Where did my blinker go? HELP!

[PCGUY112887]

Drove my car to class and back Friday, didn't touch it the rest of the day.

 

Today went out and took out the bulbs in the rear left taillight and all of the bolts, I wanted to get the housing out to reseal it since it leaks a bit. I pulled and pulled and finally discovered someone had attached the whole housing to the car with silicone, so I said screw it for now and pushed it back in and bolted her up. I knew I had a reverse bulb and brake light bulb out, so I pull the burnt bulb (reverse) and put all of the rest back in. Check the brakes, lights work fine. Running lights, fine too. I turn on the blinker... nothing.

 

Turn the blinker on the other way... nothing. WTF? I hit the flashers, they work fine, all bulbs lighting up in front and back.

 

So I wonder around a bit, check the blinker fuse and it's fine. Replace it, still no worky. I put my multimeter to where the blinker fuse goes and I get 12v. So I figure OK it's the flasher module thingy under the dash.

 

Replace it, still no blinks. What the HELL? Pull the flasher back off and turn the blinker on (with ignition on) and get the multimeter on it, no voltage no matter what I do at the flasher.

 

Replaced the reverse bulb, tested ALL bulbs on the car. ALL work.

 

Leads me to believe it's the switch in the stalk, but it doesn't matter how much I play around with the stalk I can't get any blinker action. It worked perfectly fine just earlier.

 

Help me! I need to go start tuning but now I have no blinkers!

[Mach 5]

Aren't the bulbs dual filament. Maybe filament in one of the bulbs is busted causing the lights to flash but not blink.

 

Jarek

[PCGUY112887]

That could be, but wouldn't the other side work at least? Or it would hyperflash/stay solid indicating a bulb was out?

 

No matter what I do with the switch, it won't turn on. I know they are prone to go out, but it wouldn't go totally 100% dead overnight would it? I try to barely press on the switch till I hear it make contact, nothing. Try pulling it towards me a bit, nothing. Try moving it every way it can move, nothing.

 

HERE is what is weird though! Sometimes if I turn on the hazards, all of the lights outside will blink but only the left or right indicator in the dash blinks. If I turn the signal in the direction that isn't blinking, it will start to blink like it should be with the hazards on! If I turn it back off, it stops blinking again. This doesn't happen often, but I've done it about 3 times in the past 2 days, both left and right.

 

Is there any way to try to clean the switch contacts or anything without ripping the wheel off? Any way to bypass the switch to see if they will blink that way?

 

[rockfangd]

did you check the blinker fluid? lol. I have a similair problem on my cutlass, the right side always works fine but sometimes the left will come on but not flash?? no matter how i move the stalk it doesnt cooperate

[PCGUY112887]

Flushed the blinker fluid and refilled with fully synthetic, then bled the air out of the blinker system. Didn't help it!

[rockfangd]

Flushed the blinker fluid and refilled with fully synthetic, then bled the air out of the blinker system. Didn't help it!

lolol wish it was that easy, i just use my hand for my left signals lol, fun

[wildbill]

I had that same problem with my Sierra, I replaced the headlight switch and they worked fine after that. Try using a test light on the wires to/from the headlight switch. It worked for me hopefully for you too.

[boulevard]

Make sure the bulbs you replaced are looking fine. Have someone stand behind your car and check while you run through the brakes and turn signals in your car. you could of accidently placed a bulb in incorrectly. Make sure the bulbs were placed as intended, depending if they are the snap into socket type or the push in and rotate type. If they are the push in and rotate type, make sure they are in the right way. If the bulbs all work but one is a bit brighter than the others while in park (with headligts on) and then dim when brakes are applied, thats the bulb causing the problems. Check it.

[PCGUY112887]

Well I think I found the issue!

 

My hazard button is broken off, apparently if the stub isn't pulled to a certain way it is "slightly on", not enough to turn the hazards on but enough for it to think their on and disable my blinkers.

 

I just pulled back the little nub that used to be the hazard button, and they started to work! If I press in on it or back, they stop working, pull back and they work, so far they keep working as long as I don't hit the hazards.

[rockfangd]

werd , go figure, great catch, mine isnt broken but i will check on mine lol