I need to get this off my chest

[SubLunar]

A while back, must've been 2-3 years ago by now, something happened that has haunted me ever since. I've lost sleep over this and I just can't hold it in anymore. I hope you don't think differently of me.

I was in my car on my way to someone's house and was listening to Car Talk. A lady called in asking if what her husband told her was true. She said he is a stickler about people using their turn signal in traffic. But she has caught him not using it when no-one's around. His explanation was that he didn't want to wear out the components. So her question was whether he was full of it or if there was some truth to it.

Having been a victim of turn signal breakage before, this really hit home. I was reminded of the horrors of my own turn signal breaking. It was a mid 80s GM so it had the ubiquitous turn signal assembly that all of their cars seemed to have in the 80s. Well, mine broke. And what really sucked about this was that the same lever also controlled the windshield wipers. The problem was the piece that broke off was still stuck in the turn signal assembly so a quick replacement was out of the question. You literally had to take the steering column apart. For a while, I was stuck using a rag to wipe off the rain. I learned that wearing sunglasses helped keep the contrast down slightly when the raindrops reflected light. But it still sucked. Before long, I devised a replacement turn signal out of a wire coat hanger and duct tape. I bent the end of the hanger at just the same spot as the original unit protruded to activate the wipers. And lo and behold it worked. And this was my turn signal/wiper actuator for many years to come.

I knew the undying agony of turn signal breakage first hand. So what came next was a horror like no other. The Car Talk guys actually told this lady that her husband was full of it. They suggested she find a new one. They laughed and laughed. I cried.

Turn signal breakage is a real thing. When there's no-one around, you're goddamn right I don't use my turn signal. I can't believe I just said that out loud.

I feel like a weight has been lifted. Thank you. And may you never experience turn signal breakage.

[BagHead727]

My turn signal decides not to work approximately once every other week and last for approximately 2-3 days at a time. I have to punch my dashboard near my flasher switch for them to start temporarily working again. It's a bad connection in the flasher switch. I bought a new switch off amazon and took it to my mechanic to replace. Instead, he took the entire dashboard off to get to the switch and "cleaned the contacts." Told me to return the switch I had bought because he had "cleaned the contacts....." Fuck that dumbass, he didn't do anything but waste my time because it still doesn't work.

[paul06660]

On my last car, the 93 Integra, I once had a problem with the headlights turning off for a second at random while driving at night. After going through a pile of relays with no success, I ended up having to pull the headlight switch assembly, which also includes the turn signals. Of course, a new one came at quite a sticker shock at 160 bux, and as such, decided to take it apart, clean the contacts, and reassemble with new dielectric grease. Got lucky though, because the switch was only four screws after you took off the steering wheel and the column cover. However, cleaning those tiny contacts was not enough, and ended up using some really light sandpaper to scratch off the oxidation to improve conductivity. Reminder: if this or something similar happens to you, do not use that cheap O'Rielley silicone dielectric grease, as it will corrode your contacts. Instead, use the Honda stuff, as it is made of white lithium grease and will hold moisture out very well. But in the end, may you and your loved ones never experience turn signal breakage, because it is a bitch to deal with no matter what you drive.

[Chris]

I don't use it if there's literally no one around and doing so is silly. You don't walk into an empty room and say hello to everyone that's not there, do you?

[BagHead727]

I won't use one if I'm coming up on an intersection and I'm in the turning lane to make a right. It's my way of faking out the oncoming traffic making left turns into thinking I'm going straight. That way I don't have to yield to them

[BagHead727]

Or if there isn't a turning lane and I'm still making a right, I'll put the blinker on extra early and fake out the same oncoming traffic who are wanting to make left turns. The dumbasses usually think I have to yield to them, but I don't because there's no turning lane and I have the right of way to go straight or turn. I hope one day it works out and I get to t-bone somebody. I could use a new car. So far it's only been a few near misses...

[crazydrummerdude]

It was a mid 80s GM so it had the ubiquitous turn signal assembly that all of their cars seemed to have in the 80s. Well, mine broke. And what really sucked about this was that the same lever also controlled the windshield wipers.

