Turn signal problem

I am hoping that Radio Shack "Control Contact Cleaner and Lubricant" will work as a preventive measure. It was not cheap, but much less than a new switch.

TornadoRed said:

I am hoping that Radio Shack "Control Contact Cleaner and Lubricant" will work as a preventive measure. It was not cheap, but much less than a new switch.

Click to expand...

Yes the switch can be cleaned. Just be careful when opening the switch so not to break the plastic catches.

Hazard switch "clicking"

I tried to pry out the hazard switch on my 2001 Jatta and only the cover pops off. There is the switch under the cover and I do not want to cause damage to it. Can someone tell me how to remove the switch?

kbowgren said:

I tried to pry out the hazard switch on my 2001 Jetta and only the cover pops off. There is the switch under the cover and I do not want to cause damage to it. Can someone tell me how to remove the switch?

Click to expand...

Try to pry a cover off next to the hazard switch, and reach in to the back-end of the hazard switch to push it out.

Me too. Clicking stopped immediately after using CRC Electrical Contact Cleaner. Spray the heck into the nooks and crannies of the switch and wash away the gook that's accumulated. Clicking stopped right away. I feel like I ought to lube it now with something so that it won't grind up more copper dust. Not sure what with. Some non-conductive lube I guess. (Not WD-40, according to some people on this forum, but I dunno. The company claims it to be non-conductive.) I would recommend NOT removing steering wheel first! This is overkill. You can get to the nooks and crannies of the switch by taking just the top cover of the shaft cover off.

-MKC
2002 Golf IV TDI
288,000 miles trouble-free!
(other than the flasher clicking! and 2 worn out alternators)

Is this the contact cleaner people have used?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104746

This is the stuff I've used:
http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=12784986&filterName=Brand&filterValue=RadioShack

Akore said:

Is this the contact cleaner people have used?

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2104746

Click to expand...

I used this on my GP harness several months ago and have never had a CEL since. I used to get a GP related CEL every six weeks or so.

Two different products for two different kinds of problems. The turn signal switch involves moving parts that gradually erode. Corrosion in a wiring harness is not at all similar.

Cleaning contacts of corrosion and grease contact cleaner will do, moving part or not, one thing a contact cleaner does not do is lubricate a moving part!!
DeoxIT®/DeoxIT Gold, are also contact lubricants which help conductivity, unlike di-electric grease.
deoxIT sounds like a better product, however, due to its lubricating properties may allow the problem to happen again sooner by attracting the metal shavings to stick around.
On the other hand it will protect them from further excessive wear and replacement at a sooner time.

I think I will start using Deoxit for electrical plugs!

Used contact cleaner last night with success. Finally get my sanity back

I will vote for the spray fix. This started happening randomly one night on my 1 hour commute and I thought I was going to ditch the car and hitch hike as it was so annoying. A quick search or two on here and I discovered the contact cleaner spray fix. Canadian Tire had contact cleaner - 7 bucks for the can - i gave the turn signal stalk a few good sprays right around the base. At first - nothing. I drove the car for a few hours on errands that evening and it still didn't fix. Disappointed, I tried it one last time and gave it a good dousing. Low and behold, the clicking stopped.

Great fix.

Yep, the WD-40 squirt fix works, took two spray downs & no more after clicks!

A quick and temporary solution is to:
1). Pull the hazard lamp fuse.
2). Push in the hazard switch.
3). Drive... and remember that you have pulled the fuse. If you need the turn signal... return the hazard switch to be in the off position. While the switch is depressed, you will have neither turn signals nor hazard lights. I have a 70 mile and 1.5 hour drive each way to work and back daily. That clicking really can drive a person batty.