Help: Turn signal staying solid instead of flashing??

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When I took the Mach out this morning I went to use the turn signal and it stays solid versus flashing. Inside; arrow blinker stays solid green and outside it just stays solid instead of blinking. Any suggestions? I messed with the knobs inside to see if something was stuck but it made no difference. All other lights work fine and work right. I pulled the hazard switch and it also just keeps the blinker lights solid versus flashing. Both turn signals are doing the same thing too, so its not just the one...So everything is getting power, maybe just pull the bulb out and put it back in? The bulbs are only a year old or so, and this is the first time it has done something like this. Any suggestions please??? Is the wiring on this kind of car, one unit, in the sense that if one side stays the solid, the other will mirror that???

Thank You.

 
The most likely cause for this is the flasher going bad. I would try swapping that out first and see if it fixes the issue. I do believe that both the left and right turn signal use the same flasher, so they'll both behave the same if the flasher is indeed the problem. Are you running LEDs in any of the lights? The low draw of LEDs can cause standard flasher units to behave as you're describing.

 
Bad grounds, or an intermittent connection at the flasher could cause this.

Every couple/ 3 years or so on mine, I methodically go through every connection I can with an emory board or cloth. Takes about a week, spending 10-15 minutes a night going thru stuff.

Kete are some of the things that can easily cause issues:

1) the starter relay/ solenoid-to- fender connection

2) EVERY connection on the relay, and the studs and bolts

3) coil wiring

4) distributor terminals

5) battery posts and cable clamps

6) headlight, parking and turn signal bulb connectors

7) headlight harness ground wire on both sides of the core support

8) main ground on engine block.

9) voltage regulator harness and connectors

10) main harness connection on firewall

11) alternator wiring and connections

You get the idea...there is a lot to check.

Obviously you gotta do interior and trunk areas too...

Make a list, take your time and be thorough. I strongly believe that this is a contributing factor in what has made mine so stone-reliable for the past 40+ years.

It is amazing how many cars have been runningvdependably, but poorly for years due to an assortment of questionable electrical connections

 
Thanks guys. I will take a look at all that, first chance I get...And I'm kinda running LEDS. I say kind of because they are the stronger halogen bulbs, but not exactly LED's. Been using them for about a year. They use a descent amount of power but I don't think it is only the bulb in this case. None the less, I will take a look at everything. Just needed that starting point.

 
There are two separate flashers for the turn signals and the emergency flashers. The turn signal flasher is protected by a fuse, and the emergency flasher is protected by a circuit breaker.

This rules out the flasher (unless they both went bad at the same time) and the fuse block.

The large yellow wire that connects to the solenoid and runs inside the car is common to both circuits.

The wiring from the turn signal switch/steering column to the turn signals is also common. I would start by checking the wiring to the rear signals, s that is the longest run and has the highest resistance. Any additional resistance, such as caused by bad connections, will keep the turn signal flasher internal circuit from getting hot enough for the mechanical flasher to work.

I would also run a wire directly from the battery to the rear of the car and temporarily ground it, to see if it is a ground problem.

If that doesn't solve the problem, perform the same checks on the front.

Good Luck...

 
I had this problem, replaced the flasher and the problem stayed......I finally found one of the rear turn signal connectors was crimped over....straightened it out and works fine now. Guess one of the chairs I keep in the trunk for cars shows banged against it and bent it.

 
Thanks guys...so I went to pick up a flasher tonight. I get back in the car and start to drive off. Out of habit I hit the blinker, and baaaam, it worked! I tried it again and again and go figure it started working once again out of no where. I guess all I needed to do was sit the replacement in the car and the original got scared, lol. I wish everything was this is. I'll just hold onto the new one for awhile just to make sure. But I guess problem solved.

 
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