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Turn Signal Switches why they go bad?

Posted By: fury4speed

Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 12:58 AM

Why does a turn signal switch prevent the brakes lights from working? dos it have a electrical connector that go's bad? if the turn signals work and the brake light do not , just trying to understand the switch and what would go bad on it , thanks.
Posted By: 52savoy

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 01:24 AM

Look for a broken wire inside the column. Pull the steering wheel and turn signal. Used to be a pretty common problem with the signal/power wire getting pinched..
Posted By: stumpy

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 01:27 AM

The contacts and the wire whiskers that rub them go bad. Most of the time they can be fixed by replacing the turn signal cam which is available at most parts stores. It's the u shaped piece of plastic with the two wire whiskers on it. Here's an example. http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail...turn+signal+cam
Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 02:42 AM

Quote:

if the turn signals work and the brake light do not , just trying to understand the switch.


it's a DPDT mechanical sw (stalk down sends fire to LF/LR/ stalk up sends fire to RF/RR but it gets complicated as The brakes share the same large filaments in the rear bulbs and w brakes applied it goes thru the ts sw and one of the large filaments in the rear stays lit and the other side blinks for the TS effect (either side depending on if stalk is up or down). It gets alot of use & appears kinda flimsy
Posted By: fury4speed

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 03:26 AM

Every light works except the Brake Lights , I have that problem on another discussion , just seems if the turn signals work and the brake lights do not what's up?
Posted By: 52savoy

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 03:33 AM

I'll try this again.. the brake light power is routed through the column. Look for a broken wire there.
Posted By: fury4speed

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 03:38 AM

Quote:

I'll try this again.. the brake light power is routed through the column. Look for a broken wire there.




Will do , thanks again for all your replies.
Posted By: 52savoy

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 03:43 AM

Do you have an ohm/volt meter? If you do, disconnect the battery and check continuity(ohms) on both ends of the column harness. One wire at a time..red to red, yellow to yellow and so on. The needle on the meter should peg out unless there is a break.

good luck.
Posted By: fury4speed

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 03:47 AM

Yes I do , what reading should I get , just to make sure there are no broken wires? and I have solid connections?
Posted By: 52savoy

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 03:52 AM

Set the meter to ohms and turn it on. Touch the leads together and turn the meter dial until until the hand pegs out..unless it's digital but it works on the same principal.
Check your wires then and with a good connection it should "peg out"
Posted By: fury4speed

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 04:09 AM

OK will do , thanks again for the Info.
Posted By: 68HemiB

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 04:14 AM

It could be a broken wire, it could be bad contacts. The net result is the same - the circuit is open, and not passing electricity.

At the risk of restating what has been said previously, the design is NECESSARY when the bigger/brighter filament in the bulbs at the rear of the car perform TWO functions - turn signal and brake. Imagine following behind yourself as you slow for a right turn: You apply the brakes at the same time that you are signaling for the turn. The left side brake light stays on solid, and the right side BLINKS. This is accomplished by routing the brake light circuit through the turn signal switch. Every time you signal one way or the other, the brake light circuit on that side OPENS (regardless if you are stepping on the brakes or not), and power from the flasher is applied instead. The signaling that happens day after day, year after year wears the contacts out so that they no longer make a circuit even when you are not signaling. It's just a fact of life of this particular design.

You can avoid it by never signaling again, or driving a car with separate [amber] turn signals at the rear.
Posted By: 52savoy

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 04:18 AM

Your right..I didn't repeat it because there was no need to.
Posted By: Evil Monkey

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 05:02 AM

Quote:
Every light works except the Brake Lights , I have that problem on another discussion , just seems if the turn signals work and the brake lights do not what's up?

The first thing I would look at if the turn signals work and the brake lights do not is the brake light switch on the pedal assembly. If that's stuck or broken, when you depress the brake pedal, the switch won't activate and the brake lights won't come on, but the turn signals will still work fine.
Posted By: attaboy

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 02:05 PM

Mine did the same thing. The brake light voltage goes through the turn signal mechanisim. The contacts get quite hot and over time and the plastic deforms and melts. They no longer make electrical connection. Replace the turn signal mechanism. Get a good quality one, not the cheap ones from NAPA, Checker, etc.
attaboy
Posted By: fury4speed

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/16/10 11:20 PM

I removed the Steering Wheel today and after I removed the nut and the Horn Wire and took the Steering Wheel off there was a little Roller Wheel Deal on a little Shaft / Pin / Stud with a Spring and a wire with a Electrical Connection lying on the bottom of the column at the 6 "O" Clock position.
Posted By: RapidRobert

Re: Turn Signal Switches why they go bad? - 04/17/10 01:32 AM

Quote:

there was a little Roller Wheel Deal on a little Shaft / Pin / Stud with a Spring and a wire.


That's the ground for the horn relay. Seperate from your brake issue. For the brakes, pull apart the TS/brake harness coming out of the column and on the col half there should be continuity between the brake "in" wire coming downstream from the brake pedal switch (might be white) and the (2) "out" wires that go to each (L&R) rear brake light filament w the TS stalk in neutral. www.mymopar.com has wiring diagrams so you can access the colors.
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