Blinker Switch: Mechanical Design and Disassembly

Hello everyone,

As is often the case, problems arise exactly when you have absolutely no time and urgently need your car – just like it is for me right now, where my girlfriend is in a hospital 30 km away for a week, and I actually want to visit her every day...

But let's get to the problem:

At some point, the turn signal lever suddenly felt heavier than usual, and when it automatically turned off, it moved so far in the opposite direction that my comfort blinker activated. I don't know if it happened suddenly or gradually... what's certain is that the increased resistance appeared suddenly, and the activation of the opposite direction due to the lever's movement has happened twice in the last few days.

I took a closer look at it in the hospital parking lot.

Normally, the turn signal lever has a defined central position from which, with a little pressure in both directions, you can engage the turn signal, and with a little more pressure, you can engage the locking position.

The lever wobbles about 1.5 cm (at the tip) in the middle position, meaning it can be easily moved without any resistance over that 1.5 cm range, and it stays in each position (at least until the next pothole). However, it doesn't actually shift gears. Then comes the engagement point, which is a bit stiffer than usual, and then it shifts, followed by a latching mechanism that has a shorter lever travel than normal and requires significantly more force (estimated to be three times the usual force).

Since there is no spring pressure in the middle, it is clear that the swing motion during the release extends to the position of the opposite side.

So, it's purely a mechanical issue; the electrical components are all working correctly, so the problem likely isn't related to my comfort blinker (since that's only electrically connected). Everything works electrically, even though you might be worried about the lever when it clicks into place.

My theory is: Even though there was never a feeling of something breaking when shifting gears, I think that either a detent spring broke, or a pin popped out.

What do you think - has anyone ever disassembled a switch like that, or experienced a similar problem?

What can be expected inside, and how can the chances of a self-repair be assessed? Due to the time constraints mentioned above, I only want to disassemble it once (it's complicated because of the airbag - you definitely can't get to it without removing the steering wheel, right?), so I would like to hear some opinions or experiences in order to know as much as possible beforehand whether it would be better to get a new part or if a few springs and adhesive might be sufficient.

By the way, the switch in question is about a year old... the first one failed electrically, and this one is failing mechanically. Because of the comfort feature that's connected to it, I don't think I have any chance of getting it covered under warranty, because even though it's clear that it shouldn't have any influence, it's considered a modification to the system.

Best regards, and thank you in advance for any answers.

Jan.

Hi there --- Yes, of course, I've disassembled quite a few of them before - including different types.
I've managed to recover about two-thirds of it, so your chances are pretty good.
However, I would advise you not to force it; otherwise, something else might break.

try your luck ----> assuming manual dexterity

Hi,

"Thank you, that gives me hope of getting it."

Did any parts break off your switches, or did any springs pop out or break?

Quote:

However, I would advise you not to force it; otherwise, something else might break.

For the reasons mentioned above, I'll be able to get there no earlier than tomorrow evening. Until then, I have to drive, and unfortunately, using the turn signals is unavoidable in city traffic. However, I usually limit myself to the "tap" setting, which is mostly harmless.

Best regards,

Jan.

For most people, it's usually just something like a ball or a pen that has shifted, affecting the mechanical positioning.
(snapping into place) enables.

Hi,

That also sounds hopeful!

Based on your experience, is it possible to access the parts in question while they are installed, or is it unavoidable to remove the airbag and steering wheel?

Best regards,

Jan.

Unfortunately, no.
Without making any changes, nothing will happen.
- expand
- Disassemble on a flat surface (table)!!
There are many small parts, so please open it carefully so that nothing gets lost or falls off.

Good luck and patience.

Hi,

I tackled the whole thing today and managed to disassemble it quite easily (dealing with the airbag isn't nearly as bad as you might think - I would still advise only attempting it if you know exactly what you're doing).

I also took some photos, but I'll do that later (and not while removing the airbag) because I currently have very little time.

The problem was the following:

Inside the turn signal switch, there is a spring with a forked end that rests on a plastic piece and is held in place by the fork. This defines the position of the spring and prevents it from slipping out.

"On my unit, a 'tooth' on this fork had broken off, causing the spring to shift backward and become slightly jammed. This positioned it closer to its mounting point, giving it more force, and also caused it to act on a longer lever. The result was a significantly higher counter-force at the end, with no counter-force in the middle, which explains the behavior described above."

"Since this spring is irreparable, I used a temporary fix (because I need the car) by laterally tensioning the entire assembly. This way, the intact leaf now sits in the track of the broken one, and the lateral tension prevents it from slipping. I ground down the remaining piece of the broken leaf so that the slightly angled spring doesn't rub, and that's it – it works perfectly, and I've saved a lot of money for now."

It obviously can't stay like that for long, because that one prong won't last forever, and it's probably wearing down the plastic part much more than it would normally. But at least now I have time to look for a replacement part.

By the way... does anyone have a broken turn signal switch lying around that still has this spring working?

I'll post the photo story later, hopefully tomorrow, when my friend is back home and I have more time.

Best regards,

Jan.

Hi,

After picking up my girlfriend this morning, here's the promised addition. It's just a photo, but you can see the forked feather, which is missing a barb.

In the photo, it's already in the "new" position, meaning it's so tightly wedged that the tine is running in the groove of the other part. After taking the photo, I ground down the tine fragment further to prevent any rubbing against the upper part.

Best regards,

Jan.