Are you facing issues with your turn signal? What is the first thing that you would do in such a scenario? You would obviously change the bulb and hope that the existing bulb is not working. But there are a few other issues that would result in a faulty turn indicator.
Is your car’s turn indicator not working even after changing the bulb?
Let us look to explore those problems in order to provide you with solutions for a faulty turn indicator when the bulb is actually good.
The most common fault due to which the turn indicator does not work is a faulty turn signal relay. Replacing the faulty relay with a new one will solve this issue. The best part is that replacing the turn signal relay is a very easy and inexpensive process. One could do it by oneself without the need for any professional mechanic.
Other than a faulty turn indicator relay, there could be many issues that could result in the turn signals not working. Let us know the step-by-step procedure to check all of those issues.
| Step number | Issues | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Faulty Turn indicator | Replace the turn indicator bulbs with new ones and check if the indicators are working fine |
| 2 | Faulty Turn indicator relay | Replace the turn indicator relay with a new one and check if the indicators are working fine |
| 3 | Electrical system | Locate the plugs of the front and back turn indicators. Unplug all these one by one from the electrical system and plug them all in again. Check if the indicators are working fine. |
| 4 | Bad Grounding | Locate the ground wires of the turn signals and then trace them to the point at which they are bolted onto the chassis. Re-screw ground wires and check if the turn indicators are working. |
| 5 | Check all fuses | This might be an unlikely cause and should be done at the last. Inspect all electrical fuses and check if the turn indicators are working fine. |
Note: Turn signals are crucial for the safety of yourself as well as others on the road. DO NOT, at any cost ignore a faulty turn signal as it could be a serious hazard on the road.
Worth Reading:-
Front Turn Signal Not Working but Rear Does
Some important FAQs:
1) What Should You Do When One Turn Signal Is Not Working?
When only one specific turn signal is not working, more often than not it is a problem associated with electrical connections (obviously after checking the bulb).
Check if the plugs are connected to the electrical system and are not corroded or damaged. Re-plug the faulty connection and check if the turn indicator is working fine.
Finally, check for any bad connections between the indicator switch and the bulb. Fix any faulty connections and
2) Why Does Your Turn Signal Not Work with The New Bulb?
If your turn indicator is not working even after putting in a new bulb, then you should check your turn signal relay and other electrical connections. Changing the relay is an easy process and, in most cases, this is the cause of the issue.
3) Why Does the Turn Signal Not Work When the Lights Are On?
If the turn indicators stop working after turning the lights on, the ground wire stops grounding the current, and hence the turn indicator stops working.
Trace the ground wire from the source to the chassis where it is bolted. Re-bolt the ground wire. Check and replace if there is any damage to the wire. Your turn signal issue is not fixed.
4) Why Are the Turn Signals Not Working but Hazards Do?
In some cars, turn signals and hazards have different turn indicator relays in them. Replace the faulty relay that is attached with the hazards and the issue should be resolved.
If the issue still persists, check the wiring and the fuses and replace any faulty parts are there.
5) Why Is the Rear Blinker/indicator Not Working but The Bulb Is Good?
Let us discuss why your rear blinker is not working even if the bulb is good. If your bulb is not blinking at all, it is most probably the indicator relay that is causing the issue. Inspect the relay and change it.
If the blinker is still not working, check the turn indicator switch and also if the wiring is free from any damage.
6) Why Do My Turn Signals only Work Sometimes?
Firstly, inspect the turn indicators visually, sometimes corrosion can lead to faulty signals which may not work sometimes. Additionally, other reasons for this issue can be:
- Faulty fuse: Check and replace the blown/defected fuse and see if the issue has been resolved. Usually, excessive currents can lead to a blown fuse.
- Indicator switch: Check and replace the faulty indicator switch and see if the issue has been resolved.
Conclusion
It can be a real pain to detect the issue causing a faulty indicator or turn signal. You can check the bulb and the relay if they are faulty or not and can replace them easily without any hassles. Moreover, the cost of replacing a faulty bulb and a relay is very less. But the real problem comes after that. I would suggest visiting a professional mechanic if you are not interested in dealing with the hassles.
If you want to solve the issue on your own, check the fuses, wiring system, and ground wire. Then follow the steps given in this article.
It is your choice whether to show it to a mechanic or do it yourself, but never forget to fix a faulty turn indicator.
