1966 Lighting Issues

Hi Bill –
I have a 1966 Continental that is giving me some lighting problems. When I depress the brake peddle the front (turn signal) lights and the rear (brake/turn signal) lights light up. Also, when I use the turn signal switch all 4 lights light up. I’ve checked all bulbs and all grounds and everything seems fine. All relays and flashers are operational as well. Is there something in the t.s. switch that could cause this and how would I check that. Thanks for your help.
Chip
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Chip –
You don’t mention if you have purchased the car with this issue or if the issue developed on its own or occurred after another electrical repair etc. If you acquired the vehicle with this problem, the previous owner may have crossed some wires or installed incorrect parts that you or I have no knowledge of. The turn signal switch if faulty can cause many symptoms but your description sounds like a wiring problem separate from the turn signal switch. One possibility is that if the four-way (hazard) flasher switch was inadvertently left in the on position and the turn signals were activated, the lights could illuminate as you describe. It is important that you check the position of the four-way flasher switch first. In any case the only way to diagnose an electrical issue such as this is with a 12 volt test light and the correct wiring diagram at your side. Do you have a diagram for your Lincoln and a test light? If you have these and some electrical skills you should be able to trace the power path for the various turn signal positions and discover what is needed in order to correct the problem.
Sincerely,
Bill
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Follow up:
Thanks for replying so quickly Bill. The car was fully restored about 3 years ago. It has most new wiring, but not all. This issue just started about a month ago and I’m just getting to it. Interesting you mentioned the 4 way flasher switch. So far that seems to be the only thing that does not work. I haven’t checked it with a test light yet, but I did notice the other day that it wasn’t working. I do have a test light and have started checking components and wiring at the ts switch. I was just hoping that maybe it was a common problem that could be solved a little quicker than chasing down bad grounds, shorts to ground, etc..
Thanks for your advice.