Turn signals and flashers not working!

[Bill4kath]

I've got a problem with a 95 Taurus GL turn signal and flashher problem. All of the fuses are fine, I think. Are there more in the engine compartment that is for the lights? I'm stumped. Please help me out.

Bill

[Psychopete]

Originally Posted by Bill4kath

I've got a problem with a 95 Taurus GL turn signal and flashher problem. All of the fuses are fine, I think. Are there more in the engine compartment that is for the lights? I'm stumped. Please help me out.

Bill

You might need to replace the flasher, or you might have a bulb out. It needs to draw enough current to heat up the flasher, to cause the flasher to flash. You didn't sepecify if they just don't flash, or just don't come on at all. I don't know what the problem is...

Pete

[LarryKL]

The Multifunction Switch in the steering column controls:
- windshield wipers speed
- turn signals, front and rear, left and right
- headlights flash to pass
- hazard lights

Might be a good place to start.... search this forum.

[Vanagonfreak]

I agree with "LarryKL", the multi-function module is probably the culprit. This has to be replaced as a unit, since individual systems cannot be repaired or replaced. It's on the left of your steering column, and is a "plug-unplug"-type repair.

[maspoon]

i would check the flasher under the driver side dash first. looks like a small relay, would be cheaper to start there

[yardfixxer]

Originally Posted by Psychopete

You might need to replace the flasher, or you might have a bulb out. It needs to draw enough current to heat up the flasher, to cause the flasher to flash. You didn't sepecify if they just don't flash, or just don't come on at all. I don't know what the problem is...

Pete

How do you change front turn signal bulb in 1998 taurus?? Can't get to it.

[jfreidin]

My wife recently reported that the turn signal indicator on our 1995 Ford Taurus stopped working. I observed that the hazard indicator was also not working. I read the manual and checked the fuses. Since everything looked in order, and it seemed unlikely that all this stuff would break at once, I was stumped.

I asked my wife what happened between the time it was working, and the time it stopped working and she said she had tried to use the hazard lights. So activating the hazard light switch in this case caused the turn signal to stop working. The cause appears to be gunk inside the switch. The jelly they put in there to prevent the contacts from corroding may be drying out slowly. My suspicion is that just exercising the hazard switch a hundred times might have cleared that away, but I'm not sure.

I queried Google to try to get some information about how to dissassemble the steering column cover. I wish I had used Google first, because I immediately found this posting, which was immensely helpful:

http://www.theiowaharvest.com/harves...es/000208.html

Using the information provided above, I removed the philips screws from the bottom of the steering column "clamshell" cover. I was able to remove the bottom portion by sliding in over the tilt steering lever. Then I removed the ignition cylinder by turning it to the "on" position and inserting a punch in the release hole from underneath. Then the cylinder slid out. It got hung up on the upper "clamshell" cover, but I released it by pushing the cover down from above. Then it was pretty straightforward to remove the cover by prying it apart slightly, tilting it up and sliding it over the gear shift lever. Somewhere along the way, I removed the four T-30 bolts holding the dashboard padding in place.

On the left hand side of the mult-function switch there are an upper and lower T-25 (I think) screws holding it in place. I removed those screws and with a little effort I was able to tilt the switch away from the steering column and pry the electical connectors off. As I was doing this, the hazard lights started working, because I guess I had left the switch in the "on" position. I did a little more testing, concluding that it was still a little unreliable, so I removed the multi-function switch.

There are 4-5 T-10 screws holding the switch together. I removed those, and inspected the contacts. I didn't clean them because it looked like most of the gunk on there was the anti-corrosive jelly. So I just put it all back together. Sometimes you have to operate the hazard switch twice to get both left and right lights to flash, but aside from that, everything is working fine.

I'm grateful that I was able to find so much helpful information on this site. It saved me a lot of time, which is why I'm passing along my own experience.

From the USA,

Jonathan

[TomV]

Originally Posted by yardfixxer

How do you change front turn signal bulb in 1998 taurus?? Can't get to it.

According to my Haynes manual you have to remove the main headlamp to access the turn signal socket.

[donclark70]

IF you have airbags and are taking apart the steering column be sure to disable the airbag system.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

Originally Posted by donclark70

IF you have airbags and are taking apart the steering column be sure to disable the airbag system.

This is not necessary as all of the airbag stuff is on the right side, and the multi is on the left. All you need to do is to remove the column surround (NOT the horn/airbag section). Don't touch anything with yellow loom! Remove the bottom section first. This will be 3 philips screws underneath. You'll probably need to remove the ignition switch. There should be a smaller 4th hole underneath. Insert a 15 mm screwdriver and push on it while turning the switch to the 'on' position and pulling out. You'll need to remove the multi switch (two screws) before you can unplug it.

Before you do all of that, and assuming that one turn signal side works and the other doesn't, just switch bulbs (or use a new bulb to test). Test both front and back. Trace the circuit backwards from there (wiring, flasher,switch, etc.). Most of the time it's related to a bulb or a flasher IF it's just not working on one side.

If those things don't help you then you need to give us more information, like is it just one side, just front or rear, or is it all the lights? Do the parking lights work? Also don't forget to check for corrosion in the socket. If that's the case the clean the contacts. Check for poor ground at the socket too.

[way2old]

Hey guys, read the date of post you are repairing. It has been almost a year. I am fairly sure they have had it fixed by now.

[MyTaurus8AChevy]

As Homer Simpson would say - DOH!

Better late than never

[wrightz28]

Yeah, a year isn't so bad, I mean, replacing a bulb, don't want to rush a project like that