TheBook
New Member
- Joined
- January 23, 2009
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Trenton MI
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- 1999
I have a 99 Explorer. The turn signals stopped working and then would mysteriously start working again.
I found thru this forum part of the problem after also noticing that when the tilted the steering wheel down they didn't work but when moved up they did.
This is a problem caused by many things but is repairable.
The reason for this is that the wires for the connection are too short and every time you tilt the wheel you are putting a strain on the plug and wires. They eventually pull out.
Here is the way to fix this.
First if you don't have any hazard lights or turn signals check [URL=http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=2]#2 1[/URL] fuse in the panel on the side of the dash board. It is listed as flasher. Chances are it may have also been blown because the wire in the column shorted against something.
To check the plug you need to pull off the shroud around the steering column.
You will need a #2 Phillips screw driver to remove the 3 screws that are on bottom of the shroud. You will also need to remove the tilt lever. I used a 13/64 ignition wrench. The bottom section will drop off with a little prying apart and the top will have to be worked and pulled out from under the dash.
You will now see the multifunction control switch. There is a grey connector on the right hand side with about seven wire. This is the part that goes bad. I found that a retain clip was broken off and I am sure that it was done by the mechanic that did the recall on the multifunction switch years ago. The arm was completely broken off but he put the piece in back in there to cover up his carelessness. That is why I don't lile anyone working on my vehicles. They don't have any ownership and cause more problems than they repair.
So this connector wasn't making full contact as one problem. The other is that some of the wires were pulled out of the connector. I tried to push them back in but the little retaining tabs that hold them in place were also broken so the wires connectors would not snap in.
There are a few ways to repair this. You can try putting the connectors into the plug and hot gluing them in place. I seen this as a repair and it was this forum. I bought a pigtail plug form Ford. It cost $50. You get the connector that has pigtails and heat shrink tubing. The repair is to solder the new wires onto the old. The other method is what I did. I removed the pigtails and removed the old wires from the old connector and inserted them into the new connector. This basically cost me $50 for grey piece of plastic.
Before doing any of this disconnect the battery. I didn't and from having the door open my battery went dead. It also blew [URL=http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=2]#2 1[/URL] fuse that caused me more problems.
If you google wiring diagram you will also find a diagram showing the wire layout for the multifunction control that also helps to make the new connections.
I removed the wires by using a small pick and practicing on the old one first. Push the wire forward into the clip and press down with the pick on the retaining tab and then pull the wire out. Do one wire at a time. Push that wire into the corresponding slot in the new connector. You will feel it click in.
It is also easier if you remove the multifunction control to have more room. You will need a 7/64 hex bit/ Allen wrench. There are two screws.
If you want to save some money it may also be possible to get some shrink tubing to cover the connector ciips for insulation and them hook the wires directly onto the control without using a connector plug.
If the multifunction control is bad it also cost around $50. The flasher unit under the dash costs around $40. So if you replace everything all of the parts will be about $150.
I got everything together and my turn signals didn't work and the car wouldn't start. The battery was dead. I charged the battery but the turn signals still didn't work. Everything else did. I did some Internet/forum searching and went and check the fuses that I thought they would be or suggested. Still nothing. I then checked the emergency flashers and they didn't work. I found that there was a fuse for flasher. It is [URL=http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=2]#2 1[/URL] and was blown. Replaced it and everything now worked. I created a lot of problems by not disconnecting the battery.
The fuse is 21 number twenty one for some reason the forum keeps making it 2 I and I have tried 3 times to correct it.
Hope this helps
I found thru this forum part of the problem after also noticing that when the tilted the steering wheel down they didn't work but when moved up they did.
This is a problem caused by many things but is repairable.
The reason for this is that the wires for the connection are too short and every time you tilt the wheel you are putting a strain on the plug and wires. They eventually pull out.
Here is the way to fix this.
First if you don't have any hazard lights or turn signals check [URL=http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=2]#2 1[/URL] fuse in the panel on the side of the dash board. It is listed as flasher. Chances are it may have also been blown because the wire in the column shorted against something.
To check the plug you need to pull off the shroud around the steering column.
You will need a #2 Phillips screw driver to remove the 3 screws that are on bottom of the shroud. You will also need to remove the tilt lever. I used a 13/64 ignition wrench. The bottom section will drop off with a little prying apart and the top will have to be worked and pulled out from under the dash.
You will now see the multifunction control switch. There is a grey connector on the right hand side with about seven wire. This is the part that goes bad. I found that a retain clip was broken off and I am sure that it was done by the mechanic that did the recall on the multifunction switch years ago. The arm was completely broken off but he put the piece in back in there to cover up his carelessness. That is why I don't lile anyone working on my vehicles. They don't have any ownership and cause more problems than they repair.
So this connector wasn't making full contact as one problem. The other is that some of the wires were pulled out of the connector. I tried to push them back in but the little retaining tabs that hold them in place were also broken so the wires connectors would not snap in.
There are a few ways to repair this. You can try putting the connectors into the plug and hot gluing them in place. I seen this as a repair and it was this forum. I bought a pigtail plug form Ford. It cost $50. You get the connector that has pigtails and heat shrink tubing. The repair is to solder the new wires onto the old. The other method is what I did. I removed the pigtails and removed the old wires from the old connector and inserted them into the new connector. This basically cost me $50 for grey piece of plastic.
Before doing any of this disconnect the battery. I didn't and from having the door open my battery went dead. It also blew [URL=http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=2]#2 1[/URL] fuse that caused me more problems.
If you google wiring diagram you will also find a diagram showing the wire layout for the multifunction control that also helps to make the new connections.
I removed the wires by using a small pick and practicing on the old one first. Push the wire forward into the clip and press down with the pick on the retaining tab and then pull the wire out. Do one wire at a time. Push that wire into the corresponding slot in the new connector. You will feel it click in.
It is also easier if you remove the multifunction control to have more room. You will need a 7/64 hex bit/ Allen wrench. There are two screws.
If you want to save some money it may also be possible to get some shrink tubing to cover the connector ciips for insulation and them hook the wires directly onto the control without using a connector plug.
If the multifunction control is bad it also cost around $50. The flasher unit under the dash costs around $40. So if you replace everything all of the parts will be about $150.
I got everything together and my turn signals didn't work and the car wouldn't start. The battery was dead. I charged the battery but the turn signals still didn't work. Everything else did. I did some Internet/forum searching and went and check the fuses that I thought they would be or suggested. Still nothing. I then checked the emergency flashers and they didn't work. I found that there was a fuse for flasher. It is [URL=http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/usertag.php?do=list&action=hash&hash=2]#2 1[/URL] and was blown. Replaced it and everything now worked. I created a lot of problems by not disconnecting the battery.
The fuse is 21 number twenty one for some reason the forum keeps making it 2 I and I have tried 3 times to correct it.
Hope this helps
