Turn Signal Not Self-canceling

[Allenh]

As these girls age little things stop working.  If you have this problem, I have an easy fix.  The problem is wear on the canceling pin that strikes the boss on the steering shaft. 

If you remove the two screws that secure the switch assembly to the steering column, you can easily lower it to a working position if you push the electric cable bundle up toward the switch.  This will provide enough room to work.

Materials needed: 1/2 inch of about 3/16" to 1/4" shrinkable tubing, a little CA glue and some cleaning solvent. 

Cut the tubing into two equal pieces, clean the canceling pin with solvent.  Put a drop of CA glue into the first piece of shrink tubing, slip it onto the extended pin and shrink the tubing tight.  When it cools, slip the second piece over the first and again shrink it tight.  Trim the tubing as close as you can to the pin, remember the pin only wears until it no longer will touch the boss.  You Don't need to lengthen much and if it is too long it will try to dislodge.  Put another single drop of CA glue into the open, trimmed end of the tubing and let it setup.  Reassemble and the frustrating turn signal will be gone.   

Difficulty level- 1 of 10

Allen

[georgem]

Allen,

Does this also work for indicators that won`t stay on?

[Allenh]

Sorry, no.  That is another wear and tear issue.  The detents that hold it in the on position are worn or the tiny pivot pins are sloppy.   THat, I doubt is correctable.


Allen

[Jim Donati]

I have a '70 280SL with low miles in which the turn signal switch does not cancel in the left turn position and will not stay on in the right turn position.   A local mechanic tells me he can replace the entire switch but the price is much more than I would like to pay.   He says the part alone is $700.

Does anyone know of a better solution than my mechanic is suggesting?

Jim

[waqas]

Before you replace such an expensive part, make sure the turn signal itself is at fault. Sometimes, if the steering shaft is not centered, the cancellation functions occur at odd points along the rotation of the steering wheel, causing incorrect cancellation behaviour.

[J. Huber]

Jim and George. I suggest a look at the wiki or else searching a bit here. There is info on how to remedy certain turn signal problems -- if you are handy and are able to follow the detailed instructions. In my case -- seeing how I am none of the above -- my left locks fine but will not cancel without help. The right locks only on rare occasions, then cancels just fine. Rest of the time I'm the holder... Go figure.

[Ron]

(note: I purchased my car with the engine out.  Now it is about ready to put in, but I'm going through anything I can think of to fix before I drop in the engine.)

I just finished with a "round" on the turn signal.  Mine would not stay up or down, and I did not know if it canceled, the steering wheel was not centered.

Since I had to replace the bushings on the coupling down at the steering box, I thought I'd do all this at once.  I removed the steering box and coupling, then played with the steering wheel.  It was a mess.  With the wheel spokes horizontal, the cam for the turn signal was not correct.  After taking the wheel off, I lined the cam, but the turn signal would not latch.  Some silicon spray got it to work about half the time.  

With it out, I noticed the little pins that fit into the detents were not vertical.  So I thought I'd bend them straight - wrong, I broke one off!  

So with nothing to lose, I took the whole thing apart.  (not recommended)  The little arms with the pins for the detents, each swivel on a pressed in rivet that acts like a hinge.  The top of the rivet is peened to keep the lever on.  I had pulled one little lever over the top of the rivet.  I carefully put the lever back on the rivet and peened it over again, not as nicely as the factory, but it held.  To get to this level, I had to remove the turn lever from its pivots, and that was really difficult to return.  Twice.  I put it on upside down the first attempt.  This is all done sitting in the driver's seat with the turn signal in my hands, the plug will not fit through the steering column without removing the column.

After about 3 frustrating hours, I got it all back together and it works!  It latches, and cancels like it should.  Since the car is not running, I don't know if the electrical functions work yet.

As to buying a new turn signal, SLS has them on their web site for 345Euros, so about $400+?  To get it installed is a mess since the plug will not fit through the steering column with the column installed.  If it were something I'd try to do, I'd take the plug apart and pass the wire with just the little male pins through the column.  

Good luck, and let me know if you wish to sell your core, the old one.  My rivet is living on borrowed time!

Ron

[Richard Madison]

For a column stalk that does not hold for turn signals, take a look in the Tech Manual (search turn signal, stalk, etc). There are a number of fixes described.

Here's the first part of one of them:
Just pull the rubber cover off from the steering column that surrounds the stalk end. You will see two phillips screws, undo them and the stalk will be loose...

Richard M, NYC
 

[georgem]

Jim and others,

Thanks for the suggestions - the tech manual it is. BTW, ( and in search of a trivial pursuit  question) on our RHD cars, the turn stalk is on the right, which means operating the indicator with the right hand, gears with the left. Is it vice-versa in LHD cars?

Cheers

 

[Richard Madison]

On LHD cars, the turn signal stalk is on the left...the manual shift lever is in the center...the parking brake is in the center. So it's the left hand to set the turn signal and right hand for shifting gears and setting the parking brake.

Richard M, NYC

[paults1]

I have the same problem. The left turn will not cancel itself. I have installed a new turn signal stalk, so my steering column must not br centered.  Is there a way to adjust the steering to center without removing the entire steering column?

Paul '63 230SL

[jeffc280sl]

Paul,

Arrange your front tires so they are pointing straight ahead.  Take the horn pad off and look at the top of steering shaft.  It is indexed with a line to indicate alignment and should be in the near vertical position.