Thanks for this post! Saved me from having to buy a new multiswitch. The 2002 I bought a month ago had this problem on the left turn signal. Mine was also chipped but on the other side of that same very contact.

I switched the contacts and rotated them 180 degrees. That caused a different issue that the turn signal would not pick up if I hit the stalk really hard...I took it apart and flipped them 180 degrees and so far no issues. So in my case, just switching them helped.

Awesome fix!!! $800, college 4 da kidz... what BS... very sweet pics!!!!

My '02 Runner was having the same issue...left blinker worked fine but right was not working when fully engaged. It would work if you didn't push it all the way up but when fully engaged it would just make a rapid clicking sound. Both blinkers worked normally when hazards were on, so I figured it wasn't a wiring, fuse or LED replacement issue. (I replaced both dash blinker bulbs with LED's 2 years ago.)

Followed your write-up exactly this morning. The grease inside the unit was black and the contacts were worn in the same places yours were. I reinstalled the switch, tested all it's functions and have used the right blinker at least 75 times since. State inspection passed and I'm a happy camper.

Now to get the tie rod ends adjusted to straighten the steering wheel after the steering rack and sway bar bushings replacement I did last summer...

A big thanks to everyone who contributes to this site and Youtube on 3rd gens. Your efforts are a huge help, time and money saver!!

$800...

Wife once had a rapid left marker blinker, on a 2002 Volvo v70.
- she works for a auto training facility
- so I said, phone Dealership Parts for a socket pigtail...shouldn't be to expensive
- Parts guy said, the socket pigtail is NA...we will sell you a complete wiring harness for $1,000 plus tax plus Labor
- wife knew it was BS, and later had it fixed in 15 minutes

PS - All my blinkers stopped working once on my Gen3...turns out my Warning Hazard Flasher was dusty inside, from not using it. Cleaned the contact switch and all worked again.

BTW - good thread Jhelms [OP].

Maybe I missed it but where does the blinker fluid go?

Thanks for the fix

Thanks for the guide Jhelms.

I was having the same problem - right turn signal didn't work unless I held it manually at the point just before it clicks and holds itself.

My runner is a 98 Limited and the tray and trolley looks different. Is it because I don't have fog lights? I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't have 2 connections on the trolley.
Because I only have one connector on the trolley I didn't have the option to swap the two. I tried rotating it 180* but that just gave me the same problem with the left signal - only worked if I held the turn signal by hand in just the right spot.

I ended up putting a big flat strip of solder along the entire middle part of the trolley connector and a liberal amount of clean dielectric grease. Problem solved.

Thanks for this write up, I'm thinking this must be what is wrong with my blinker.

It's only the right blinker and it's only sometimes, if it doesn't work I can usually flip it on and off a few times to get it to work. When it doesn't work it doesn't do the regular fast-blink indicating a bulb is out but either does nothing or does a manic blink with no rhythm.

Does this sound like this fits with the fix you posted?

Thanks!

My 2000 started making an occasional hideous buzzing noise from the dashboard when I used my right turn signal, and of course the signal wouldn't flash. In the beginning I would just make sure to press the stalk a little harder to make it engage. After a few months, it got to the point where it happened half the time, and sometimes the signal would only work if I held the stalk in the up position the whole time.

I followed the instructions and found exactly what was pictured.

My only note is that getting the switch assembly back together is a little challenging. There are a number of floating pieces that have to be properly aligned when you snap the housing back together, and it took me a few tries to make it happen.

One, the white switch trolley has to be centered, or it won't engage the little plastic pin attached to the turn signal stalk. If it's out of place, the stalk will only engage when you press it in one direction, and in the other direction it will just spring back.

The second thing is the little white toggle thing in the bottom of the housing (attached to the two springs) that causes the signal to auto-cancel. The first two times I put it back together, that piece moved about 1/8" in its slot, so the pivots weren't in their respective recesses. When I got the assembly back together, this little piece stuck out just a bit, and I could freely flick it with my finger (it was held in place by springs, but wasn't attached to anything else). After you get the assembly back together, you can check this pin by moving the stalk to the L and R turn signal position, and seeing if this little white tab moves with it.

Pay attention to where everything is when it comes apart, and take care that these things are aligned. A dab of dielectric grease on the pivots helped keep them in place during reassembly.

Many thanks to OP!

Having the same issue when using turn signal for right turn.
Removed screw from lower clamshell trim as well as the remaining 2 when turning the wheel.
Clamshell trim is fighting me a bit and unable to separate upper & lower and remove. Have tried with wheel tilted up & down, no luck.
Trying to avoid breaking the plastic tabs.....any tricks.
Pictures posted by OP appear to have lower instrument panel trim in place, what gives.

Got it.....that was fun!
Can’t wait to snap that back together

Great write up, helped solve my problem, thanks!

I can't thank you enough. I may need to turn over the 4runner to my girlfriend/wife's family after she died a week ago. We had been together 4 years and just kept putting off getting married. I'm 62 and never married after my high school sweetheart broke my heart. I know, waa, waa.
First thing I called the local auto-parts and discovered after a minute of conversation that the switch was the problem. They quoted me $99 for a new switch. Then a light went off over my head and I checked 4Runner Forum and in a few seconds I found your solution.
The pictures and descriptions were great. A couple of details I struggled with were;
1) Getting the damn cover off the column with the steering wheel in place. It just took a minute or two but I thought it was going to be a problem. It wasn't.
2) Getting the switch back together. Considering all that goes on in that switch, it went pretty smooth. I did have to take it apart and back together to make sure everything was lined up. But making sure the lever was positioned properly, due to the "flash" button, solved the problem and all is well.
Thanks again. I'll be driving this rig for at least a few more days and nights and the last thing I need is to piss someone off when they don't understand a hand signal!
The switch had been acting up for over a year. I had to hold it 'just right' to make the signal work. Then, yesterday the left signal quite completely. It turned out one of the springs on the trolly popped out of place and wouldn't make any contact at all. Or something like that.
Now it works like a new one and it took about an hour at my kitchen table to do the work. All things considered, I'm a very happy guy. (for now)
Thanks again.