Turn signal bum-out

[James Morse]

Yesterday I had occasion to use the hazards, there's a problem.
Only the right side (front/rear) work.
Also turn signal does not work either side at all. They were working before although I believe they seemed flaky sometimes.
Checked fuses 21&22, they are fine. #21 not suspect anyway since hazards partially work.
Looked at diagram, there's the multi-function switch, leads going to it, and there's a flasher module. Not sure where flasher module is?
Seems to me even if, say by some weird thing both left bulbs were out, it should still try to flash ("pulse"). Plus turn signals not working at all even though flasher works on right to me says it's not bulbs.
What's best way to approach this? I thought first it would be easy to take cowling off steering and look to see if any connectors fell off/loose but doubt I'd be that lucky.
Could be solid state flasher unit I suppose, can't yet find in manual where it's located.
Doesn't seem to make sense both sides of turn signal would go bad at the same time.
I suppose absent any obvious disconnected wiring at the switch, I'm looking at either bad multi-switch or bad flasher unit.... but I thought I'd check here first as maybe this is a common thing and you guys could help short cut the diagnosis/repair.

 

[RonD]

Which vehicle?
1997 or 1999

1997 has separate turn signal bulbs
1999 has brake/turn combined

I will assume 1997 since you didn't mention brake light issue on one side, or haven't noticed

Yes, Multi-function switch is most likely culprit, if both tail light brake lights still work

There are 3 bulbs for turn signals, the one in the dash would still come on even if both exterior bulbs were burned out
And just one Flasher unit, so if either turn signals or Hazards are working its OK, could be in AUX relay box above gas pedal, or just to the left of steering column under the dash(on its own)
Turn working turn signals on and follow the "clicking"

In either year the Multi-function switch connects ONE WIRE to flasher to activate signals on that side, turn or Hazard
So if the one wire is not making the connection inside the switch then no turn on that side
You can pull the switch and check the wires and connections, even jumper the wires to test

In diagram below the White/red stripe wire is the Flasher connection for turn signals, has 12v with key on
Jumper that to Light Green/white stripe wire and Left side signals should flash if wiring is OK, replace switch if this works

 

[James Morse]

Yep it's the '97. Manual says first thing is replace flasher unit w/ known good see if that fixes it if not replace multi-switch. Neither seem super expensive but not eager to throw parts at it yet.
Will check brake lights, and look for loose wiring, and follow clicking to find flasher.
I think flasher like you say is for all (hazards and turns) so even if one side working seems like flasher ok.
I'll do what you said and let you know. THANKS.

 

[James Morse]

Brake lights work.
Flasher is blue unit under steering (behind kick panel towards the bottom).
Trying to get rear cowling off steering, it's loose, but can't pull it forward enough to get it off. Probably have to take off front cowling?
Tried moving tilt steering up and down it doesn't really help.
Edit: Can't remove front cowling, it's one piece... going to try taking off the tilt lever and take out bottom part. I have top al-most off can't quite remove it.
Edit again: Going to get small crescent and/or 5mm wrench for taking off tilt lever. Thinking of getting relay. It's an odd mounting but it looks like it must slide out of there. It was attached to the truck with, like, panel retainers, so I pulled it loose. Can't really get a decent pic but you know what it looks like I'm sure. There are 5 wires to it per diagram. Just thinking it would be easy/cheap to try another one, couldn't hurt, even though I think we are saying we don't suspect it.
It should be this one, I think:
Novita Turn Signal/Hazard Warning Flasher EP27 (autozone.com)

 

[RonD]

Well its not the Flasher if one side works, 1995 and up just have the one flasher unit and it has no left or right wires, just 1 wire for turn signals, 12v only with key on
And 1 wire for Hazards, 12v all the time

Multi-function switch controls which side is connected to the flashers 1 wire for turn signals
Or both sides in the case of hazards

So pull the multi-function switch and test the wires

 

[James Morse]

