the directionals are on a reasonably simple circuit, but can be sensitive to low voltage and poor grounds and then it gets to be a PITA to find the gremlins.

gn et al