Hi all,
My mom's got an 86 W201 2.3. She called me the other day to say that her blinkers weren't working. I asked a couple of questions and then went to check on the car today. Here is what I found...

With engine running there is power to both sides of the #11 fuse (fuse box cover sez that's the one that handles the hazard and blinkers) but no blink. No sound from the relay either. Since it's NOT working, I cannot locate the relay from the click, click, click sound it would normally make. Where is this little beast located?

In my '89 300E (W124) and in my wifes' '92 W201 the relay is located in the area of the instrument cluster. Is that where I'll find this one too? If so, is this something a relatively decent "shade-tree mechanic" will be comfortable doing at home? I've never popped an instrument cluster out before...

Your help and advice is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Try flickering the hazard switch several times before you are going to exchange the relay. The hazard switch being dirty/sandy/dusty causes mostly the malfunctioning of the blinkers. Flicker it a couple of times and hope to get a positive response.
The (combi)relay is situated under the lid on top of the fuse box. You have to remove the lid after which you will be able to get to the relay (it is located between the fuses and fire wall.

greetingz,

re: Location of blinker relay...
 

Thanks MBenz. I was at the fuse box and pulled out two relays almost identical in looks (pulled them one at a time in order to avoid the obvious problem of putting the wrong one in the wrong place) and sprayed the contact pins with electrical contact cleaner. I didn't try to open up the relays (pry the cover off) adn I didn't think to hit the hazard light switch. I'll call her and ask her to try that.

Question - which one of these relays is the one for the hazard/blinkers? Does anyone have a part number? If I recall, one had four pins on it and the other had six pins on it (plus the plastic locating pins).

I found the blinker/hazard light relay but that wasn't the problem. MBenz hit the problem on the head... My mom's a smoker and flicking the hazard light switch back and forth 20 times or so caused the blinkers AND the hazard lights to begin to work again! I could have been the residue from the cigarette smoke mucking up the switch or it could have been the cigarette ashes that keep falling down on top of the switch.
Besides, she drinks (and spills) coffee in the car and maybe some of that got onto / into the switch. Next time she's at the house I'll pop the wood panel up that contains the switch and spray the heck out of the switch with some electrical contact cleaner.

Thanks for everyone's help on this.

It is nice to hear that it worked out...it is a fairly common problem on the older models with the hazard switch on the horizontal part of the console...

It is possible to take apart the switch and clean it (make sure you don't lose any of the tiny springs and tinier steel balls...

greetingz,