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97' Mitsubishi Galant Right Signal always on
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Lasherž
New User
Aug 11, 2012, 2:35 PM
Post #1 of 6
(3122 views)
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97' Mitsubishi Galant Right Signal always on
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Hey guys,
I've got a 1997 Mitsubishi Galant ES Edition (~97k miles) and I was hoping to get some troubleshooting advice for a turn signal problem that started up yestereday please.
How it happened and description:
I was driving on the interstate and everything was pretty normal except that it was raining very hard. I needed to pass someone so I turned on my left turn signal. At that moment I noticed that my left turn signal didn't come on, in fact it was my right turn signal that had. After this there was no position on the stick that would allow me to have anything other than a right turn signal (including the middle setting), although the stick seemed to behave regularly (same stopping points and my brights still worked along with every headlight setting controlled by that stick). The only thing I could do to avoid looking like one of those people that forgets their turn signals on for 50 miles is to turn my hazard lights on. Since there's different ways that a right turn signal can be "stuck on" I'll elaborate: It's ticking as it would if I was using my right turn signal, but I can't turn it off, nor does the left turn signal come on when I move the stick to that position.
What I've tried: The next day after a little research I went inside the fuse box near the driver side knee area and checked for a signal relay, but they had a plastic piece in there so it couldn't have been that. I went to Autozone and the guy there told me that I should check the flasher, doing a little more research and searching around I was able to find it inside my dash and took that in for a replacement. They had a generic that fit the slot so I got that and unfortunately when I tried it I was greeted with a right turn signal yet again. The only real difference is that the generic flasher ticks faster than the one that came with the car but I'm sure there's nothing special about that. I also checked the turn signal fuse and everything appeared fine, just in case I replaced it with a spare to no avail. Under the fuse box in the engine compartment it doesn't seem like anything in there is relevant, however there's so many abbreviations that i'm not familiar with it'd be pretty hard to tell short of taking all of the fuses out with the car running.
Is there anything else that I'm missing? I'm a little intimidated by the bunches of wires near the steering wheel so I haven't checked for nicks and severed wires. I feel like I'm flying blind so I'd like to get a little expert help before I move on to the next fidgeting step. I got the car used a few years ago and the service manual wasn't included.
I would greatly appreciate any leads or knowledgable posts about how the turn signal system works in my particular car. I'll do my best to keep you guys updated on the progress of my repair.
Thanks guys (and gals),
Jamison
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nickwarner
Veteran
/ Moderator
Aug 12, 2012, 7:45 PM
Post #2 of 6
(3075 views)
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Re: 97' Mitsubishi Galant Right Signal always on
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A haynes manual won't help anything for a wiring diagram. They are terrible. You would need alldata to have the right wiring info, but I do think with your lack of knowledge of how electrical systems work you wouldn't be able to interpret the data in any useful way. Not trying to be condescending in any way, but a man needs to know his limits. Could be a bad turn signal switch, but it might be worth having a pro troubleshoot it for whatever they charge for a diagnostic fee. If you think the estimate is too high for what needs to be repaired you can decline the work and pay for the diagnosis. Then let us know what has been determined to be at fault and we can tell you how to fix it yourself if you are up to the challenge.
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Lasherž
New User
Aug 12, 2012, 9:01 PM
Post #3 of 6
(3072 views)
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Re: 97' Mitsubishi Galant Right Signal always on
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Hey nickwarner, I appreciate the reply.
I did a lot more research today and figured out how to remove my signal switch. Once I got it out of the car I was able to use a multimeter and a simple wire diagram with color codes to determine that the switch itself was stuck in the right position. I'm positive that this is the problem now after opening up the switch itself and seeing broken plastic which moves electrical platforms around inside. Being the cheapo that I am I decided to see what I could do with the old one before getting a new switch and was able to get it working again using a cut off nail and a screw with its head half cut off lol. It sounds pretty ghetto -- and it is, but thus far it works for signal changing. They used plastic which was brittle after time had taken its toll and so the metal seems to make it stronger if anything.
The problem I've run into now is that the brights (pull back on the same switch) function is no longer working. It activates the brights, but it can't lock into position so I would have to hold the lever. I'm planning on tackling this on my own until I can get a new switch, but I would really appreciate a wire diagram breakdown for the headlight circuitry. I took a look at one on autozone's website, but they combine it with other parts that I'm not familiar with so it's very confusing. Mainly what I'm interested in is the color of the power wire coming in and out of the bright's function. This way I can use the multimeter much more effectively.
I'm definitely pretty nooby on this specific type of electronics, but in the pursuit of my other hobbies I've hooked up many stereo units and fixed amplifiers so I'm definitely willing to learn if nothing else. I tend to get overwhelmed quick but when I finally do get to the other side I'm a changed man you could say :)
Anyone that could provide the colors of the positive and negative wire for the brights toggle on the signal switch would make my life a lot easier and earn my gratitude. Thanks in advance for any replies guys!
Eek, typoed on your name -- sorry if you saw this before the edit.
(This post was edited by Lasherž on Aug 12, 2012, 9:59 PM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 13, 2012, 3:19 AM
Post #4 of 6
(3062 views)
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Re: 97' Mitsubishi Galant Right Signal always on
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Hey Mcgyver, maybe you could use a banana to power the headlights.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Lasherž
New User
Aug 13, 2012, 8:13 PM
Post #5 of 6
(3044 views)
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Re: 97' Mitsubishi Galant Right Signal always on
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Haha, thanks Hammer Time. Maybe, but my alternator already has enough trouble charging my battery without the banana implant. Galants (and from what I saw from my step sister's Eclipse, most mitsubishis) don't come with very wide belts for the alternator so I get squeals from time to time.
I'm happy to say that my car is back on the road. The odd contraption stood up to a test drive and I figured out that the only reason the brights weren't staying on is because I didn't have my regular lights on at the time, doh!
I did use your images (which are worlds better than the autozone ones) for my multimeter tests to confirm before plugging it into the car, so I definitely appreciate them :)
One more question and it's not a big one. Where did you get those images? Those are really great if it's from a free source.
Problem solved, I'll definitely be coming back (hopefully not too soon though).
Thanks guys,
Jamison
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 14, 2012, 3:08 AM
Post #6 of 6
(3033 views)
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Re: 97' Mitsubishi Galant Right Signal always on
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/gforum.cgi?url=http://www.Alldata.com but they are definitely not free. You can get a subscription for one vehicle pretty reasonable from www.Alldatadiy.com
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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