QuestionI need help. My turn signals don't work. I checked the fuse and it was fine. I checked the bulbs and they were fine. I talked with someone at an auto store and he said that the switch hardly ever goes bad. I don't know what else to check. They come on when the truck is in gear but they don't flash, and it seems to be opposite. When I go up the left one is on and down the right one is on. The truck is a 1995 Chevy Blazer S-10 4 wheel drive. I have never had any electrical work done to it.
AnswerDeAnna,
It's true, that the switch rarely goes bad, but they do sometimes. In, or near your fuses, there should be a small round cannister looking unit (possibly 2 of them), about an inch or two long, and plugged into a wiring harness, or the fuse block itself.
These are called flashing units, or flashers, and most vehicles have 2 of them. One for the turn signals, and the other for your emergency flashers. See if you can locate them, and replace them. This is a fairly inexpensive test. You said that you checked the bulbs, but if you just looked at them, you can't always tell if they are bad. They can be shorted out, or the terminals under the bulbs may be corroded, and shoring out the system. Try replacing them.
If this cures the problem, then you’re on your way. If not, then you could have a wiring problem in your turn signal or brake circuits. This could be bad or worn wiring anywhere from the steering column to the lights themselves, or the turn signal switch. If this is the case, you will need to trace out the wiring, and see if there is a short somewhere in the system.
Carl
