left turn signal

I have a 98 xj with some sort of short in the column. When I engage the left turn signal, the "rear" four ways come on. The right signal operates normally. Sporadically the guage cluster may cease to operate, the speedo and tach will go flat untill I manually "wiggle" the steering wheel in a front to rear motion. This gauge cluster problem rarely happens but annoying when it does. I can flick the E-flasher back & forth about 20 times with the left turn signal on and the problem of the "rear" flasher ceases. But when I engage the right turn then back to left the problem is still there. I'm apprhensive about getting into the column due to the airbag. I also have a feeling the Factory shop would hijack my wallet. Any ideas?

there's nothing in the column that makes the lights flash, it's just a signal wire down to the flasher that located in the fuseblock.

Try the simple things first, take out all of the bulbs, inspect the sockets,pay particular attention to the ground wire on the side. Then follow the ground wire back to the body and make sure it's clean and has a solid connection.

My 87 used to light up both signal indicators in the cluster whenever you tried to use a turn signal, either side. The front light sockets were badly corroded, replacing the sockets has fixed mine going on 5 years now.

the cluster problems are probably becaused of the connections back into the socket, or the ribbon cable that connects the guages to that inside the cluster. You can remove the cluster without mnessing with the column. I a=m not 97+ familiar to give you detailed instructions, but the short solution is to remove the cluster, clean all the contacts, then slightly pry the connectors out so they fit tighter and make consistent connections.