So I got my brake lights and 4 way flashers to start working on my driver side rear. I really didn't do anything other than push the flasher button in and have it pop out because it would not stay engaged. Doing that a couple of times is all it took. Wonder what I need to do to get the flasher button to stay engaged and how to make sure that my lights continue working?

Thanks,

I’m not banking on the 4-way as the problem for your taillights not working because it could have been caused by the ground tabs in the sockets. And it could possibly be a case of the 4 taillights’ unified electrical pulses/surge tickling the ground contact enough to jump a ground connection. After all, the failure is a textbook example of bad ground tabs.

The switch may be full of crud or whatever makes it lock is gummed up. Maybe use some wd-40 with a squirt tube attached; squirt some into the switch the best that you can, and work it in and out.

It’s not that I’m a big fan of wd-40 as penetrating-type oil. The thing is that it’s safe to saturate switches with wd-40 because water displacement, formula #40 was specifically designed to displace water from electrical components.

X2. Others on several car related sites steered me over to PB Blaster and I too found that to be a much better penetrate.

I don't know where the ground contacts are on the switch in the column. Anyone got a picture/diagram?

The grounds on the taillight sockets. The metal tabs that hold them in place are the ground tabs. I have seen/heard/read a bezillion different problems because the metal tabs don't make a good ground.

I would use contact cleaner for electrical contacts. It will blast out all oils gumming up the contacts.