Select a Vehicle

Find parts for your specific vehicle

Choose your Vehicle

Having trouble finding a specific product?

1971 Ford Thunderbird question from a valued Lincoln Land customer

I have a ’71 T-bird ( 4 door ) and have, for the life of me, not been able to locate the emergency flasher. I would have assumed that the 1971 Mark III would be in the same area, but I had sold it – so I no longer have it for comparison ! I have consulted the MPC ( illustrations ) and the service manuals – and it is NOT where it should be, according to those diagrams. I have posted the question on the Vintage T-bird Forum, and no leads ( other than the diagrams that I’ve already looked at ! ) were extended.
The problem is the flasher isn’t working as it should – it’s a rapid, irregular, shallow ‘blinkety-blink’ sort of thing, not the regular, solid and pulsed sound and appearance of the regular turn signal flasher. All the bulbs work (side, signals, cornering lamps and most importantly ALL the sequencing bulbs ) – as I recall if one of them is not functioning, then the emergency flashers won’t operate as they should. I want to replace it with an NOS unit I have, but I can’t even find the flasher ! I’ve removed the glove box, and moved the fuse panel aside ( thinking maybe it had been pushed behind there during assembly ) – with no luck. I’ve checked all around the ATC unit – and it’s not there either. Also looked down the side of the kick-panel, to no avail.


The regular signal flasher is where it should be and I’ve used my automotive stethoscope to ‘sound-out’ the emergency flasher, and again nothing ( the regular signal flasher is VERY audible, by comparison ).

Any help you might have would be greatly appreciated !


Thanks and,
Regards,


Gord


(P.S. – I regret selling my triple-white Mark III )


Hi Gord –

The wiring on many of these so called “High End” vehicles can be confusing in some cases. We don’t have a 1971 T Bird here at Lincoln Land to inspect for you therefore I will consult the FoMoCo master wiring diagram for you.

From your description you are searching for the emergency flasher unit itself. My wiring diagram shows it to be located at the “left hand side of the brake pedal support” (location C180) . It has one wire connector that has one white wire with red hashes and a second one with two wires that are red with white hashes. We sure hope that this information helps you with the diagnosis.

The 1971 T-Bird does share many parts with the Mark III so we should be able to help you with needed parts in the future.

Sincerely,

Bill


Hi Bill :

Thank you very much for your quick and helpful reply !  I agree with your assertion that the wiring on some of these “high end” vehicles is confusing – that’s why I looked in the Service manuals and the MPC to see where the emergency flasher would be located.   Both seem to indicate ( and show ) that the flasher would be along side the fuse panel ( to the right side of the glove box ). 

Based on your knowledge / research I will look on the left hand side of the  brake pedal to see if it is located there !

I will let you know ( in the next day or so ) what I find – when I get back to working on the T-bird, which by the way has only 25,000 miles on it – so it has NOT been abused or altered and the wiring is as clean and complete as the day it left the factory !

Many thanks again for your help in taking the time to assist me with this ‘problem’

Regards,

Gord

Have a Question? Submit your question to Bill!

Submit your Question

Your Selected Vehicle