Turn signals dead

[Erebus]

Yesterday, my turn signals went from working fine to not working at all with no warning. It's not that a bulb is burned out, because the 4-ways work fine and all bulbs illuminate. I swapped the fuse, which looked fine. No difference.

The switch feels fine, and the cornering lights DO come on, just no signals, not even dash lights. So I assumed that it was the relay.

I pulled it out, using info from an earlier thread (blinkers-on-the-fritz ) to locate it. I even opened it up and tapped on it in case it was stuck, no difference.

I googled the part number MB686522 and found some aftermarket numbers, but not surprisingly the local parts shop (Auto Value, who love my Delica) couldn't get one. Will probably have to go to dealer if it is indeed the relay.

I did find a diagram of the relay's contacts from Autotec and one of the guys at Auto Value suggested testing for voltage at the contacts. But none of them show 12 V, which might imply that it is switch or wiring, not relay.

The simplest test would be to swap the relay with someone else, but good ol' Green1 is busy this weekend and working late this coming week (work is SO inconsiderate!).

Anyone have any ideas to try? Anyone in the Calgary area bored and want to get together and do a swap test? (Not Sunday, I'm going snowshoeing.)

Thanks all

[Erebus]

FIXED.

Okay, this is weird. As part of my fiddling last week before going for the drive, I had swapped the position of the rear wiper/washer switch and the 4-way flasher switch.

I had noticed that, even though the 4-ways still worked, the switch felt funny compared to how it felt before moving it. So today I took it out, disassembled it (which is really easy), and reassembled it. Now it felt the way it used to. Put it back in the Delica, 4-ways still worked, and now the turn signals worked too!

So, a well-behaved 4-way flasher switch is required for the turn signals to work. By the way, the 4-ways also use the same relay unit pictured below as the turn signals.

Since I took the photos, I'll post them. To get at the turn signal relay, remove the glove compartment. Then looking into the opening:

BroadView.JPG (32.41 KiB) Viewed 3466 times

And a more close-up look:

Closeup.JPG (22 KiB) Viewed 3467 times

Edit: for the techies amongst us, here is what the relay looks like on the inside:

exploded relay.JPG (31.95 KiB) Viewed 3434 times

And there you have it. Hopefully this will spare someone else a couple of days of headache, or paying for a new relay. Check the 4-way switch first!

[delicat]

Well done!

This post might be a good candidate for the trouble-shooting forum...

[thelazybrownfox]

Hey Ruminante

Sounds just like corrosion on the contacts. Try gently cleaning the contacts with an ignition file. Don't file anymore than you have to as that contact has to work for many years. 12 volts systems don't always have the amperage to burn thrrough corrosion and sometimes a little help is needed. Try mixing a damp climate, winter, occassional warmth and presto you have switching problems.

If you think this is bad try working with millivoltage and switches. Ha Ha

See you at the Delica meet Friday evening 6:30-7:30 at Macdonalds - Lougheed and Boundary.

Wayne

[Green1]

Sounds just like corrosion on the contacts.

he stated that it was a problem with the switch and not the relay, in fact it appears that it was a loose connection of some form, nothing to do with corrosion, or the relay.

See you at the Delica meet Friday evening 6:30-7:30 at Macdonalds - Lougheed and Boundary.

Ruminante is in Calgary and is unlikely to make it to that meet... unless you know something I (and he) don't...

[thelazybrownfox]

Hey Green 1
It doesn't matter if its switches or relays. I said switches. They are both affectred by moisture and warmth. Gold plated contact switches (no joke) are the only ones I know not affected by this problem.

Good thing it could be fixed easily by tightening(?).

[Erebus]

Good thing it could be fixed easily by tightening(?).

It wasn't moisture or corrosion. Just having removed the switch and put it back in the dash made it go wonky inside, although it still did the function it was supposed to. Just somehow didn't allow the turn signals to work. But opening the switch up and reassembling it, without doing anything else, fixed the wonkiness and restored the turn signals.

Somehow, control of the blinkers is affected by the 4-way flasher switch.