My left turn signal indicator (blinker) will not go off. It works perfect when you turn left, it works perfect when you turn right. the flashers also work perfectly, but, when you complete your turn and the signal should stop blinking, the left signal continues to blink at a normal pace( not rapid).
I would love to hear from someone who has experienced this problem or might know a fix. Thanks

 

Can you push the lever back to the center position manually to get it to turn off? If it just is not automatically shutting off as the steering wheel passes back to center steer then you may need to replace the part of the blinker switch in the steering column.

 

Yes, When the lever goes off, or back to the center position like it normally does it continues to blink as tho the left blinker is on.The only time that the left blinker is blinking is when the right blinker is on.

 

Funny...mine does that intermittently, however, it hasn't done that in like a month...squirrely electronics! Anyone have a solution?

 

May need to replace the blinker switch in the steering column.

 

I own a 2001 e320 with left turn blinker issue coming on & staying on for no reason. Somebody suggested changing the blinker switch; does anyone know just about how much the switch would cost & possibly to install it?

 

Mine does the same thing when I turn right. I looked up the blinker switch on eBay and it a hundred bucks, plus a few hours of taking apart the steering wheel and replacing it, I don't know what to do.

 

Thanks, Benz Boy #1. By the way, to avoid having the left & right blinkers altogether, remove curcuit breaker # 3 located under the hood on the right. This gets rid of the annoying blinker until you fix it! That's what I have done for now until I take it to a mechanic; but atleast I know what I need. I assume the mechanic wo'nt overcharge since I know what the problem is.

 

Believe it or not my left blinker came on and stayed on too this afternoon! 2001 E320 seems to have inherent issue! How do you remove the switch? I would like to fix it myself!

 

Just got the exact same problem on my wife's '01 E350. Did not see any advice on how to remove and replace the switch. If anyone can point me to a thread that covers this job or offer advice, it would be appreciated.

Jeff

 

video 'driver's side dash' shows switch removal but it intimidates me. i hope it
really is easier than shown

 

Thank you! That page is a great resource.

Jeff

 

Appreciate anyone who tries to save me work and hassle. However, I have not assumed anything and how would anyone know what I've tested? Here is what my research so far suggests for anyone curious.

Blinkers work perfectly (blink front and back at normal rate) in both right turn and left turn switch modes.

In the neutral (Off) center switch mode, the left front and rear blinkers are active.

My switch functions as if the three positions are Left, Left, & Right

Pulling fuse #3 did kill the blinkers.

Inspecting the switch which goes for a little over $100 will likely require pulling the steering wheel.

Pulling the steering wheel on an MB looks to be easier than on most other models based on youtube video of the procedure

While I was surfing youtube I found a way to fix those nagging LED pixel failures on the instrument cluster. Will have to have some time on my hands to try that one.
Other online problems with the turn signals relate to a ground at the sockets but this would not cause the issue I have.

So I will take a look at it. Parts can sometimes be fixed. Once I'm in there I can test the circuit and isolate the switch or perhaps declare the switch Not Guilty and move on. I could always "call the guy" but that's no fun.

-Jeff

 

It was the switch in my case- 2001 E320 which was blinking Left in the center/off position.

Here are a few things about the job. If one of the moderators wishes to move this post to a more appropriate area of the forum, by all means.

The job involves pulling the steering wheel which means removing the airbag. Pull the airbag fuses and give it some time (youtube video recommended 30 mins). Pretty sure that is overkill but I really didn't want to catch an airbag so..

Keep the key handy and the vehicle battery hooked up. You will have to play with the ignition periodically. Start with the steering wheel fully extended so you have room to work behind it.

Use a T27 torx wrench or driver to undo the two torx bolts for the airbag. They are located inside the two deep holes on the back of the steering wheel. I could not see anything even with a good light and mirror, so I used trial and error to find the proper tool. My torx wrenches are the tamper resistant kind but I doubt these bolts are. They stay inside the airbag assembly so I never saw them.

Once the airbag is loose pop off the airbag electrical connector and undo the other (horn etc) connector.

Use a 10mm Hex bit and something with a lot of torque to remove the center bolt. Before you do stripe the nut and steering wheel with a sharpe for reference. I used a 1/2" drive ratchet with an extension and held pressure against the outer steering wheel with the ignition unlocked. It is a lot of force and I did not want to risk damaging the steering wheel lock.

Once the self centering bolt is off wiggle the steering wheel free and feed the wires through.

Two philips head screws secure the plastic slip ring assembly which will then pull straight free from the two electrical connectors under it.

Now you can see the turn signal stalk, it's guts, and the cruise control. Three larger philips head screws must be removed. Once you have those loose, adjust the steering wheel all the way in to allow extra slack in the wires. Remove the cruise control lever by pulling it straight out (did you get that wire slack yet) and lay it over the top and out of the way. Remove the two electrical connectors attached to the frame of the turn signal switch. The yellow (upper right) connector was the hardest part of the whole job for me. After several minutes of gently combining flat head screwdrivers and pliers, I did get it out without breaking it.

Now you can pull out the turn signal stalk removing the 6 pin electrical connection on the way. This connector did not have any secret tabs, I just wiggled it off.

I will leave it to the individual to determine whether or not the switch is the problem, but in my case it was. $120 from the dealer. O'Reilly wanted $102 but it would have taken a week to get it. Reverse the process and it works like new. Good Luck.

 

a couple more pics

I would of liked to have repaired the original switch. It's electrical connections are covered by a plastic housing riveted to the metal frame so I did not feel like I had the time/equipment/knowledge to repair the switch and bought a new part.

 

You could try pressing the contact away with a small screwdriver. The copper contact bar has gotten bent down slowly over time and is now in permanent contact.


Good luck