Auto Parts: Turn Signal Repair, turn signal flasher, signal repair
QuestionI didn't get a reply from the Dodge expert, so I apologize if this isn't within your area of interest. The turn signals on my 1988 Dodge Aries (61000 miles) stopped working. They worked sporadically for a short while before quitting altogether. The flasher and fuse are OK, and the hazard lights flash as they should. Is there anything else that a person with limited skill can check? I am capable of pulling the steering wheel, if necessary. If a fusible link might be involved, can you give me an idea where to look for it? Thanks for your indulgence.
Answer Do they come on but not blink? Or, do they not come on at all? Either way it is almost certainly the flasher. There are two flashers on the car, one for the four ways and one for the turn signals. They are identical in appearance and function. The four-way flasher is traditionally located in the fuse box and the turn signal flasher will be suspended from its two wires under the dash, usually shoved up into the mess behind the dash. If you feel around under there, or look with a flashlight, you will spot it as a little metallic or plastic cylinder. Once you locate it, switch it with the four-way flasher. If the turn signals begin to work and the flashers quit, then that's it and you need a new one. they are very cheap so you might want to replace both of them just to eliminate worrying about it for the next 20 years. If you tow a trailer or have extra loads connected to the turn signals for some other reason, then you might want to consider buying an electronic flasher. They cost more but will flash at the same rate regardless of the load.
If it turns out not to be the flasher, somehow, then it would have to be the switch. It is an inexpensive part, but the wheel does need to come off. The low mileage on the car makes me think that the switch really shouldn't have gone bad already, unless you have to make an inordinately large number of turns to get out of your neighborhood.
