Wierd turn signal stuff... Options

[jamara]

A recent post just reminded me to ask a question about my own turn signal woes. I think I already know the answer to this, but it never hurts to ask. Maybe it’s an easy fix.

First off, the little plastic piece that actuates (facilitates??) my turn signal's auto-cancel feature broke about two weeks after I bought the car. I will be fixing that soon.

Here is the weird thing, though. I immediately noticed that whenever I would turn the car off, if I had not cancelled the turn signal switch manually, then the turn signal lights would remain lit on one side or the other - not flashing, just on. About 6 months later (last week), my front turn signal blinkers quit working altogether. The lights come on with the head lights, just like they should, but they don't flash when the turn signal switch is actuated. The stranger thing is that the back lights do flash. I would have thought the right and left sides would be on independent circuits, not the front and back. But then, what do I know? Anyway, I could live with the former problem, but the blinkers not working at all is going to cause an accident. I can't live with that. So, should I start looking for fried wires under the dash or the front trunk area? Could it be a weird relay issue?

Thanks!

[MartyYeoman]

Your first problem isn't. It was designed that way. (If the blinker is left on and the car is turned off the blinker light will stay lit.) Somthing about parking on narrow streets in Germany or somthing.

Your second problem seems like a bad bulb filliment. Easy fix.

Hope this helps.

[jamara]

Your first problem isn't. It was designed that way. (If the blinker is left on and the car is turned off the blinker light will stay lit.) Somthing about parking on narrow streets in Germany or somthing.

Thanks for the reply. I just remembered that when I was in my early 20's I did a little valet parking and not one night went by without someone accidentally leaving on a Mercedes parking light on one side only. I had forgetten about that. Makes sense.

Your second problem seems like a bad bulb filliment. Easy fix.

I can see where your coming from. The only way I can see this being the case is if the bulbs were dual fillament and they ran in series... Cause they both light up fine with the head lights on and they both will not blink at all. Hmmm.... Is that right? This seems like a bad way to engineer a safety system. Run the circuit in series so if one component goes they all go. Let me know.