weird blinker problem

[uchi]

hey guys, i hope this is the right forum for this, lighting so i figured id put it here. the other day my blinker stopped working, just flashes real fast as if the bulb is burnt out. this morning before i fired the truck up i noticed that the blinker worked fine. got it started, and the first left turn i made it had stopped working and was speed blinking again. figured the bulb was dead. so i replaced the bulb, and again with the truck off checked it and it worked fine. started it up checked it again, worked fine, got down the street and voila its screwed up again. i was thinking that perhaps the socket is on its way out. im gonna swap in another socket just to be safe, one thing i didnt check today was if the reverse light and blinker/brake socket are the same or not, if so ill just cut them off and swap their locations and if that fixes it ill get another socket.

so my question is, assuming you guys made it through that gibberish, does this sound like a socket or like something else? shes an 01 explorer sport. thanks

 

[BrooklynBay]

It's possible that you changed the bulb in the wrong socket. Turn the signal on, and see which bulb is not flashing.

 

[muhl5443]

the bulb could be installed wrong. or not pushed into the socket all the way or you may have a switch problem.

 

[uchi]

ill check the bulb again tomorrow. pretty sure i got it in the right socket though, only 2 there, bottom one is reverse lights

thanks

 

[BrooklynBay]

Check all of the lights in the front & back.

 

[ramren16]

have you checked the level of the blinker fluid

 

[uchi]

i just upgraded to a high quality dot 12 blinker fluid and it still doesnt work. i think the switch is done. when i put the tilt steering all the way up it works, as soon as i bring it down it flashes super fast, bring the tilt steering all the way up again and it works and bring the column back down and its off. so either somethings come loose or the switch itself has finished itself off.

 

[Bill Kemp]

Sounds like the MFS (multifunction switch)blinker stalk. Not expensive and not hard to change.

 

[uchi]

thats what i was thinking too. called the wreckers theyre asking 50 bucks. seems steep for a used part, gonna try ford and see how many more zeros that number has.

 

[Expolicious]

Was it the MFS?

 

[Bill Kemp]

Was it the MFS?

That would be the multi function switch or blinker stalk or the big lever on the left side of the steering wheel that you use to turn on the turn signals and the high & low beams and the windshield wipers.

 

[TooManyTrucks]

Check the easy stuff first...mine did that and it was a short in the wire where it rubbed the sheet metal......