turn signal troubleshoot advice?

[mr_dave]

The turn signal, emergency lights and high beams and fuse 13 died on my 1996 850T Platinum 5 door with 198k miles. I read through these forums and bought an emergency switch on ebay for $20. I replaced the fuse, installed the switch and everything was OK.

Then the turn signals and emergency lights stopped working. I tried jiggling the ignition switch a little and then they functioned again.....then they didn't. Now fuse 13 is blown, the high beams work, turn signals don't and emergency lights don't.

My question is this: When I replaced the emergency light switch, everything was working. That means that switch was likely bad. I'm suspicious that the ignition switch AND the emergency light switch BOTH failed at the same time. I'm planning to buy a new ignition switch (this one has ~100k miles on it) but if anyone has another suggestion, please let me know.

Thanks in advance. I hate figuring out electrical problems. Gremlins....often there's no rhyme or reason. mr_dave

[mr_dave]

I just wanted to say that I put in a new ignition switch today and I have my turn signals back in order. In my repair quest I wound up replacing both the emergency light flasher AND the ignition switch. Replacing just the emergency light switch changed the nature of the problem but didn't fix it completely. I may have had two components fail simultaneously. Gremlins!

Boy do I hate electrical problems....

[Ozark Lee]

I'm glad we could be of help!

I'm not sure how you slipped through the cracks without an answer. It may or may not be the correct answer but we always strive to at least throw out the things that it might be when we have a legitimate poster.

...Lee

[mr_dave]

In an attempt to 'give back' I'm going to post the remainder of my turn signal saga.

Here's the order of events. I'm not proud of this but it is what happened:
1) Started popping fuse 13 when using my right blinker
2) Installed a new fuse, things were OK but then failed again
3) Replaced my flasher unit, things were OK but then failed again
4) Replaced my ignition switch, things were OK and then failed again
5) Replaced my turn signal switch, things were OK and then failed again
6) Checked the wires and connections to the right turn signal lights, cleaned corrosion in the rear, things were OK and then failed again
7) Spent another 2 hours looking at the wiring diagram. Tried to ohm out a short. No short and no success
Got mad as heck. Decided it was OK to cut the wire between the flasher module and the instrument cluster. Finally, this worked (at least it's been working for three days now).

Apparently there is an intermittent short somewhere in the instrument cluster. Now I don't have a dash light to tell me when my right turn signal is blinking, but so what? I've got turn signals.

I don't understand how anyone can be good at automotive electrical troubleshooting. I've actually taken several electrical engineering classes but this automotive stuff...I don't know. Gremlins.....Intermittent Gremlins! What could be worse?

Thanks for listening.....mr_dave
1996 850T Platinum 5 door with 198k miles