Re: Turn Signal For future reference....
When your turn signals don't work for one side, it can be two or three things...
Flasher Relay
Dead Bulb
Turn Signal Switch
All are easy to check.
First thing to do is turn on your emergency flashers and walk around the vehicle...look for any dead bulbs. The flashers depend on all the bulbs working to flash...if the bulb is dead, no current flows, hence, it does not heat up the bi-metal strip in the flasher. Another good clue is how fast the flasher flashes...if it's ok in one direction, but faster or slower in the other...it's a bulb.
Ok...all lights work. Next, turn on your parking lamps....make sure all the parking lamps are the same brightness. A bad ground on one of the lights will cause the bulb to be dim. In some cases, you will also see your turn indicator partially light up inside when your not even using the turn signals when you have a bad ground (the parking light is getting it's ground through your dash and not where it is supposed to).
Good ligths...all the same brightness...flasher next.
If if flashes...is it the same in both directions? If the flasher works in one direction but not the other...its' not the flasher. If you hear it click once, and then nothing...check bulbs again...and then replace flasher. If it's more than 10 years old...just replace the damned thing...your time is worth more than the cost of the flasher.
To confirm if it is the signal switch, you will need a voltmeter and schematics....in many cases you can tell if it's the switch by just the way it feels. It's not a complicated thing and rarely fails. In this case, follow the axiom "go for the easy cheap stuff first". |