Turn signal woes

[KDMatt]

Someone needs the phone, so I'll be brief.

My turn signal is going a little on the wacky side. If the engine isn't running, and the lights are on, when I click it to signal right, the blinker won't really blink at all, it'll just "stick."

If I turned off the lights, it still happened. If the engine was running, it wouldn't happen. If I ran the engine, but turned on the lights, the blinker would, again, stick.

I decided to rev it up to see what would happen (increase the output of the alternator), the blinker resumed blinking, but I saw a brief trickle of smoke, seemingly coming from within the steering column.

What's going on, and what can I do about it?

[e_racer1999]

maybe you're not getting adequate power to the relays when the car is off?

[moyest]

e_racer1999 has a point there, but that doesn't explain the smoke coming from your steering column!?

Maybe you left your cigarette in there?

Seriously -

My indicators were behaving the same way. I removed the unit from the steering column, fiddled around with it, and stuck it back on and HEY PRESTO!

...which leads me to wonder whether it was an EARTHING problem? i.e. if not properly attached to the steering column (which I believe acts as the earth), it doesn't complete the circuit?

[Z_Chaz]

Do a search for "combination switch". A lot of good info.

[sblake01]

I had a slow blinking/sticking situation with the blinkers on my 810. A new flasher unit solved the problem.

[e_racer1999]

my switch smokes as well..... usually a wire or switch getting hot means that there is something creating a lot of resisance on a wire making it hot.... maybe there is some build-up or crud in there?

[Spdloader]

The new, electronic flasher units work much better than the oem units. I replaced both my turn signal flasher and hazard flasher units, and no more problems.

Spdloader :classic:

[moyest]

What about the wiper unit?

I've lost my "intermittent" wipe (i.e. the first click on the wiper switch) :stupid:

[KDMatt]

Ah... thanks...

Where abouts do you suppose I could find a new flasher unit?

[2003z]

dont know about the flasher unit, but you might want to dissasemble and clean your switch.

[e_racer1999]

flasher unit can be found at any auto parts store