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I am too cheap to buy a new switch...


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Ok, my left rear turn signal does not light up, though the left front does. Right rear turn signal works fine, btw. The left rear turn signal will light up if the hazards are used, so I know the wiring is basically intact back to the bulbs.

 

This leads me to suspect that the turn signal switch is the culprit. I took the steering wheel off last night and saw the damage that the leaking grease did to the contacts inside, but did not see a way to take the switch itself apart for a good cleaning before it got too dark to work on things. Well, that and the fact that I had to put the car back together so I could drive it to work this morning.

 

What I had planned to do was splice some wires. My book shows that the pale blue wire goes to the front turn signal and the yellow wire goes to the rear turn signal. Seems logical to me that if I splice the two together, when the front turn signal is activated, it will also light the rear signal.

 

I have an '89 TGP with the radio controls in the steering wheel. Before I go and start playing with the wiring in there, does anyone see a real problem with this, or know that I will end up setting the entire car on fire?

 

I just can't being myself to pay darn near $100 just so I can get one turn signal to work. That $100 could go to far more exciting things.

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Ok, my left rear turn signal does not light up, though the left front does. Right rear turn signal works fine, btw. The left rear turn signal will light up if the hazards are used, so I know the wiring is basically intact back to the bulbs.

 

This leads me to suspect that the turn signal switch is the culprit. I took the steering wheel off last night and saw the damage that the leaking grease did to the contacts inside, but did not see a way to take the switch itself apart for a good cleaning before it got too dark to work on things. Well, that and the fact that I had to put the car back together so I could drive it to work this morning.

 

What I had planned to do was splice some wires. My book shows that the pale blue wire goes to the front turn signal and the yellow wire goes to the rear turn signal. Seems logical to me that if I splice the two together, when the front turn signal is activated, it will also light the rear signal.

 

I have an '89 TGP with the radio controls in the steering wheel. Before I go and start playing with the wiring in there, does anyone see a real problem with this, or know that I will end up setting the entire car on fire?

 

I just can't being myself to pay darn near $100 just so I can get one turn signal to work. That $100 could go to far more exciting things.

 

 

Don't splice them... your front signals will come on when you hit the brakes. your brake lights and and rear turn signals are on the same circuit.

 

If the flasher was out, the whole turn signal system would die.

 

I'd say, fix the contacts. once you take the 3 switch screws out, take a small straight screw driver and carefully pop the two pieces of the switch apart. Make sure you dont lose the springs or small bearings in it. Bend the contacts to make the touch and scrape the ends, then snap it back together and reinstall it. It should work fine. I've done this on several cars at the car lot I work for.

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Thanks for the replies.

 

Well, I noticed today that some of the messing around I did last night had an effect, because I can pull on the turn signal arm and get it to work. That's an improvement.

 

Tonight sometime I am going to try to take it apart and clean it up.

 

So, I just carefully pry it apart? I don't want to gorilla it and end up breaking the thing if there are some tabs or something I am supposed to get at.

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The turn signal switch is bad. It's not hard to fix, but if you frequent some yards it's hard to find a good one, and the dealer part is mundo $$$ (here anyway).

 

no doubt, if works with pressure the switch IS the culprit.....that wasn't mentioned in orignal post so I mentioned the flasher as a possibility....

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as long as we're on this topic, what about an issue I'm having...

 

turn signals work fine, all four corners, nothing wrong at all.

brake lights don't light up, unless I pull back on the level as I'm applying brake. wtf? still the same switch assembly?

 

 

the car is a 94 cutlass coupe, which means my turn lights are my brake lights, and also this is why I don't have cruise anymore, seeing as how the whole cruise circuit is "fused" through the brakes. any help would be great.

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