Weird Turn Signal Issue

[robertc1024]

My turn signals quit working today on my '88 - but only when the engine is running. If I shut the engine off and turn the key back into the "run" position, the turn signals work properly. It also seems to be intermittant because I was cruising down the highway this afternoon and they worked a couple of times, then quit again. Ideas?

 

[91stranger]

thats odd. sounds like a bad wire or something. the other day my right turn signal light inside the cab stopped workign. i could see my blinker working on the truck in front of my. must of been a light lol. i would say its a loose wire. maybe a fuse.

 

[robertc1024]

If it were a fuse, why would it work properly with the engine not running though? I pulled the dash schematic from the tech library and will check to see if the whole turn signal circuit is getting power in run.

If it's not hot then what? Ignition switch contacts? I don't know what feeds it.
If it is hot, then it's got to be the switch itself I would think.

 

[3.0ranger1227]

Maybe when the engine is running something in the way the alternator puts out power is preventing the relay from working. but even that doesn't make a lot of sense.

 

[robertc1024]

So, with the engine running I had 0 volts at the fuse, with it not running, had 12.47V. I took the covers off the steering column and the problem is that the electrical connector for the ignition switch was super loose. It looks like a piece of plastic with some tabs on cast metal part to hold it in place. I'm going to bend the tabs in to make it tighter. I sure hope none of them break.

 

[Rico]

That's exactly what I was going to tell you to check. I had a similar problem with my 92 one night trying to figure out why the heck it wouldn't start along with a bunch of strange electrical nonsense problems. If my memory serves me right it was a box with sliding contacts that was moved by a rod off of the ignition key. I just bought a new one and never had that problem again.

 

[robertc1024]

I used a small hammer and a screwdriver to tighten up the tabs. So far, so good. I just hope it helps somebody else.