In 2004, I had a problem with my turn signals at the same time I had a safety inspection. Sure, whatever, it's already at the shop for the inspection.. fix it for me.

Well, they fixed the issue (whatever it was) but now my wipers no longer worked. It was fun to discover that during an intense storm driving down I-270. At first, I had to sit on the edge of my seat, with the window down, and operate the wipers manually. I was getting so pissed off, I bent the wiper arm and scratched the hell out of the drivers side windshield pillar.

Next storm, I had some trimmer line so I pulled over, tied it around both wiper arms, looped both ends back in my windows and operated my wipers on the string.

Neither time afforded me easy wiper operation, because they were still mechanically connected to the non-functioning motor. So, I had to pull against the mechanism.

Then;

I learned that wearing sunglasses helped keep the contrast down slightly when the raindrops reflected light.

Are you me? I've said this many times and people don't believe me. In addition, I think it helps your eyes focus out past the windshield since it's already looking out past the sun glasses. Maybe that's just my excuse since, at the time, I never wore glasses/contacts or sun glasses so my eyes weren't used to it.

I also found that rocking side-to-side helps focus past the drops.

So, the heartless among us could compare it to a Stevie Wonder impersonation. Ironically, I found that listening to Superstition helps, too. Weird. That funky ass clavinet just knows how to make you ignore the raindrops.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5lVUaLeD14

A couple years later, my turn signals started working again. Yes, a couple years. Haha, whoops.

Turn signal breakage is a real thing. When there's no-one around, you're goddamn right I don't use my turn signal.

Same here. Also, I don't use them "as often as I should" when I'm in a turn only lane. People (should) know I'm turning when I'm in that lane.

You don't walk into an empty room and say hello to everyone that's not there, do you?

Oh, don't I? (I will now.)

I hope one day it works out and I get to t-bone somebody. I could use a new car.

But, won't you be at fault?

[paul06660]

I use rain-x windshield washer fluid, because it cleans and applies the water repellant to your windshield at the same time. After using this stuff for almost 15 years, I have only encountered one driving situation on I-70 Kansas where I had to turn my wipers on high. The stuff also deices and makes it easy to clear your windshield in the winter.

[BagHead727]

But, won't you be at fault?

Why would I be at fault if I have the right of way and someone pulls in front of me?

[crazydrummerdude]

But, won't you be at fault?

Why would I be at fault if I have the right of way and someone pulls in front of me?

I was asking because I'm not 100% sure.

So, maybe not at fault, but now that I think about it, it's a lot more difficult to tell who's at fault in a t-bone than a rear-end.

For instance, can you prove that you had the right of way at the time of the accident (the light was green for you)? They could say they had a green, went, and you hit them after turning without a signal.

[paul06660]

The only thing that sux worse than turn signal breakage is when all the capacitors in your electronics decide to blow over time. Can cause all kinds of problems, although not too hard to repair with replacement caps and the proper soldering equipment. Might as well reflow it on a hotplate while you're at it.

[BagHead727]

Shoot, it used to be whenever I'd turn on my headlights my car would catch on fire. At best it would only cut all power to the car. At worst it burnt an oil line and spewed flaming oil all over the engine compartment and firewall. I remember grabbing flamming handfuls of insulation and ripping it out of the car. Got the fire put out just in time to greet the firefighter jumping out of his fire engine with an Axe.

[RedRook]

My wife likes to not use her windshield wipers. She scrubs down her windshield with Rain-X, and she buys that Rain-X windshield fluid as well. When I'm in her car and it's raining, the rain just melts away. I'm too lazy to do all this, so I just use my wipers.

[SubLunar]

I really ought to do that. The fastest setting on my wipers is too slow for heavy rain. And buying wiper blades over and over again is getting old too.

[RedRook]

I'm not 100% sure if it ends up being cheaper. She puts the stuff on about once a month. Wipers seem to last way longer than that, but the stuff really works well with or without your wipers. I'm also not sure if you really need to put it on that much or thats just her OCD shining through. I'm sure someone that knows more about cars can answer all of these things.