Turn Signals not working

[Guest tomw51]

I have a 46 Lincoln Continental. The parking lights all light up. When turn on the turn sigal I get no blinking turn signal. I wonder if it is the flasher or the column switch. I get no indicator light on the speedometer turning signal indicator either. Any suggestions.

Tom

Edited November 27, 2010 by tomw51
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[peecher]

Check the fuse that feeds the flasher. The flasher is mounted on the circuit breaker housing.

[Guest tomw51]

I checked the flasher fuse, it looks good. Still no light on turn signal when it is turned to left or right. Bulbs are both good too. Still puzzled.

[peecher]

Probably the flasher unit or the switch under the steering wheel. The contacts in the switch do corrode a little. May be able to carefully take the switch apart and clean it up. Both my '46 and '48 had this problem. After cleaning up the switch contacts they worked good as new.

[Iain M.]

I have a similar problem with my 47 - the signals work periodically. How do I go about removing the switch to clean it? Thanks. Iain

[peecher]

The switch is located under the steering wheel and the lever. After removing the steering wheel carefully detach the 2 springs that retain the lever. You can remove the 2 attaching screws that retain the switch, lift the switch up a bit and loosen the 3 tiny screws on the switch terminals. Slip the wires out of the switch terminals and remove the switch. The switch is like many old electrical switches and can be taken apart. Carefully lift up the 4 small tabs that hold the switch together and clean the contacts ( fine sand paper or a dremel brush). Carefully reassemble the switch and check that you have continuity from the center terminal to either end end terminals when you slide the switch in either direction.

Reinstalling the switch is a little tricky. You don't have much room to work in and the 3 wires must be carefully guided into each of the 3 terminal ( in the right order) and each of the tiny screws tightened to hold the wire(s). You can then attach the switch to the mount. I would then ,with the ignition switch on, move the switch in both directions to make sure the switch is making contact and the signals are working.

Attaching the lever back in place is tricky also. Getting one spring attached is no problem but the second one can be a little "trying". I feed a small piece of wire thru the hole in the lever ( where the spring comes thru) attach it to spring hoop and pull the spring loop up thru the hole and hook on the lever. A crochet hook might also work pulling the spring hoop up thru the attaching hole on the lever.

You can then re-install the steering wheel.

[Iain M.]

Thanks for this Peecher, but I can't even get the *^%$^ horn ring off yet! Have read all the previous posts on the subject & know that I should be able to get it off by pushing down & turning counter-clockwise (or clockwise as I saw in one post). Can't get it to budge a bit, and sure don't want to break anything. Not sure what to do now.

[peecher]

Try tipping the horn ring side to side and for and aft while pressing down and twisting. They are indeed hard to remove at times.