99 Durango turn signal problem.

A co-worker has a 99 Durango with a blinker problem. When he turns the signal left or right, it will flash a few times, then stop. The number of flashes varies as does the speed of the flashes. Sometimes they don't come on at all until he turns the stalk off and then back on. The Hazards work normally and at normal speed. He has replaced the multifunction switch with no change. When you look in the owners manual, it shows a fuse in the #10 slot for the turn signal and #16 is open. He has a fuse in #16 and not a fuse in #10 and they blink. Pull the #16 that's supposed to be open and put it in #10 and nothing happens. This is contrary to what the owners manual shows. Also, with the key in the run position the turn signals don't come on. Only if you start it with they even work at all. Is that normal? My question is where would be a good place to start to look for the problem.

All I know is that my 2000 dakota had a flasher go bad and do similar thing. That flasher was located on left pillar just above the parking brake pedal. It may have been called a relay. Small square box that plugged into fixed recepticle.

The Chilton manual shows a flasher relay on the left side of dash fuse panel. Open the door and the fuse panel is there. There is a spot for a relay, but no relay present and this problem just started 1 day out of the blue. The owners manual doesn't show this position at all.

Could this problem be associated with the ignition switch? Should you be able to turn the key on and use the turn signals without the engine running?

Can somebody verify if the turn signals should come on with the key in the on position? Currently they only work if the vehicle is running.

On my 99 R/T the signals will work with the key on, not running.

key in the on position,the signal will flash.The hazards will flash anytime,no key needed. The truck Does not need to be running. The flasher/relay is behind the fuse box . reach from behind above the park brake pedal. Opening the fuse cover won't do anything, it's way up top from the back side.