hey everyone, my turn signals only work with the steering wheel tilted all the way up. It works for me, but my wife drives the truck mostly because we live a mile from her work. The dealer said it was a "peanut connector." what the h**l is that? And can someone walk me through the steps to fixing it?

 

My oldest son had this problem with his 2000 F 150 but his problem also effected the head lights as well. It turned out to be loose connections on the multi function switch on the steering column.

He had a "habit" of tilting his steering wheel up and down and after replacing the switch, no change. So he wound up removing each connector to the switch, reinserting them and then applying a dab of rtv sealant behind each one to help hold that connector in place.

No problems in the year since he's done that. Plus, he doesn't tilt his steering wheel anymore which helps as it doesn't put a strain on the connectors.

 

Chris I had the same problem. I pulled the connector off and added longer wires to the original wires. Made them longer and connected them straight on the prongs on the mfs. Still have the right side tail light not working on brake or signal. I am hoping it is the mfs. Good luck with this.

 

damaged wires at the multi function switch.....

 

I just swapped on a Town Car. It controls window wiper/washer and turn/brake lite which uses the same filament on many vehicles. The connectors are supposed to have latches on them to keep the plug and jack tightly together, but I guess if you tilt the steering wheel up and down enough times you're bound to lose continuity somewhere down the road. The problem is they don't put enough slack in the harness to allow it to be pivoted very far and changing the MFS is a bitch because of the lack of slack in the harness. Pins do break off and become loose. You can do a visual exam or even better a drag test will prove out the integrity of the pins.

 

...The MFS connection that everyone is speaking of. Wouldn't hurt to replace the MFS while you're at it. I fixed the wires, then ended up replacing the switch a few months later. All is well now.

 

New here... same issue on my 1997 Explorer. The turn signals work (albeit intermittently) only with the tilt steering up, and sometimes I get a buzzing sound. Any ideas on what the fix is and an approximate cost? I'm not much of a do-it-yourselfer, so I will probably have to take it somewhere. Thanks for any input.

 

Never heard of the "peanut" connector, dealer probably keeps them with the muffler bearings.
But seriously, sounds like a loose/poor connection at the multi-function switch. Ford does(or did) sell a replacement connector with 8" pigtails that you splice in with supplied heat shrink butt connectors.
Look around this site or do a Bing search for changine Ford multifunction switch. There are plenty of pics to help you out.
Basically if you remove the clamshell/cowling from around the column you can access the wire harness for a "wiggle" test of connection.
Tools- philips screwdriver, torx bit, pin punch.
Tilt column up, unscrew tilt handle, remove 3 philips screws from bottom of cowl, remove bottom cowl.
Reinstall tilt handle, tilt column down.
Remove key tumbler. Insert key, use pin punch to depress tumbler lock pin from below, rotate key to On(you can "feel" when pin depresses), pull tumbler w/key straight out.
Remove upper cowl, reinsert key/tumbler and turn Off.
To remove multi-function switch. Remove torx screws visible through driver's window view.
Hope this helps, keep us updated
Edit: you might want to disconnect battery ground so that dinging doesn't drive you crazy.

 

Will this affect the brake lights from coming on?

My turn signals, flashers and running lights come on....but no brake lights. It's not the switch or fuses...