Turn signals inop!!!

[Tail_Gunner]

The title says it all. I thought it might be the flasher, swapped it out, no change. There are two little things next to the flasher that look like mini-flashers with identical part numbers, swapped them, no change.

I noticed that if you step on the brake pedal to light up the brake lights and then move the turn signal lever up & down, the brake/turn signal light will flash with the movement of the lever.

Check all the fuses, didn't see any bad ones.
I'm out of options/things to try. Multi-function switch maybe??

 

[DaveBen]

Does the brake lights work? That is the only thing I can think of that you have not thought of, Gunner.

Dave

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Does the brake lights work? That is the only thing I can think of that you have not thought of, Gunner.

Dave

Yes, the brake lights do work,

UPDATE:
After putting it all back together so Mrs TG can take it to work (her POS is in the shop), I was getting ready to monkey with it some more. And wahla, the turn signals are now working. On the hunch it's a bad switch, I start beating on the steering column just in front of the instrument panel, and they quit. Beat on it some more, and they start. Repeat, and they quit again. So my money is going towards a new switch. Tomorrow I'll start calling around and see who has one.

 

[Zookie400]

if the switch doesnt fix it, could it be a GEM ? im not sure, not too familiar with the sd lighting circuitry. sounds like you found the cause, through abuse

 

[DaveBen]

I would guess it is the switch also.

Dave

 

[Tail_Gunner]

I would guess it is the switch also.

Dave

Well, if it ain't the switch, I suspect I'll soon have a spare if someone needs one.

 

[CPUNeck]

When the switches go bad, usually one of the first problems is the flashers... did you check them? They are part of that switch.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

When the switches go bad, usually one of the first problems is the flashers... did you check them? They are part of that switch.

I already tried the flasher under the dash. The shop manual I have says the hazards & turn signals use the same flasher. On some vehicles they have separate flashers for each. The hazards work, just the turn signals are AFU.

The same shop manual tells how to remove the 'multifunction' (turn signal) switch assembly. Apparently you can do it without removing the steering wheel. Just have to remove the steering column covers, the ignition cylinder and the switch assy comes out after two screws.

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Update!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I got'em fixed!!

But I was rather blindsided by the cause however. There are two wire harness plugs that connect to the multi-function (turn signal) switch. Of the two, the one for the turn signals and flashers, both the plastic locking tabs were broken off.
View attachment 9579
As a result, the plug was coming loose and barely making contact.

The next thing was to figure out a fix since replacing the switch assembly wouldn't fix the problem.

What I came up with was to take a length of safety wire, heat it with a torch and melt a hook into the locking tab on the switch assembly. Then plug the connector back in and safety wire the connector in place, going across the top from one side to the other.
View attachment 9578
Done, fixed, end of story.

On edit: BTW, one thing I found to be annoying over the years was the turn signal cancelling too closely to steering wheel straight & center. As long as I had the turn signal switch off, I took a screwdriver heated with a blow torch and melted the tabs that cancel the turn signal within about 1/8 of a turn of the wheel. Now they'll cancel only with a turn of about 1/3 turn or more of the wheel, far less bothersome in my book.

 

[JLDickmon]

that was rather creative, my good fellow...