UGH!, What Now

jes72mustang · Apr 10, 2006

I finished rebuilding the rear end this weekend, Replaced the diff and gears, and got new bearings and seals for the axles, Took it out driving yesterday and everything was going fine. I am returning home, flip on the turn signal to turn into the delevopment, and then the signal will not cancel. I flipped the other way and the other blivker turned on, but the right one stayed on as well. As I and backing into the driveway, my son says it's smoking, and sure enough there is a wisp of smoke coming out of the steering column right below the steering wheel. I turned of the car, then when I can back out a few minutes later, and started her up, the blinker had shut off, I did play with the switch any more.

Any suggestions or ideas on what might have caused this? The turn signal switch is only like a year old.Anything I should look at?

THanks.

biggyfan1 · Apr 10, 2006

hey man mine is kinda doing the same thing!!!! i didnt see smoke but the blinker stayed on and wouldnt turn off. so i will be looking for answers too.

jes72mustang · Apr 18, 2006

I think I found the issue...

Pull the steering wheel last night, and found a ton of copper dust all on the contacts for the hazzard switch. It appears the one springloaded horn contact was just wearing down, it is about 3/16 on an inch shorter than the other one. I can see on the plastic covering the hazzard switch contacts where it had gotten hot and melted slightly. All the wiring is fine. I don't know if something was binding the one horn contact that caused it to wear so excessively or what I need to investigate. I hate to spend $75 on another turnsignal switch assembly if this is going to happen again.

I will try to post pictures later on this evening.

pabear89 · Apr 18, 2006

Failure to lube the contacts will cause your problem.
the soft copper will wear down and cause a direct short in the horn connection behind the steering wheel.

A melted turnsignal switch or worse a fire can be the result.

PB

jes72mustang · Apr 18, 2006

That sounds like exactly what happened. It would have been good to have read somewhere that you needed to put somekind of lube on the horn contacts. What do you recommend for a lube?

Pictures are here:
Copper dust in the steering column

View attachment 475829

The amount of wear on the right horn contact

View attachment 475831

Where the copper dust melted into the plastic when it started to melt, on the hazzard switch contacts.

View attachment 475833

I am lucky I was only a block from home and parking the car when this started I guess instead of out on the highway somewhere.

New switch ordered from CJ pony parts to be picked up Friday at Carlisle, Cost $75.00. Ouch, expensive lesson.

1320stang · Apr 18, 2006

Damn, now you need a new tube of blinker smoke, this goes in the column, not to be confused with the blinker fluid which goes into the light housings.

It's been a while since I looked, but last I knew, it wasn't being reproduced and it's hard to find a NOS tube and a lot of times, even if you do, it's only good for display as some idiot has opened the tube and broke that little foil seal to see whats inside, them puts the cap back on, but like brake fluid, it'll only be good for so long as the smoke will escape the tube. Good luck!!!

1320stang · Apr 18, 2006

Also, there is a grease that you can use with electrical connections. I think it's partially used to keep corrosion at bay. I used to work in Telecommunications and they'd have little tubs of it, sorta like the little tubs that pimento cheese spread comes in. I got one off a job site and it sits on the shelf above my work bench, it's reeeeallllyyy thick stuff, about the color of carmex, but thicker, thicker than chapstick, very stiff stuff.

pabear89 · Apr 18, 2006

I use Lithi grease to lube mine.
Or a dab out of a greasegun will work.
Use a Qtip and put a light coat around the horn ring under the steering wheel.
Not a big globby amount or you will only add to your troubles.
it doesn't take much to keep it sliding freely.

PB

68keyblr · Apr 18, 2006

Lithium grease is recommended in the instructions that I used to install mine. Works like a champ.

jes72mustang · Apr 19, 2006

Thanks Guys,

I know I said that I already ordered a new switch assembly butwith the amount of wear on the one contact, do you think I could save the $75 and clean all the copper dust out with isopropal alcahol and try to continue to use this switch with some lube on the contacts this time. THat money could go towards more go fast parts for the new heads I am assembling.

68keyblr · Apr 19, 2006

Never hurts to try

Of course, the next time it fails you'll be behind a cop and the horn will short!!

