Okay here we go again with this Jeep. It seems like this is a vehicle that "always" needs something. Now we have a new problem and I think I know where the problem lies I just want to verify it and then ask how hard of a job is it.
It seems that the turn signal swith inside the steering column is worn. The reason I say this is because sometime after I have used it to make a right turn or a left turn the one or the other brake lights in the rear fails to come on, however if after making the turn I jiggle the switch up and down as if to find a central location both brake lights work.
Has anyone experienced this? How hard is this switch to replace?
Sounds like you have it figured out. When you step on the brake current is routed through the signal light switch before it can get to the taillights. If the switch is sloppy the brake lights won't work right.
I don't know what year you've got. My Chilton's manual has a pretty good page on R/Ring the late 70s/early 80s signal light switch. Briefly, leaving out a lot of small steps:
Get the horn button off, it either pulls straight off or rotates and pulls off.
Remove the nut, pull the wheel with a puller.
Using a lock-plate depressing tool, depress the lock plate and pry out the snap ring around the steering shaft. It will look like you can do it without the tool, but you'll just waste your afternoon trying. Rent the damned tool. Be aware that at some point GM went from SAE to Metric threads.
Remove the 4-way flasher button. Mine (1979) has a threaded shaft and simply screws out, Chilton says that some others push in, turn to release.
The signal switch is held in with a few screws.
There's going to be some miscellaneous parts between here and there, washers, shims, springs. Lay everything out on a towel in the order and orientation that it came out, and don't put it someplace where you'll trip over it or knock it over.
You might find that you'll have to fiddle with the outer tube on the column to get the wiring harness out and back in. Don't pry on it. On mine the upper tube is plastic, the lower one steel. You might have to disconnect the rod that connects the ignition key up by the wheel to the ignition switch down on the column behind the dash and remove a few hex-head screws at the top of the column before you can move the tube far enough to pass the harness.
When you pull the old harness out, consider attaching a bit of safety wire to fish the new one back in. The end of the switch harness is clipped into a bracket on the upper right side of the column, under the dash. It just pulls out, the connector is keyed to fit only one way. The replacement will have more wires than your harness will connect to and will mate up to empty slots on the connector. They aren't important.
I did my switch while the column was out, and it was fairly simple. Trying to do it in place, without pulling the ignition switch, will be more interesting.
I tried to send a picture of the tool I need to compress the spring but I guess we can not send pictures to this news group, so I sent it to Lee to see if he will reply. I need to know where I can buy this tool. I will need it again when I replace the steering wheel.
We are lucky here in Canada. Canadian Tire Stores all lend out the specialty tools like that GM lock plate compressor and the big 36 mm axle sockets, etc...
Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
I have recently started having this problem, mine is isolated to the left side though, not intermittant for either side.
The turn signal switch is not very difficult to replace, but it does require a special tool that costs about ten bucks. The special tool is used to remove the Steering Wheel Lock Plate, there are a couple of different types, you need the GM type. Once you get the steering wheel off, and get the lock plate out of the way, replacing the turn signal switch is easy. You may find that your current switch is still good, it just has dirty contacts inside.
The tool you need is available in the larger parts stores, like Pep Boys. There is a brand of odds-and-ends that are packaged as Help brand, typically the packaging is red and the Help brand gets lots of shelf space because there are so many different parts. Help sells the tool you need. It is called a GM Steering Lock Plate Removal Tool.
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