My daughter’s first car is a 1998 Olds 88. This car sat un-used for a number of years before we acquired it.
A few months ago, the rhythm of the turn signal lights became irregular. Left or right, didn’t matter. It would blink, blink, pause, blink, pause, pause, blink, blink… not steady, but it would blink. Now, neither the left or right turn signal will blink. All the hazard lights, reverse lights, head lights, brake lights continue to work as they should. I replaced the fuse , didn’t help. The wipers are on the turn signal lever, and they work fine.
Any advice?
Could be the turn signal switch and relay combo.
Looks like it goes into the steering column under the steering wheel rather than an easy to replace relay in the fuse box. You may want an independent mechanic to fix this rather than a DIY job… No need to go to a dealer. These parts only cost about $35 and are made by several suppliers. That means these things fail pretty often and it won’t be the first one your mechanic has seen.
The first thing I would try is to replace the flasher. Quick, easy and cheap.
Yep, flashers wear out, get weak, and fail to flash. A separate flasher is used for the hazards. Good luck trying to find it-just follow the clicking noise.
Here’s a third vote for replacing the flasher first.
And a forth.
Always try the simple stuff first.
And, you might check to see if the bulbs light up at one end or the other. I seem to remember GM turn signals locking up if a bulb was out.
Excellent point, wentwest.
Try changing the bulbs before anything else.
I have a question. I have an oldsmobile as well. We just replaced the turn signal switch relay combo and we face this problem as well. What else could it be besides the combo?
As said above, replace the flasher. Round cylinder under the dash some place. Turn the 4-ways on and follow the clicking noise. The two should be in the same place.
It’s the other one. Normally if the flasher goes so you have slow or no flashing, the indicator on the dash will still light up if the bulbs are good. A rapid flashing indicates a bad bulb front or back.