I got cowl off after removing lower part but they sure don't give you any extra room do they.
That relay I showed isn't right, the oem has a cover integral to the relay itself that snaps into the carrier for the wiring plus mine has 6 pins (one is small).
I wiggled the hazard switch around and wiggled the connectors to the multi and all started working properly! So it was either something in the hazard switch or loose connection somewhere. I think all parts are fine, it's just lousy connection somewhere and when I was using hazard switch yesterday I had to click it in/out several times before it worked. They probably never used it.
Like so often it's probably just bad connection somewhere, might leave cowl off for a minute to make sure it checks out reliable.
Relay pins looked brand new, no burning or corrosion.
So I don't have definitive diagnosis other than, I think, loose connection to the multi and/or hazard switch.

THANKS.

Edit: I could sometimes reproduce the problem by wiggling the hazard switch, so it's definitely tied up somehow with that. But I worked it a bit and seems to be getting to the point where I cannot make it fail. Anyway, I buttoned it back up because if turn signals/left side hazards (the original problem) fail I know to wiggle the hazard switch. I didn't trace all the wiring as to why this would happen but if it doesn't come back or rarely, I know what to do, and if it gets bad, I think I'd look into replacing the hazard switch, if you can get that separately... manual says you can, but that was 25 years ago.
I suppose I could have done more wiggling of the hazard without taking it apart... no harm I guess except time. And if I do have to go at it again, it'll be quicker.

 

[scotts90ranger]

I was just going to say wiggle the hazard switch, my '97 does that, every now and then the hazard switch gets in a spot it doesn't like and the turn signals don't work, wiggle on the switch and pull it up a touch and they work just fine until I bump the stupid button again... I keep meaning to ask about that and see how available that switch is... I'm pretty sure the switch contacts just get corroded since the hazards aren't used very often, then you cycle the switch and the micro contacts wipe some corrosion onto themselves and don't work until you hold your tongue right...

 

[James Morse]

Yes you described it exactly. A quick search doesn't find just the switch, it seems to come as part of the multi switch, which isn't too hard to replace, but I hate doing that when the multi itself works fine. Contact cleaner might help but it's (contacts) in a place you can't really get to very well and because of the orientation crap will tend to stay in there. I'm going to take a wait/see approach for now. If it keeps happening a lot I'd probably replace multi. I don't think you can get to the contacts even if you take it apart, it's likely a sealed unit. Just not sealed very well.

 

[RonD]

Its only 2 screws to remove multi-function switch, once clam shells are off

I did my 1994 switch a while back because intermittent wipers were not reliable

Yes, hazard button and turn signal stalk are all one piece

 

[scotts90ranger]

If it helps you out, in the 3 years I've been driving my '97 it's gotten way more reliable on the turn signals working... every time they stopped I'd hit the flasher switch a handful of times then when in the down position I'd wiggle it side to side a few times and it would start working, been much less common over the last year...

As GI Joe used to say, knowing is half the battle...

 

[James Morse]

Thanks Ron and Scott. Yes there's something about the down position of the hazard switch wiggling it back and forth.
Kind of weird the current has to route through there for the turns, just the way it was designed I guess.
Yes it's wicked easy to change out, to me the hardest part is getting the top clam shell off, it's do-able, taking off the bottom first... like a lot of these things, once you've done it, the next time is a lot easier.
5mm open end for the tilt lever would be nice, couldn't find one, got a little crescent. They thread lock it in there. Yes any number of pliers can work... I just hate geeing stuff up... but I do a tiny touch up with flat black model paint if I do... which I know is total overkill... but no law against it.
I painted the little buttons for the tilt out rear windows that had lost their coating, worked real nice. Little things like that can make a difference. Frankly I could have done w/out the rear tilt windows the buttons themselves are unsightly to me, I suppose some people use them. Could have skipped that option as far as I'm concerned. Buckets, however, are really nice. You kind of do a 2-step to get in, get to the seat, then position yourself. The cloth is such it holds you right there. Lumbar support, I guess it's kind of cool. Power seats to me wouldn't help much, it would make it slower to move seat forward.