Trouble with turn signals

Discussion in 'Clarity' started by Kestrel, Oct 1, 2018.

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  1. Kestrel

    Kestrel Member

    I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced trouble with your turn signals.

    Bought my PHEV Touring in March. A couple of times in the first three months it seemed like the turn signal wires just got crossed. I turned the right signal on, the camera came on, no problem. I moved the stalk back to what should have been the center position--and the left signal came on. Moved it further left, still on. Tried moving it right, and the right one came on again along with the camera. [Well, the indicator on the dash came on--I don't actually know what was happening on the outside of the car!] After a few back and forths, I was able to find the neutral off position in the middle.

    It happened again a week or so later, I think, but in reverse: turned on the left one, fine; turned it off but got the camera and right blinker, had to go back and forth a couple of times before it found neutral again.

    Then no observed problems for a few months.

    Last weekend, I was stopped and waiting to turn left out of a parking lot. I had my foot on the brake and the left turn signal on. A car came up behind me, pulled to my left, and made a right turn in front of and around me. It was as though my turn signal was not going at all, and/or maybe my brake light wasn't on and the driver thought I was parked. Three days later, nearly the same thing happened again, but I was turning right. A car pulled around my left side and almost went in front of me to make a right turn. I started honking and the car stopped before turning in front of me. By the look on the driver's face, I'm pretty sure he had no idea I was about to start moving.

    I have checked since then to see if the turn signals are visible when I am stopped. I could see the reflection on the car ahead of me once so I know the front signal working that time. Once I left the engine running when I parked and checked front and rear: working. Once I had a friend check while I was parked and had the engine going: still working. Of course, that doesn't mean that they are not failing intermittently.

    I'm about to take my car in for A01 service (6,900 miles but only about 1,000 of them HV, I'd estimate) and HV range fix, so I will ask them to look for a loose wire. But I also thought I would see if anyone else had had issues with their signals or other electrical systems.
     
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  3. ab13

    ab13 Active Member

    Did you have a car with one touch turn signal before?
     
    Phunny likes this.
  4. su_A_ve

    su_A_ve Active Member

    A slight push up or down will turn on the signal for a few seconds, not like other cars where it would just be on while you hold it.

    By you trying to unlock it by hand, it is possible that you are pushing it a little bit more than what's needed, and actually engaging the other side. And since it stays on for a few seconds, you think it's backwards.
     
    ClarityDoc likes this.
  5. Kestrel

    Kestrel Member

    No, prior car was a 2006 Prius.

    It didn't seem backwards so much as there was no middle/neutral to turn it off. But maybe that's what was happening. I'll have to play around with it and see if I can make it happen that way.

    I can believe my driver error when it happened in motion, but I'm still puzzled why two different drivers apparently failed to see the signal lights.
     
  6. lanb

    lanb Active Member

    I have had the same happen to me a couple of times, turn indicator on and when i tried to turn it off it went to the other side indicator.

    I am guessing it is mainly due to the "one touch indicator" kicking in at times, instead of turning off and me being new to these type of indicators.

    As for others not noticing your indicator, I suppose you could have been in the "one touch indicator" mode which turns
    off after 3 blinks. Just another possibility.
     
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  8. insightman

    insightman Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Never overestimate the courtesy or expertise of other drivers. Many have neither.
     

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