Thread: turn signal flasher

Define "not work".

Do they click? Do they light up on the dash? Do the bulbs not light up?

I'm willing to bed you have a tilt-steering wheel, right?

Yes. This is a very common problem for 10th gens with tilt-steering. The fix: First, disconnect the battery - you don't want any chance of that airbag hitting you when your face is right in front of it.

To expose the steering column to access the connector:
1) Use your fingers to pry up the dash trim that surrounds the steering column. It is held by four clips, just like the trim around the stereo and heater controls. Start at the bottom, they just pop loose.
2) There are three phillips screws holding the bottom half of the steering column wrapper to the top half. Take them out. There is a fourth hole used to release the cylinder lock. More on that in the next step.
3) The cylinder lock must come out to remove the top half of the steering column enclosure. Don't worry - its simple. You need a very thin screwdriver or a piece of coat hanger wire. Put the key in the lock and turn it to the "Run" position. There is a small hole in the bottom of the lock cylinder housing. You need to push the wire into that hole to push back the spring-loaded retainer pin, then just pull the lockset straight out. That's what the fourth hole in the bottom cover is for. However, I found it easier to undo the bottom cover and move it aside so that I could see the hole in the housing.
4) once the lock cylinder has been pulled, the top cover can be wiggled out and set aside.

Fixing the connector:
1) refer to this picture.



See the piece of steel wire that snakes between items #1 and #2 in the picture, essentially creating a new clip where the original has broken off.

2) Note the triangular bump that would have retained the clip that broke off the connector ( item #1 in the image). With a very small drill bit carefully drill through the center of it,close to the body of the socket. You can only approach it at a steep angle so drill from both sides, until you have a through opening.
3) Use a dremel tool with a small cutting disk to make notches in the back of the connector, directly in line with the broken clip (item #2 in the image) be careful not to cut any wires.
4) Using needlenose pliers, thread a piece if thin, but sturdy steel wire through the hole that you drilled, then wrap the ends around the back of the connector so that it is in the notches that you cut.

Note, if you keep your steering wheel very low, or use your tilt mechanism regularly, I recommend that you splice some length into those wires, or stretch them somehow, so that the problem doesn't reoccur.

Old age. Connectors get loose, etc. Clip breaks, you get intermittent connection between the MFS and the rest of the truck. Wipers are on a pot, not actual switches that get physical wear and tear like the turn signals

Yeah check it out. It takes but 2 minutes to pull the covers off. You and wiggle stuff and see if your blinkers work