turn signals died

[Banjo]

First I noticed I had to kinda wiggle the turn signal stick to get the turn signals to come on, now despite wiggling NOTHING. I can put on the flashers and they work. I have checked the bulbs, they're fine. It's funny BOTH went out same exact time. A fella mentioned contacts in the steering column, but like I say kinda peculiar BOTH went out same time, yet they both work when flasher is on. Fuze good, bulbs good, what you think? No clicking noise inside cab with either signal on, but can hear the clicking when flasher activated? Banjo.

[ToughOldFord]

There are two flashers, one for the signals, one for the hazard lights. Your hazard one is working, try replacing the turn signal one.

[fordman]

the plasitc of the turn signal cam probably warped and isnt touching the contacts for either side. but you cna check the flasher can behind the dahs on the left side. that is the one for the blinkers.

[Banjo]

I'll be dang, I thought for SURE it'd be the flasher, particularly since it looked like the original one (with Ford part number starting with C7...) but a new one made no difference. Guess I get to dig into the steering column as bad as I hate it. Thank you for your thoughts, Banjo.

[Banjo]

Wait a minute, the turn signal flasher is a round can in a metal clip just above the brake pedal behind the dash on a 68 right? Or was that the hazard flasher I just changed (which was already working). Where is the hazard flasher located? Just occurred to me I might've changed the wrong flasher since someone mentioned there were two of them. The one I changed was a very lightweight round metal can with two prongs.

[ToughOldFord]

To verify you can pull it and turn the hazards on. If they stopped working that that's the flasher you replaced. If they still work then that's the turn flasher. They are interchangeable too, so if you find the other one you can swap them to see if that's the problem.

[Banjo]

DANG! I did change the one that is already working (Hazards), I had them on when I unclipped it and it was clicking in my hand. I cannot locate the other flasher (turn signals), where the heck is it? I just looked everywhere under the dash and nowhere to be found!! 68 model

[ToughOldFord]

I just checked my '69, and Fordman's correct, it's on the left side behind the dash. Mine's right above the ignition switch, but it's just hanging there, not sure where it originally clipped to.

[fordman]

the factory had them clipped to the back of the instrument cluster one the left side.

[Banjo]

well I can't see crap. I might need to remove my ground from battery, remove speedo cable and instrument cluster screws and pull cluster forward to see it. i'm guessing it's above the headlight switch and that is blocking my view. I've been under there with a light about 3 times now. I thank you all for your time to respond.

[fordman]

its right above the ipvr on the back of the cluster. it is part of the instrument cluster wiring. heres a pic of its location. the blue thing in the picture is the original hold down point for the original flasher can.

[ToughOldFord]

Ever find it?

[Banjo]

it's weird. I found what looks to be similar, it looks roundish and "cannish" like the hazard flasher I first changed (which is easy as heck to reach), but it appears to be on the backside of the fuel gauge? It's like it's plugged into the backside of the fuel gauge, but there are NO wires attached to it and none-hanging loose around there I can find that should be plugged into those empty spades on it. But, the turn signals were working before. They just both kinda acted "odd" for a week or so, and then went completely out. No flasher noise ticking. I firmly believe it's the flasher, because once it was mentioned, my memories came back to me of a similar incident decades ago. Is the turn signal flasher directly behind the fuel gauge in my 68 and shouldn't it have wires plugged onto the terminal spades (that are empty right now) and if those wires feel loose (that must've been connected at some point) how could they have "vanished"??
I might have to disconnect the speedo cable and all the screws to the instrument cluster and pull the whole thing forward to figure this out, but dang, you'd think it'd be easier than that. Also, the thing I found that resembles the flasher (on the backside of the fuel gauge seems to be bluish plastic from what little I can see. And, it feels like it's plugged into something. Oh yeah, my fuel gauge works in all respects. doesn't particularly read accurate (holds full long time and then when it drops it's quick), BUT it does work, along with the light. Banjo.

[fordman]

yes the original flasher can is blue plastic. the plug has to be up in there some place. its part of the instrument cluster wiring. so it has to be in the clusters bundle of wires.

[Banjo]

Ok, got it fixed. Where was my confusion? I couldn't see up above the headlight switch and someone had "kinda" changed the wiring. True, the original blue plastic turn signal flasher was affixed to the upper driver side rear of the instrument panel. However, that wasn't hooked to anything and there were no hanging wires. BUT, I did find, buried in the wiring mass, ANOTHER turn signal flasher, just hanging loose. I replaced it and have turn signals again. I made sure to leave it hanging loose this time, so someone can more easily see it in the future. I think the original blue plastic flasher was just "bypassed" because it appears fixed to the cluster and doesn't want to pop loose readily (of course I didn't force it). And, since it'd already been bypassed (and that was previously working) I stayed with the bypass route.
Thanks for comments, I always like to leave follow-up out of respect for those who lent time/assistance. While on this "electrical" note, I'll throw in, the battery ground strap lug broke when I was torqueing it back on, and having a brass "end", I cut through the cable with bolt cutter and cut back the plastic insulation to affix the new brass lug. The cable is maybe 3 years old at most, but is a chain store thickest ground strap I could find. I was surprised to find green corrosion going all the way down inside it. I also noted the turn signal flasher I remove threw out a sizeable amount of corrosion crud when I unplugged it. corrosion is an insideous enemy that is often unseen (and unconsidered) on these old vehicles. Banjo.