Click on any photo to enlarge.

Oh yeah, those turn-signal lamps.  Just about every unrestored Cougar I've seen has broken sequential turn-signals.  Mostly, it's the control box that goes bad.  You can get a new one from Vic Yarberry, and that usually solves that problem and makes the lights sequence again.

However, the fix doesn't always stop there.  After a few months, the turn-signals would still work properly, but the brake lights wouldn't.  Most drivers behind you find this surprising, to say the least.  At first, I suspected the box had gone bad again.  I was getting power to the green wire when the brakes were applied, so I knew it wasn't a switch or a fuse.  After hours squinting at a partial '69 schematic and a schematic from a '67 (which only confused me more), I fired off an email to Vic.  He confirmed what I thought was probably not the problem -- that the turn signal switch was bad.  Apparently, with the sequentials, you not only need power to the green wire when you hit the brakes, but you also need power to the Green-Orange and Orange-Blue wires.  Just like it said in the instructions for the sequencer box, which were attached to the schematic I was reading.

So, I ordered a turn-signal switch.  When you're pricing them out, keep in mind that the '69 Mustangs and Cougars use the same part, at least for the non-tilt-wheel.  I don't know about tilt wheel or other years, since I don't have a tilt wheel or other years.  The only difference I noticed between the one I took off and the one I put on was that the original had the wires held together in a nice flat ribbon, where the new one just had separate wires.

A previous owner of my car had replaced the steering wheel with a "Grant GT" wheel.  It's okay, I guess, but if you don't have one the steps for removing it will be different.

To do this job you will need:

• A 15/16" socket wrench with extension
• a 7/16" wrench
• a 1/2" wrench
• Optional: impact wrench
• a battery terminal remover
• a Steering Wheel puller
• three 1/4x28 3" long bolts (for the Grant wheel)
• a Phillips screwdriver
• a flat-blade screwdriver
• a Pin Extractor, Radio Shack #274-223, $5
• paper and a pen
• a good supply of curse words
• about two hours
• music
• beer

The last four, of course, are a requirement for any automotive project.

As with any repair on a car, start by removing the negative cable from the battery.  If you don't, you'll cause sparks, blow fuses, melt your wiring harness, and deplete the ozone layer.  You'll also use up more of those curse words, and you need to save them for later.

The Grant GT wheel is held on by three 7/16-head bolts, and one 15/16-head nut.  Start by pulling off the rubber foam pad that holds the horn button.  There are two wires connected to the horn, unplug them.  Unscrew the 15/16" nut first.  An impact wrench here will make easy work of the nut.  Naturally, I chose to use a ratchet.  Then remove the other three bolts, and you'll see the steering wheel hub. Click on the picture for more details, and for a little-used photographic technique called "something hanging in front of the lens."

Next, install the wheel remover tool.  Since nobody in town sells the screws I needed for the Grant hub adapter, I made them out of All-Thread.  If you have the factory wheel, most likely your wheel puller will come with the right bolts.  Don't hammer on the steering column bolt!  Not only will it not work, it won't work on the new steering column you'll have to buy, either.

Remove the three Phillips screws holding in the turn signal switch.  You will need to move the turn signal lever to get to two of them.  Once you're done, unscrew the turn signal lever. Click on the image for details of the screw locations.

Next, you need to the four screws holding the steering column cover on.  There are two long and two short screws.  The two long ones go on top, since you'll forget later.  After that you can remove the wire cover under the steering column.  Pull it straight down from the end closest to the firewall, it just clips on.  Unplug the wiring under the dash, there's a lever on the connector you need to push in.

	Write down which wires went to which pins.  On my car, the wires were: 1) Yellow, 2) White/Red, 3) Green/Orange, 4) Orange/Blue, 5) Blue, 6) Blue/Yellow, 7) White/Blue, 8) Green/White, 9) Green, 10) not used.  Compare the old part to the new part!  On mine, Green/Orange looked like Green/Brown, and dark blue was replaced by light blue. Using the pin extractor as shown, remove the old wires from the connector.  Push it hard into the connector, and press the plunger to pop the wire out.  Once you have the connector off, you should be able to pull the wiring through the hole in the steering column.  (Ford had a Better Idea on this one!)

Route the wires on the new switch down through the column.  Swap the emergency flasher switch bezel from the old switch to the new one. Install the three Phillips screws to hold down the switch.  Plug the connector into the harness (don't worry about routing it yet).  Connect the battery, and test your switch!  Make sure the brakes, front turn signals, and rear turn signals work.  If they don't, go back over your connections, and make sure you didn't put the wires in the wrong order.  If everything checks out, disconnect the battery.

Now for the part where you get to use those curse words you've been saving up.  You need to route the wiring along the bottom of the steering column, and clip the wire cover back on.  On mine, the OEM switch had the wires neatly connected in a ribbon, but the new switch had them loose.  A little patience and a lot of cursing will eventually allow you to push the wire cover up enough for the clips to catch.

Once that's done, have a beer, and tell your wife you weren't yelling at her.  Skipping the second part of this step may result in a lack of funding for future Cougar parts.

Tuck the wires back up under the dash.  Slide the steering column trim cover back up in place.  The slots in the rubber piece (around the column) slide into the trim cover.  Install the four screws.

Reinstall the steering wheel.  The Cougars don't have a "blind" spline on the hub, so put it back on the way it came off.

Reconnect the horn wires, and install the horn pad.

Reconnect the battery.

Test the brake lights and turn signals again.

Enjoy your Cougar!