1320stang · Apr 19, 2006

Talk about cop stories... I used to have a '92 GT and those cars are notorious about having the headlight switch overheating when you run the driving lights and turning off all the lights. You guessed it, happened with the HP coming at me about 100 yards away. Luckily he was cool about it, it was the second time it had happened to me on that road and those wer the first times it had ever happened to me since I had owned the car. I wasn't sure what was going on, but when I felt the switch area, I noticed it was pretty warm, luckily they have overload protection built in and it worked after a few minutes.

68keyblr · Apr 19, 2006

Good story! I had the exact same problem with my 88 GT. The stock switch can't handle the running lights. They make an aftermarket switch for like $250. A bit too rich for me, I'll just go without the running lights!

1320stang · Apr 19, 2006

Actually, there's a conversion that you can do that runs the fog lights thru a relay which keeps the factory switch from overheating. You should be able to find plans for it on the 'net somewhere, maybe even on the 5.0 board here. A quick trip to the salvage yard would get you some relays cheap, then it's just wiring and crimp terminals.

So no one thought the blinker smoke deal was funny?.....

No one?.........

Beuller?.........

LOL!!!

68keyblr · Apr 19, 2006

1320stang said:
Actually, there's a conversion that you can do that runs the fog lights thru a relay which keeps the factory switch from overheating. You should be able to find plans for it on the 'net somewhere, maybe even on the 5.0 board here. A quick trip to the salvage yard would get you some relays cheap, then it's just wiring and crimp terminals.

So no one thought the blinker smoke deal was funny?.....

No one?.........

Beuller?.........

LOL!!!

Cool, thanks for the tip....what is the blinker smoke deal??

1320stang · Apr 19, 2006

In the first post, he was talking about how there was smoke coming out of the steering column....

It's sort of a muffler bearing type joke.

68keyblr · Apr 19, 2006

Ahhh I see now. I think it's funny . You can always upgrade to Halogen fluid for any of the lights

1320stang · Apr 19, 2006

Yeah, but I don't think the halogen fluid is called halogen fluid, something makes me think it has a different name. And I don't know what the name of the fluid that you use for the Xenon light is either. Actually, I don't think it's a fluid for the Xenon, I think it's a blue gel that you squeeze into the housing. The gel is an upgrade over the fluids of the past as it doesn't break down or boil off as quickly, therefore it reduces the number of times you have to change or add to it.

Actually, I think everyone just calls it halogen and Xenon fluid for the simplicity of it as everyone know what your talking about then. I think they also make a kit that slows the evaporation of the fluids as it seals the bulb, but when you change it out, you have to open it back up, which is why most people suggest you just change out the bulbs when your changing your fluid anyway. It's like brake fluid, frash fluid seems to preform better than just adding new fluid to old.

68keyblr · Apr 19, 2006

1320stang said:
Yeah, but I don't think the halogen fluid is called halogen fluid, something makes me think it has a different name. And I don't know what the name of the fluid that you use for the Xenon light is either. Actually, I don't think it's a fluid for the Xenon, I think it's a blue gel that you squeeze into the housing. The gel is an upgrade over the fluids of the past as it doesn't break down or boil off as quickly, therefore it reduces the number of times you have to change or add to it.

Actually, I think everyone just calls it halogen and Xenon fluid for the simplicity of it as everyone know what your talking about then. I think they also make a kit that slows the evaporation of the fluids as it seals the bulb, but when you change it out, you have to open it back up, which is why most people suggest you just change out the bulbs when your changing your fluid anyway. It's like brake fluid, frash fluid seems to preform better than just adding new fluid to old.

LOL! That reminds me of the radio clip of the girl that was set up by her Dad to have a DJ from a radio station call her, posing as the repair shop. He sold her $200 halogen fluid changes, and forward and a reverse transmission, and charged her because "the front wheels were on the back, and the back were on the front!" She fell for everything hook like and sinker, and was agreeing to pay like $3,000 for stuff like that. It was pretty funny

Edbert · Apr 19, 2006

DiElectric grease is what you were thinking of. Also, if you changed the halogen coolant more often your headlight switch would not overheat so easily.

UGH!, What Now

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