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4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/turn signals on 95 Chevy blazer s-10

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Expert: - 1/8/2006


Question
I 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.

Answer
DeAnna,

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  

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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