The other day I get in the car and immediately notice no turn signal function. Marker lamps are on, tail lights and brake lights work, just no turn signal function. Had to go somewhere, so try to use signal lever as usual. Some of the first few times I deploy the signal lever, I hear a weird grinding noise coming from the dash, sounds like near the instrument cluster (i.e. not the steering column), maybe a little toward the ignition cylinder (it'* in the dash in these cars, just to the right of the instrument cluster). The sound is almost identical to the sound of a Geiger Counter responding to nearby radiation (that sort of grinding chirp noise). Although I can't be sure, seems to trigger not just when I press the signal lever, but moreso when I start to rotate the steering wheel to make the car turn. Straightening out after the turn, the signal lever snaps back to the "off" position as normal.

Here'* the rub: On the first trip since the malfunction, the Geiger-Counter-like grinding chirp noise was prevalent nearly every use of the turn signal lever. And, for the first two dozen uses of the lever while driving, in the middle of the grinding chirp noise, the signal would suddenly activate and start ticking as normal, momentarily, and then the grinding chirp noise would resume. This happened about 20% of the first few uses.

This was 3 or 4 days ago. Since then I have been driving to/from work using hand signals and prayers. The grinding chirp sound is now gone and never happens: just a dead signal lever and no turn signal function. Also, one of the two front lamps that would blink when the signal'* turned on, is now out (i.e. blown). As far as I know, the one remaining front lamp is steadily on (no effect from turn signal lever), and the tail lamps are working, again, with no turn signal effect.

I have not checked fuses or main relays (yet), but because the signal sporadically functioned after the malfunction, I don't think there'* any problem with the electrical circuit.

All the other lights/switch functions in the car are behaving normally, so I think the BCM is not the culprit.

The Geiger-Counter grind noise suggests to me there is something electrical-over-mechanical in the dash, some sort of junction/relay box that actually effects a physical "click click" circuit interruption for the signal method, which has failed, and in the process of failing, caused some grinding chirp noise and intermittent signal function.

The switch in the steering column does not seem to have been the source of the grinding chirp noise: like I said, seems to have been in the dash somewhere near the instrument cluster, when it was happening for a little while after the initial malfunction.

What is the cause of this? What'* the magic part that has likely failed called? If I had the name of the likely suspect part, I could proceed with further research and troubleshooting. Any recommendations as to what I should immediately replace as part of troubleshooting? I wonder if it could be the signal lever switch in the steering column, or the key/ignition cylinder in the dash (that'* kind of near where the grinding chirp seems to have been)? Or hopefully there'* an obvious culprit. I just don't know that much about these systems.

Thanks a million guys and gals! I eagerly await any assistance you might be able to provided.

Cheers

Sounds like a failed flasher, and as the flasher failed it might have blown a fuse. Replace the flasher and if no change then check fuses.

Turns out the signal flasher is part of the same switch as the hazard lamps which in this car is a push button mounted in the dash. Luckily I had a spare so I swapped them. But that did not immediately change the situation so I check the fuses. One of the 20 amp fuses was not seated fully and even though it was not blown was causing an electrical anomaly and may have even ruined the switch. Properly seating the fuse and swapping the hazard switch solve my problem. Thank you for your reply

Cool! Glad you got it figured out. Thanks for letting us know how it went!