I bought myself a 1998 Mercury Grand Marquis a few months ago to use as a daily driver during the winter while the wagon is in storage. It was a Florida car that had been well cared for by the retirees that owned it. Unfortunately they gave it to their son who took it to Texas for a while before importing it to Canada and leaving it with his sister to dispose of for him. I scored it for $925 so I didn't expect much. The bottom line is that it's been a great car it just needs lots and lots of cleaning and TLC. I noticed shortly after I got it that my hazard flashers didn't work and recently my signals don't work when I turn right. The signals work fine for a lane change but not when I click the lever to a full turn. I've already discovered that the kid who owned it managed to spill a soda down the dash and it seems that a fair amount of that soda landed on the steering column and worked it's way into the Multifunction Switch. I figured I would show this here because I believe that the Multifunction Switch used in the '98 MGM is similar to the switches used in earlier full-sized Fords and this might apply to some wagon models. I won't bother talking about how I got the switch out of the car as the details for my car won't help for any wagon owners. The MFS is held together with 5 screws. If you don't already own them, a set of small Torx screwdrivers will make your life easier. As you can see, the soda has made one heck of a mess. The terminals are coated with a mix of what appears to be corrosion and mold from the sugar. I sprayed everything down with Simple Green and brushed off the excess goop. Missing from the picture is a small plastic piece that fits onto the grease covered black tab protruding to the right of the washer control wiring. This piece controls the high beam switching when the lever is pulled. A few minutes with a very small piece of sandpaper and all of the contacts are clean again and ready for another 14 years of operation. Take care when reassembling the MFS as it can be very fiddly getting the high-beam tab re-seated on the lever mechanism and still get the other edge to mate correctly with the copper pads for the lights.
That is pretty sweet you were able to recon that signal switch. I wonder how many people over the years have instead changed out lighting control modules and other things when all they needed to do was clean out or replace that switch?
I'm glad that I spared a little bit of noodle power to reasoning out the symptoms. I was on the verge of ordering a new LCM before I caught on to the fact that the symptoms indicated that it couldn't possibly be the problem.
Another great tech post by Cyber-Wizard. The car guy that claims he is not a car guy. With his curiosity, inquisitive mind, perseverance, patience and abilities....if he's not a car guy now he soon will be! And a damn good one! He has ventured into areas of his cars that I have never approached in all my years of working on and building up cars. Soon, we may be introduced to the fine inner workings of the tire valve's mechanical parts! Or, a pictorial on how to break down and repair the inner workings of your door lock remote! All joking aside...it's always fun and educational to view Wiz's comprehensive adventures into cardom. He's teaching this old dog new tricks.
Funny you should mention that 'Fox! The door lock remote on my Buick has been a little fussy. I must look into that. Thanks for the kind words. You're the guy that tells me I can do this stuff when I have doubts. The least I can do is live up to your expectations.
