My 99 Lincoln Town Car did the same thing. The direction light flasher would start
clicking on it’s own, but the lights were not flashing. To make a long story shorter, it is not the
light module ($200-$500), but instead is the turn signal switch. It does not have to be replaced at a cost
of $55-$90, but just needs to have the
contacts inside the switch cleaned.
To get it off takes a little hassle, but can be done with
simple tools and a low degree of mechanical know how. To start, disconnect the
ground cable on the battery. Next you remove the tilt lever near the turn
signal handle---it is glued in with some pretty strong stuff, but if you twist
on it with a Crescent wrench that is snugged in to the slot to turn it, it will
come off. Next remove the ignition
switch tumbler. Look under the cover
that the turn signal handle and the tilt lever go through and you will see four
holes----three of them have screws in, the third (small one) has a small opening
deep inside where you will have to push a small (1/32 or 1/16) allen wrench or an awl in
to release the lock that holds the tumbler.
Be patient, find the hole, wiggle the switch with the key in it from off
position toward the on position. When
you “feel” the Allen wrench move in a little, start wiggling the key, while pulling
out on the whole mechanism---it will come out eventually.
To get the cover off the steering column (the part that
tilts up and down) there are four screws, the first three were mentioned above,
the fourth is on the right side of the steering column cover toward the floor, about eight inches down from the wheel,
and is screwed in sideways whereas the first three were parallel to the
steering wheel. If you were sitting at
the wheel and reached down the column as far as you could down the cover with your
right hand you would be in the vicinity of the fourth screw.
Once you have the cover off, the turn signal switch is held in place by
two screws with Metric #7 heads. There
are two multiwire plugs to the switch that will take a little wrestling, but will come
off. Don’t break the plastic holding
clips. Now that the switch is out, just
spray DQ contact cleaner in to the part of the switch that moves when you
operate the lever. Spray it liberally while
working the switch back and forth. It
doesn’t hurt to saturate the switch as it will evaporate. Best to let it dry out thoroughly before you
reinstall it.
This worked for me--- hope it does for you. Good luck.
clicking on it’s own, but the lights were not flashing. To make a long story shorter, it is not the
light module ($200-$500), but instead is the turn signal switch. It does not have to be replaced at a cost
of $55-$90, but just needs to have the
contacts inside the switch cleaned.
To get it off takes a little hassle, but can be done with
simple tools and a low degree of mechanical know how. To start, disconnect the
ground cable on the battery. Next you remove the tilt lever near the turn
signal handle---it is glued in with some pretty strong stuff, but if you twist
on it with a Crescent wrench that is snugged in to the slot to turn it, it will
come off. Next remove the ignition
switch tumbler. Look under the cover
that the turn signal handle and the tilt lever go through and you will see four
holes----three of them have screws in, the third (small one) has a small opening
deep inside where you will have to push a small (1/32 or 1/16) allen wrench or an awl in
to release the lock that holds the tumbler.
Be patient, find the hole, wiggle the switch with the key in it from off
position toward the on position. When
you “feel” the Allen wrench move in a little, start wiggling the key, while pulling
out on the whole mechanism---it will come out eventually.
To get the cover off the steering column (the part that
tilts up and down) there are four screws, the first three were mentioned above,
the fourth is on the right side of the steering column cover toward the floor, about eight inches down from the wheel,
and is screwed in sideways whereas the first three were parallel to the
steering wheel. If you were sitting at
the wheel and reached down the column as far as you could down the cover with your
right hand you would be in the vicinity of the fourth screw.
Once you have the cover off, the turn signal switch is held in place by
two screws with Metric #7 heads. There
are two multiwire plugs to the switch that will take a little wrestling, but will come
off. Don’t break the plastic holding
clips. Now that the switch is out, just
spray DQ contact cleaner in to the part of the switch that moves when you
operate the lever. Spray it liberally while
working the switch back and forth. It
doesn’t hurt to saturate the switch as it will evaporate. Best to let it dry out thoroughly before you
reinstall it.
This worked for me--- hope it does for you. Good luck.