xj signal lights??

When I bought my 98 xj 5 months ago the turn signals didn't turn off after taking the signaled turn. I didn't think much of it and wanted to ask a while back but forgot about it. My 98 has power everything and it seems to me that the signals should turn off themselves. Although I have gotten used to manually turning them off am I right that from the factory they turned off themselves?

yes they are supposed to turn off themselves. I never could figure out why it happened in my 88. I also got used to it the signals in my '96 haven't given me any trouble...yet

The only thing about them staying on is once in a while I'll forget to turn them off, not a problem unless someone is behind you and thinks your a crazed idiot for signaling towards a cornfield.

The term is "self-cancelling" for turn signals that shut themselves off after the steering wheel straightens.

The cancelling function is controlled by a cam on the steering shaft that interacts with an arm on the turn signal switch. Either the cam is bad (broken), or the arm on the switch is bad.

It's time to pull the steering wheel and start looking at the mechanical interface between the two, and see which part is toast.

In the older Saginaw columns, there are a pair of springs that frequently fail. With a steering wheel puller and lock plate compressor, it's about a 30 minute job to replace them.

Can't speak to the 95 and newer columns, I don't mess with airbags.