Fixed: No turn signals or hazard lights

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WECole

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Thought I'd pass my experience on to others...
I let my wife drive my (ok, "our") Expy and suddenly the turn signals aren't working. (They did the night before.) I ran across a post BakerEdition left back in Nov about a similar problem and his suggestion to adjust the steering wheel up higher (to relieve tension on the wires) - it worked! The signals and hazards worked fine as long as the steering wheel was adjusted up as high as it would go, but they stopped working if I adjusted it down (my wife is shorter than I and had adjusted the wheel the night she drove it).

Last night I pulled the covers off the steering column and here's what I found : the plug for the multi-function turn signal switch has two retaining clips (one on top, one on bottom) that keeps the plug seated in the switch. It looked like the previous owner of my Expedition had replaced the multi-function switch (it was considerablly cleaner than the other parts) but had broken the retaining clips off of the plug in the process. When the steering wheel was adjusted down, the plug pulled out of the switch just enough to disconnect the circuit, but when the steering wheel was adjusted back up the plug pushed itself back into the switch and the signals would work again.

I eventually have to replace the damaged plug but I was able to make a small "L" shaped brace out of plastic to keep the plug from moving out of the switch when the steering wheel is adjusted down. (I used double-sided tape to secure it so it wouldn't come loose in the steering column.)
 
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WECole

WECole

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Tools need: phillips screwdriver, standard screwdriver, 1/8" rod/stick

The only tools I needed were phillips screwdriver, standard screwdriver, 1/8" rod/stick (this was the "handle" from some rockcandy my kids had, but anything about 1/8" dia and 3-4" long will work).
 

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WECole

WECole

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The bottom of the steering column.

These photos show the bottom of the steering wheel where the 3 screws and the release hole for the ignition switch is and also me removing the column covers after the ignition switch was removed. (Besure to disconnect the battery and wait 2 mins before trying to remove the ignition switch - don't want to accidently set off the airbags!)
 

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WECole

WECole

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The problem found and fixed!

These two photos show the multifunction switch and the problem plug connecting into it. Just to the left of the HAZARD LIGHT switch you can see the "L" shaped piece of plastic I used to brace the plug (it has double-sided tape on the right side to hold it in place).

I tested this "fix" pretty agressively, making sure I wasn't pinching wires and that the steering wheel height adjustment had full movement and the brace worked perfectly! (Look closely at the top of the grey colored plug in the back of the multifuction switch and you can clearly see the broken tabs of the retaining clip.)

I'll have to replace the broken plug eventually, but for now, I have turn signals and hazards!
 

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g13663

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Ive had the same problem but still cant fix it....changed out the signal switch,signal relay, checked bulbs...if I put the hazard's on tilt all the way down light work but blows fuse??? Help
 

VexedEX

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Thought I'd pass my experience on to others...
I let my wife drive my (ok, "our") Expy and suddenly the turn signals aren't working. (They did the night before.) I ran across a post BakerEdition left back in Nov about a similar problem and his suggestion to adjust the steering wheel up higher (to relieve tension on the wires) - it worked! The signals and hazards worked fine as long as the steering wheel was adjusted up as high as it would go, but they stopped working if I adjusted it down (my wife is shorter than I and had adjusted the wheel the night she drove it).

Last night I pulled the covers off the steering column and here's what I found : the plug for the multi-function turn signal switch has two retaining clips (one on top, one on bottom) that keeps the plug seated in the switch. It looked like the previous owner of my Expedition had replaced the multi-function switch (it was considerablly cleaner than the other parts) but had broken the retaining clips off of the plug in the process. When the steering wheel was adjusted down, the plug pulled out of the switch just enough to disconnect the circuit, but when the steering wheel was adjusted back up the plug pushed itself back into the switch and the signals would work again.

I eventually have to replace the damaged plug but I was able to make a small "L" shaped brace out of plastic to keep the plug from moving out of the switch when the steering wheel is adjusted down. (I used double-sided tape to secure it so it wouldn't come loose in the steering column.)
When my husband drives... He likes the steering wheel all the way down and I like it up. So if this ever happens I will keeps this in mind. Thanks for taking time to keep us informed. Looks like a fairly simple fix! Glad you were able to get it fixed.
 
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WECole

WECole

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Ive had the same problem but still cant fix it....changed out the signal switch,signal relay, checked bulbs...if I put the hazard's on tilt all the way down light work but blows fuse??? Help

If it's only blowing fuses when the steering wheel is down but not when it's up, I'll bet anything that you have an exposed wire that is getting pulled down and grounding against the body - that would short the circuit. Look for some loose connections, exposed wires, bad wire insultation. Also, see if there's a wire getting pinched by the steering wheel hardware.
 
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