Blinker switch on left or right

[SamiA]

Could someone perhaps educate me about the location of the turn signal switch in E9s steered from left? In my car (10/1973) the switch is on right hand side of the steering wheel. So it is on oposite side than in modern cars. Some youtube videos indicate to me that at least in some E9s the switch is on left hand side. Is that a year model thing? And can the switches be swapped?

Regards,
Sami

 

[Thomas76]

Certainly is split between years, early cars had turn signal on right. I didn't think it went as late as 73. My 74 had left side but my 70 had right.
It's not exactly simple to convert because the transition from right to left side affected more than turn signal.

 

[Dan Wood]

Our 71 2800CS and our 73 2002 are both on the right.

 

[Wladek]

Early vs Later - both of them use completely different types of plugs (turn signal switch & wipers switch) etc. & differing wiring diagrams, you can't just swap the switches & couple of cables.

 

[merdad]

Early cars, like my 71 2800CS, has it on the right side. It also acts as the wipe/wash.

 

[HB Chris]

The switch moved to the left side on the 1974 model BMWs. Oct 73 is late to still have one on the right, what is your VIN?

 

[SamiA]

Thank you all again for your input.
I need to make a correction to birthday of my car, instead of October it is built on September. To be precise, according to BMW archive, on September 10 1973, which explains a little bit my mistake. The VIN is 2266179
By swapping the switches I meant to swap them internally from left to right and from right to left. I did not mean swapping them to new ones. In my thinking at least the turn signal logic should still work, as well as the turn signal cancellation function. And the wash and wipe. In such a case the high beams would turn on by pressing the switch on right hand side down. I have not checked how are the switches mounted to the steering column, so I do not know if the holes for instance are identical and symmetrical.

Sami

 

[Arde]

If the mounting scheme is identical you can probably swap places and somehow route the cables across left/right. I think the cancelling mechanism would be radial so you can rotate it 180 degrees.
Even though the E9 is the only car I drive with the turn signal on the right, I can use it without thinking as somehow the brain knows the context. In that sense, why change it?
By swapping you mess up a more important function that is almost universal, high beam flashing is always done on the left side, and god knows I enjoy that one more than signaling lane changes .

 

[Wladek]

Switches will fit as mounts are symmetrical, but wiper switch markings & it functions will be upside down.

 

[jmackro]

Even though the E9 is the only car I drive with the turn signal on the right, I can use it without thinking as somehow the brain knows the context. In that sense, why change it?

I'm with Arde. I never fail to marvel how when I'm in my e9 I just automatically use my right hand for the turn signal. When I am conscious of doing that, I marvel at how quaint a feature this is. So why change it? It would be like saying "gee, I wish my e9 had adaptive cruise control and a huge LCD screen on its dash, and ...." Enjoy your vintage car for its vintage-ness.

 

[tochi]

Hate to buck conventional wisdom, but this quirk "might" be worth changing - if the car is likely to be driven by someone unfamiliar with early E9, E3, 2002 etc. turn signal stalk location. Although it has not happened to any of my cars recently, I have had to R&R the left stalk when some ham-fisted operator (evidently) tried to turn on the directional signals by engaging the left hand stalk instead of the stalk on the right. (Of course the operator found the "limp" left side stalk "like that.") This happened at a repair facility and fortunately at that time parts were fairly plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Sadly, this happened on another occasion with another car involving similar circumstances. causing me to think of replacement or repair of the left hand stalk as something more akin to normal maintenance.

For similar reasons, rather than court problems, before lending my manual transmission-equipped cars to "anyone" with an operators license, I might consider equipping those cars with automatic transmissions or an auto pilot function .




gratuitous images

 

[dang]

I've always thought the right side turn signal was a cool thing. The conversation might be better to ask what the logic was behind it. My guess is since most of the controls, along with the shifter, is used with the drivers right hand they put the signal stock on the right so you didn't have to change hands on the steering wheel. Even the window switches are on the center console.

 

[Arde]

Good point. The right hand is free to deal with (am I missing any?):

- radio, shifting, opening sunroof, window switch operation, adjusting mirror
- gesturing other drivers in threatening ways, texting, patting human/canine companions
- fist pumping when another car is pulled over for speeding instead of me

Some activities require both hands and steering with the thighs.
This is just a thought experiment that I do not condone nor practice:

- cleaning sunglasses, opening a chocolate bar, tying shoelaces
- playing the guitar, electric shaving, applying makeup
- filling a loan application to afford the Verrazano Bridge toll...

I've always thought the right side turn signal was a cool thing. The conversation might be better to ask what the logic was behind it. My guess is since most of the controls, along with the shifter, is used with the drivers right hand they put the signal stock on the right so you didn't have to change hands on the steering wheel. Even the window switches are on the center console.

 

[tochi]

I've always thought the right side turn signal was a cool thing. The conversation might be better to ask what the logic was behind it. My guess is since most of the controls, along with the shifter, is used with the drivers right hand they put the signal stock on the right so you didn't have to change hands on the steering wheel. Even the window switches are on the center console.

I've forgotten whether pre-'74 right hand drive vehicles share the same "quirk" as their left hand drive siblings.

I hasten to add that another "quirk" is the console-mounted wiper speed control. Yet that generally does not lead to the same potential confusion as with the turn signal stalk location. The turn signal stalk location, as distinct from most other vehicles, also lends itself to an operator inadvertently engaging the wipers when intending to signal a turn or lane change. This may be harmless - except when the "dry" windshield is particularly dirty.

 

[Dick Steinkamp]

I love the turn signal on the right just because it IS quirky.

The quirkiest car I've owned was a 1967 Daimler V8 250. Essentially a Mk II Jag with the beautiful little 2.5 liter Daimler hemi head V8 and a 4 speed with OD.

It was delivered new in Scotland so was RHD. The RHD caused me no problems driving it here and it added a lot to the quirkiness of the car. The turn signal was on the left side of the steering column like is normal today. The right side lever operated the Lacock od.

 

[eriknetherlands]

As I was using my e9 as a daily driver for 4 years, i was really used to having the turning indicator on the right.

So much even that when i sat in our second car, a 3 kid family van, I hit the wiper everytime when making a turn!

It also brought a smile each time, as it made me realise how much I used my e9, and how it just got embedded .

 

[Stevehose]

I also auto-adjust to the right side blinkers when in my car. To help prevent the ham-fisting mentioned above, if someone unfamliar with the car is about to drive it, he/she gets a couple reminders of said placement.

 

[HB Chris]

Funny though when in my e12 I tend to hit the right side stalk!

 

[SamiA]

Thank you all for your comments,

My though for swapping the switches was not originated because of accidentally using wrong switch while driving the E9, but because of driving a boring car after the E9. While driving the E9 the focus and the entertainment are in driving itself. Thus also the switches are seldom mixed. How ever when the entertainment is over and one gets back to daily driver the is a short period of unsureness of which switch one should use.

 

[3moons]

In the mid 1980s I made this change to my ‘73 2002a. I don’t know how E9s are constructed and I don’t remember the specifics but, in the 2002 it was not difficult. It was just pulling, pushing, turning and moving things around. No drilling, cutting or welding was required. I kept it this way for about a year and then moved the switches back to their original positions. It was not ergonomic. Given the bend angles on the switch stalks, in their “off” positions it placed them at at around 4 and 8 o’clock on the steering wheel, if I remember correctly. That made it slightly awkward to reach for them from where my hands naturally gripped the wheel. Not only did it not feel right, it didn’t look right either.

- S