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Hey, folks!
(I just wanted to do a post here in case what I found out might help somebody in the future.)
I was having strange problems with the turn signals on my '84 900S 3-door. At times, they would not work at all, with no lighting of the signal bulbs, neither front nor rear, left nor right, nor any blinking (clicking) sounds from the relay, nor any indication lamp on the instrument cluster...nothing at all. The only lamps in operation were the white "cornering" lamps in the front clusters, which lit and stayed on solidly, as normal (normal = when signal arm fully applied).
I checked the fuses. All were good. It wasn't the bulbs, I knew, because all four bulbs worked correctly when the hazard/4-way flasher was turned on.
At first, I tried putting a known-good turn signal switch from a parts car. No luck there. I then tried putting in a known good flasher relay (a real PITA, up under the knee bolster, below steering column). That didn't help, either.
So, I read my trusty Bentley manual. After a serious session of studying the turn signal wiring diagram, I tested the wire to the turn signal switch terminal #1 (brown/white striped wire) with a 12V test lamp. That wire was getting voltage with the key turned to "ON," as it should. So that wasn't the problem.
Then my attention turned to the flasher relay. Bentley says that relay terminal #49 (terminal closest to driver's door in US models) should have 12V + when the ignition key is in "ON" position. Mine had NO voltage coming to it. And the crazy thing I learned...the 12V + feed (red wire) comes to the flasher relay from the HAZARD switch terminal #2! That was totally unexpected!!! (Then again, this was my first turn signal troubleshooting session that didn't involve a simple bulb replacement. Perhaps most cars are wired like this, i.e. those from other manufacturers.)
So, the culprit in my SAAB: the hazard switch, if pushed in just a TINY bit, would allow the turn signals to work properly (not enough to 'click' the switch "ON" into 4-way flasher mode). After kicking myself for tearing half the dash apart, all for no reason, I plucked the hazard switch from the dash and proceeded to examine it.
You can pop the hazard switch open by prying out the terminal end cover (this is the side AWAY from you, towards the front of the car, if switch is oriented as if installed in the dash). Just insert a flat blade in one side, pry gently, and that side pops free of switch housing. Repeat with the other side. Pull cover off over the terminals and remove it.
Then, gently pull off the end cap (the thing with triangular orange/red symbol which you push on to activate the 4-way/hazard flashers) from the switch body. You can now slide two interior pieces out of the switch shell.
Inside the switch shell, you will see: 1) a piece with four white plastic posts (with embedded brass conductive strips reaching varying lengths up the posts) and a central post with coil spring on it--the brass strips which run along the four posts emanate from the 8 flat terminals which plug into the dash wiring harness plug; AND 2) another plastic piece, this one holding a pair of plain brass terminals, each of which form a pair of U-shaped contacts--making four "U"s, one "U" for each post in piece #1. The U-shaped contacts from piece #2 slide over the plastic posts of piece #1, if that makes sense. When the switch is in the outer position (hazards OFF), the U-contacts line up to send current out through the solid red wire to supply 12V to the flasher relay (for regular turn signal operation). When switch is pushed inward ("ON"), the U-contacts meet different terminals on the plastic posts, activating 4-was flashers.
Piece #1 and #2 are held together by a long, thin spring which holds the pieces either in the "clicked in/ON" or "clicked out/OFF" position. Bend the long spring aside, out of the grooves it follows, and piece #1 will separate from piece #2 (careful, coil spring on post on piece #1 will force pieces #1 and #2 apart).
I had to clean the terminals and bend the U-shaped contacts so they would ride tighter along the posts, thus making better contact. I simply pinched the "U" pieces to be narrower, put piece #2 back onto piece #1, and clipped 'em together via the long spring. Put it all back together in the switch shell (insert joined pieces #1 and 2 into shell, put terminal end cap back on, push orange triangle cap in place (it will click), and reinstall whole thing in dash (plugging it in first, of course).
Now my turn signals work!!!
***** This would make more sense if I had only thought to photograph it while doing the job. Alas, it was 1 a.m. when I was found out the switch was the problem and it was about 25°F that night, so I wasn't keen on delaying the process. However, I hope to open up a junk switch soon and take some pics, to upload on my SAAB website.
NOTE: this hazard light switch info is for the old style (loud "click") type switches, not the newer, "soft touch" style switches that were introduced about 1986 or 1987. I haven't torn into a newer style switch, so they may or may not be similar.
--Micah in NC
'84 900S, 249K mi.
posted by 172.208.130...
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