Turn Signal function

[robot]

Hello,
I'm a non-mechanic working to get my 1967 230sl running. I bought a house several years ago, and the car was stored in the garage, so I worked the car into the house deal. It had not run for maybe 5 years, but it's running now thanks largely to info. from the Pagoda Group, and only has 55k miles!
The latest mystery is the turn signal... when I move the column to indicate a left or right turn, all four of the turn lights flash, at a rather slow speed, almost like an "emergency flasher" function. Is there any likely reason for this other than a defective flasher relay? Seems these relays are very hard for an amateur such as myself to repair.
Folks describe the relay as being in a cannister on the steering column.
I'm learning about the car slowly, so this may be the exception to the 'there are no stupid questions' rule.
Thanks for any guidance on how to find and repair the problem.
Robert Morris

[Peter van Es]

This typically means your flasher relay is gone, or alternatively, you have a short in your headlight assembly.

Check out the technical manual: http://www.sl113.org/wiki/Electrical/FlasherRelay

Peter

[robot]

Peter,
Thanks for the response. I had found/read the tech manual section on the turn signal to which you referred... it says, to paraphrase,
some people replace the relay with another unit, some buy a particular suggested rely and rewire it to work, and some tinker with the defective relay hoping to repair it. These approaches do not address the possibility you mentioned of the trouble being a wiring short in the headlight assembly.
Has anyone got a best practice for making the turn signal function? I am perfectly willing to replace the unit with another non-MB unit if it works. This car is ready to drive except for the turn signal 
Thanks!
Robert

[Peter van Es]

The reality is that a wiring short in the headlight assembly (sometimes caused when the headlight assembly is removed and then added back after repainting the nose) will typically kill your relay. The symptoms you describe require you to both fix any shorts FIRST, and to change the relay.

To check, or fix shorts, this section will help you: the connectors and leads section in the Green callout on this page. Then to fix your relay, the easiest is just to order the replacement and rewire as on the page I quoted you previously.

If you DO have a wiring fault, and add a new relay without fixing the short, it WILL burn through rapidly.

Peter