Faulty Turn Signal, Working Bulb [Causes + Fixes]

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Geoff Cudd

Geoff Cudd

I am a serial entrepreneur and a consumer advocate. When I’m not helping car buyers, I love working on ventures that have a positive impact.

I run a cause marketing agency and serve on the board of Vayu Global Health where we are disrupting the medical industry and preventing the needless deaths of mothers and babies during childbirth.

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It's annoying when your blinkers are working fine, but the turn signal is not coming up. In this scenario, the first thing that comes to mind is changing the bulb. But you just changed the bulbs and even got a replacement, yet the turn signal is not working.

The most common reason your turn signal isn't working even if the bulb is good is that you have a dirty socket or a relay flasher issue.

Here are some other reasons your turn signal may not be working.

Faulty Turn Signal With Working Bulb Video

Turn Signal Not Working; Bulb Is Good: Key Causes

There are quite a few reasons why your Turn signal is not working even though your bulb is good.

Here are some primary reasons why your turn signal is not working even though your bulb is good.

1. Faulty Turn Signal Flasher Relay

The turn signal “flasher” relay act as a safety indicator that controls the performance of the turn signals. They handle turning on or off your turn signals when you put them on or when you hit an emergency or hazard.

When the turn signal flasher relay is bad, your turn signal won’t work even if the bulbs are good. The turn signal relay is just an electric circuit system.

A faulty turn signal relay will cause your turn signal to stop working, but there are also chances that you might trace the fault back to a break in the electrical sequence.

This means your turn signal will not come on if the turn signal breaks in the on position.

2. Electrical Malfunction

The turn signal is a major component of your car’s electrical system. There are chances that the turn signal is not working because there is a malfunction in the electrical system.

Sometimes, you might need to pull out the plugs in the turn indicators and plug them back in. In some cases, it goes beyond these. You will need to check if there is a bad wire or a faulty connector that you need to change.

Whichever way it is, there is an excellent chance that the problem with your turn signal is that some elements of your electrical system are faulty, from the flasher unit and fuse to the turn signal switch.

3. Bad Turn Signal Switch

The turn signal switch controls many electrical and mechanical functions in a car.

From signaling the turn signal flashers on when to flash right or left to maintaining the turn signal flasher function till the steering is reversed to the accurate position, it plays a significant role in the performance of the turn signal.

One of the major symptoms of a bad turn signal switch is that the turn signals will stop working properly.

4. Grounding Wires

The bad ground is one of the most tricky faults of a bad turn signal. Bad ground wires can cause your turn signal to stop working. You will have to trace the ground wires and decide if there are bad ones and if they relate to the turn signal.

How to Fix Bad Turn Signal With Good Bulb

Now that you’ve understood the major reasons why your turn signal is not working, here are quick solutions to fixing those problems:

1. Resolve Ground Issue

You need basic electrical knowledge to fix your car’s bad ground wiring issue. Resolving a bad ground issue will only solve the “turn signal not working” if the fault is a ground issue.

You will need to trace the ground wires to verify which relate to the turn signal. Unscrew the wires, possibly rewire them, and re-screw. You can add cleaning up the connection and ensure that you get the ground connection right. Check if the turn signals are now working.

2. Check Electrical System

Are the turn signals not yet working after fixing the ground connection? Let’s check and fix the electrical system.

Start with the fuses, plugs, and every single wire that connects to the turn signal. You can use an amplifier/multi-meter and electric tester to decide electrical flow, reconnect and connect.

Unplug all the plugs and fuse one after the other. Inspect them to ensure they are working perfectly and change any that need to be changed. Plug them back in. You can confirm if the turn signal switch is working. Fix if needed. The turn signal should start working.

3. Change the Faulty Turn Flasher Relay

At this point, you’ve tried fixing the ground connection and electrical system, but nothing is working. Maybe, you need to replace the turn signal relay. It would help if you understood that the turn signal relay handles the operation of the turn signal.

If they are bad, your turn signals won’t work. Changing them will also make the turn signals start working.

Summary

You don’t need to panic when you notice that your turn signal is not working even though your bulbs are good.

We understand that you might find it challenging to carry out the steps we’ve listed on your own, so we suggest that you hire the services of a repairman.

Fixing a faulty turn signal is not task-intensive, and we believe you wouldn’t spend much to fix it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if my turn signal relay is bad?

Here are three easy ways to know if your turn signal relay is bad:

• Turn signals are not working.
• Turn signals are always on and won’t turn off.
• Other vehicles’ lights start malfunctioning.

How much does it cost to fix a turn signal?

Fixing the turn signal bulb will cost you less than when you are trying to fix the turn signal switch. You can use DIY techniques to fix the turn signal bulb for as low as $10 or as high as $20. Fixing the turn signal switch will cost up to $220 - $248.

Does each turn signal have its fuse?

Yes. Each turn signal has its fuse. Sometimes, it boils down to the design of your car. Each turn signal is meant to rely on a fuse; although, car manufacturers have taken a step further to ensure that each turn signal has its relay.

Which wire is the turn signal?

You will need some basic standard color code for wiring to know which wire is the turn signal. In cars that adopt the red, black, and white wire system, the red wire is the turn signal. For cars that adopt the green, blue/yellow, black, and brown wire code system, the green wire is for the right turn signal, and brown is for the left turn signal.