I just noticed today that the indicator on my TW no longer turns off after you complete a corner. This happened on my VW beetle many decades ago and required removing the steering wheel and a new indicator switch. Obviously a lot easier with a 63 beetle than a modern car.

Does anyone know what's involved here? My quick search here didn't find anything.

All advice much appreciated.

Same as the VW really, you pull the wheel and see what has happened to the self cancelling mechanism. If you have an airbag in the steering wheel you need to read up on the correct procedure to render it harmless before you pull the wheel off.

You should be able to just remove the shroud - it seems to be in 2 pieces...top and bottom and then the indicator arm unit will be visible. This will avoid pulling the steering wheel. You should download the free manual and look in the electrical section for an illustration of what I mean. The link is: http://www.lisho.net/
Good Luck.

I've checked the manual, and while it has a description of how to remove the wheel, I can't see a definite answer to the Q of whether the wheel needs to come off or not. It would be great if it can be done just by removing the shroud.

Have you definitely done this without removing the wheel?

Thanks

Does the indicator stalk still flick up and down and stay there?
Might also be the tab on the stalk that could be broken.
To find out, lower the steering colomn, under the lower shroud is 3 screws, remove these and pull both shrouds off. There are 2 small screws above and below the stalk, remove these and then slide the stalk away from the colomn and it will come off;
In the pic below, see the yellow tab? That is used for the indicator. Is it still there?
http://i316.photobucket.com/albums/mm329/grelise1/Auto%20headlight%20install/SDC11760.jpg
If not, then go to wreckers and get another, if it is, then more professional help is needed.

There are two pins on the steering wheel that hit that yellow tab to cancel it. One of the pins may be bent, loose or fallen off. The steering wheel may have to come off to get to them, but with the mechanism off you should be able to at least see and check the pins.

Like I said, its exactly the same as the VW setup. lol

OK, will do. Thanks for the help.

Peter

well, the yellow tab is intact. Once the mechanism is off, looking down into the steering column I can see exactly nothing, except a big white nylon thing. Yes, the stalk goes up and down normally, turns the indicators on as per normal, but after completing your turn, it doesn't cancel.

It's vastly more complicated than the 63 beetle: all it had on the steering column was the indicators. Even tho' I had beetles for years and fixed every single thing on them, including lots of engine rebuilds, etc, I don't miss that piece of crap at all.

I will be getting others to remove the steering wheel.

What I don't understand is how this has failed, the cams or pins or whatever in the steering column should be under very little load.

Is this a common problem?

Nope, not a common problem. You are the first. Congratulations! lol

Is your steering wheel centred when you drive in a straight line? Sometimes this can affect self canceling.

well, that means that parts from a wrecker are probably OK. The car drives absolutely perfectly: wheel is dead centre when going straight. Speaking of beetles, this car is so much more comfortable, faster, safer, secure, I could go on and on.