HELP!! Does anyone know where to get a turn signal switch for a 79 F150 w/tilt steering??? Every site I go to has it for 110 dollars or not at all. I replaced the CAM and the relay and the bulbs, but to no avail... The 4 ways come on, so unless ya'll know of anything else i should check, I need to change the switch. Thanks for help.

 

There was just a thread about this not too long ago. I found it and it helped alot. there is alot a tech article that does a good job of helping with that. It just helpes you rule out all the possiblities before you have to spend the money on the switch. but it is pricey

 

If you can find a van with Tilt ,that will work.


What do you mean ...The 4-ways come on....

When ?

 

i understood him to mean the hazards come on. But maybe not

 

Have you checked the turn signal relay up under the dash? Mine is buried and I can't see it.. it's usually up above the hood release.

So, Let me tell you my highly abbreviated story about my turn signals. It may be relevant to what you are facing, and besides that lets me blow off steam about a stupid! problem.

The cancelling cam broke as I was trying to (unsuccessfully) repair my cruise/speed control some months ago. I tried to repair the switch by purchasing a replacement cam from Canadian Tire for $22cdn. It took an hour to replace but worked like crap. Before the repair my lefthand side would not stay clicked in place; after the repair BOTH would not stay in place.

6 weeks later my rear LH signal light -just the rear- would not work. A bulb did not fix it. A quick check on the schematic showed that the turn signal switch had independant contacts for front and rear...

Long story short, I landed up replacing it with a turn signal switch from a 1980 Bronco. While the colour of the wiring harness is different, the pinout is identical.

Replacement procedure:
-remove old switch (you'll have to back contacts out of connector to do this. remove the red plastic first)
-find donor vehicle with same steering column config (tilt? cruise?)
-get to connector at bottom of steering column
-CAREFULLY note the colour of the pinouts for this connector
-remove old switch (you'll have to back contacts out of connector to do this. remove the red plastic first)
-install donor switch in your vehicle
-put pins back into connector observing what you wrote down earlier
-put red plastic in place to hold pins into connector
-connect and test:
--Hazards (check all 4 corners plus dash lights)
--LH turn signal (front, rear and dash)
--RH turn signal (front, rear and dash)
-reassemble steering column and test horn

This approach cost me 2.5hours labour (started off incorrectly, should have been 1.5h) but saved me $180cdn for this switch.

 

That's what he said, but he didn't explain the situation when they come on.

EDIT:
The most common fault with T/S switches that won't stay in the turn position is that the two pieces of Spring metal in the cam system break.
All it takes is to undo the cam,lift up the cam and check the spring metal under it.

 

i thought it was the plastic on the cam that broke, at least that is what mine was

do the turn signal bulb's light up but not flash?

 

In the last 7 tilt's that I have had, the spring metal was broken in 5 of them.

1 of them was a plastic cam nub

the other 1 was fine.

 

I have checked the relay underneath. I also replaced it.
The "old" cam was NOT broken, or it did not look it.
you asked:
"do the turn signal bulb's light up but not flash?"

The turn signal WILL stay down/up when applied, but NO lights or bulbs come on at all.(on dash or outside).

When I said the "4 ways/ hazards" come on, I meant when I turn the hazard switch on (to see if the bulbs work) then the bulbs inside AND outside come on.

Here is where I am confused (again)...When I have my parking lights/ headlights on, my right side parking light does not light up, but when I turn the hazards on, it does come on AND blink....I thought the ONE bulb did ALL the function (i.e.: turn signal, hazard and parking light)

I DO appreciate ALL this expertise and help. I hope that tommorow I can apply some of this and get it working, I am the ONLY person here (I have seen) that remembers HOW to use hand and arm signals and what to do when I see them.

 

"I thought the ONE bulb did ALL the function (i.e.: turn signal, hazard and parking light) "

Yes and no. There is 1 bulb in there but it has 2 filaments or in other words 2 seperate circuits. Could be the parking light filament is gone but the flasher filament is ok. This still doesn't help with your turn signal problem. Mine does this sometimes but if I wiggle the hazard switch a little they start working agian.

 

supergapurple, I went through this same thing with my 77 last year.
Dennis is right, it's those wires.
I finally went out and robbed the cam out of somebody's pasture truck and the problem was solved in less than an hour. Go to your local wrecker and get a good one.

Those 'Help' cams are useless, actually worse than useless. They cost all the time and energy you are putting out right now.
When I discovered the problem with the 'Help' cam, I called the folks at 'Help' and they told me they'ed not heard of that before! BULL!

 

I hate to hijack this thread, but i am having a similar problem.
In my 1976 F100, all lights com on fine when the headlights are on. When i hit the brake, the rear left brake light goes out entirely. The front left turnsignal will go on with the lever, but does not flash on'off, only stays on. The rear left turn signal does nothing at all. Also, my emergency flasher button does not make ANY of the lights flash on/off.
Do i have a bad relay/switch? Or do i have a bad CAM, like above ?

 

that sound's like a bad bulb in the back

this sound's like the flasher is gone (not working), do the bulb's lite up but not flash? or do they not lite up at all

 

"When i hit the brake, the rear left brake light goes out entirely. The front left turnsignal will go on with the lever, but does not flash on'off, only stays on. The rear left turn signal does nothing at all. Also, my emergency flasher button does not make ANY of the lights flash on/off. "

That stuff is all because you dont have a good ground at any of those lights. Use some jumper wires to ensure you have every light socket grounded.
Then make sure ALL the bulbs and sockets are good, then get a known-good set of flashers and re-test.

 

supergapurple or smokey did you ever get those fixed??