Background: I own a 2009 Saturn Aura w/ approx 96k mileage. She was previously owned by my Mom’s boyfriend, then by my Mother, and now by me. The only problems (to my knowledge) have been related to my HVAC. (A clogged plug and now what appears to be a motor resistor card). I don’t know much (if any) about cars. I’m a little embarrassed to ask my mother’s boyfriend since he’s done pretty much any car work I’ve ever needed exclusively. And I’m a very occasional listener to the program but feel like I learn a lot every time I do listen.
The Problem: Recently, my turn signal has continued to click (and stay in place) even after returning the wheel to a full neutral position. This isn’t a huge problem, I can just manually return the turn signal. However, with modern convenience, it’s been pretty easy to forget to do this. (I’m assuming my turn signal is still blinking outside the vehicle as well.) What can I do to fix this? Is there something I’ve done that has caused this issue? Is this common? I’m a relatively new driver so I’m most concerned that I’ve acted negligently somehow and caused this problem.
Any solutions, inputs, or ideas would be helpful!
Thank you
This is a fairly common defect in some multifunction turn signal switches. You can either turn them off manually or have the turn signal switch replaced. A good independent mechanic may have another fix for this problem but I’ve seen it many times before and the repair is usually an R&R of the switch.
I agree, to return to full automatic turn-off functionality, usually this means the switch has to be replaced. They do wear out over time. My truck’s auto-off turn signal function wore out about 30 years ago … lol … I don’t find it that much of a burden to manually turn them off myself so I never fixed them. But no worries if you want yours fixed. They can come in handy, esp in city driving.
After you get it replaced, to decrease your chances of a repeat problem, suggest to avoid holding onto the switch while turning. That can create an unmovable object vs an irresistible force situation. In other words, set the signal blinking while you are going straight, let go of the switch, then do your turn and let the switch do its thing until it automatically turns off. If it doesn’t turn off once in a while by itself, wait until you are again going straight, then turn it off yourself.
Finding out repair information using the internet is very helpful. There are lots on sites that help folks deal with car repair issues, including YouTube which has a lot of good videos to look at.