Oldsmobile/Buick Repair: Buick Regal Electrical, buick regal gs, hello dawn

Question
Dear Mr. Van,
 I have a 1999 Buick Regal GS V-6 K series Manufactured in Dec of 98...
It's problem.. Engaging the turn signal kills the engine, and the dash gages surge,rpm,gas,odometer flips from trip to total and sometimes adds 12.4 miles to both the trip and total readings?ABS,Airbag and trac off lights remain on while car is running. the DRL buzzes intermitently. Apply the brakes and the DRL buzzed constantly. I recently had the car in for a headlamp recall(new bulbs) and the additional ABS ground strap installed. The hazard lights work perfectly inside and out. everything else works fine. Checked all fuses, traced all wires to the underhood junction. Checked every ground, back to front.Had the new battery, alternator, starter and cables checked. all good.
replaced almost all lightbulbs,Replaced combo flasher unit. Replaced multi function switch. Replaced BCM. No changes.no trouble codes.
unplugged ambiant light plug from DRL, stopped the buzzing, removed the DRL completely still no blinkers.checked the headlight switch,its good. So now I'm thinking positive short feeding back threw the front lights.  I go to check the voltage and without actually touching anything I got shocked by one of the coil packs. Engine running, lights off. could that be the problem and/or where do I go from here. (FYI) This car is not being driven on the road in it's current condition.
       Thank you,
             Dawn  

Answer
Hello Dawn,
The hazzard lights are on a completely different circuit, with a separate fusible link.
They even work with the ignition switch off.
I am thinking you have a bad connection, and it could be inside the ignition switch.
That thing needs to carry power to a lot of things, and they wear out.
If you have checked all of your wire connections, including where they pass through the firewall, then the ignition switch would be a good guess.
The turn signals are operated through it. The gauges are operated through it. The DRL's are operated through it. And the engine ignition is operated through it.
All of those systems you have mentioned.
The hazzard flashers do NOT operate through the ignition switch....and they work fine.
I bet the headlights work fine when operated by the headlight switch.
And the stoplights probably work fine. Neither headlights nor stoplights are powered by the ignition switch.

Just out of curiosity, does the radio act up when the turn signals are operated?

The ignition switch is not up under the steering wheel...it is down under the dash, on top of the steering column, above the brake pedal.
It is connected to the key tumbler by a rod.
You may need to lower the steering wheel end of the column to get to it.
If you consider replacing it, check the condition of the wire ends in the connector that plugs to it before just plugging it in.

Here are a couple links that might be of assistance.

http://www.chevyasylum.com/column/tiltcol.html

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/suspension/t_steering.html

Van