[stickboy3k]

I don't know if I have a short.. a bad fuse.. or what but maybe someone here could let me know what to look for or what to ask when I take my car in. I've got a 2001 5 speed. The blinkers are acting pretty strange depending on if I have the lights on and if i'm braking:

Lights Off - Brakes or no breaks:
Last I checked, blinkers are fine.

Lights on - Not braking:
Rather than blink the turn signal, both front signals blink, in the back neither blinks but the brake lights do a strange flashing pattern: Left and Right brake light on, center brake light off; then left and right brake light off and center brake light on.

Lights on - Braking:
The blinking on the instrument panel and outside slows way down and only the one in front that i'm using blinks (slowly) and in the back it blinks but very faint.

Could it possibly be a dieing battery? Three times so far, the car has not wanted to start. I'd turn the key and nothing. Then after letting it sit for a while, it started back up.

I've also noticed the blinker problem seems to correct itself sometimes, usually after a fill up (probably just a coincidence).

If it would help, I could maybe post an video of what it's doing.

Thanks everyone
Ron

 

[Yves M.]

Sorry but my English is not that good, I am not sure I understand what you wrote. But I have two ideas:

- If the turning lights behave badly, maybe a bulb is burned out somewhere. Make sure all the light bulbs around the car are OK (turn signal, hazard, running lights,license)

- If you turn the key and nothing happens (no dash, ...) then either the 12v battery is dead or it is not correctly connected (corroded posts). If it is the original one, it is surely dead.

I would also check the engine to body ground cable and the transmission to ground cable. They are near the fuse box in the engine compartment. Under the radiator liquid bottle

 

[Guest]

Hi Stickboy3k:

___There was a recall on the lighting wiring harness just a few months ago. If you have not had that performed, you might want to consider this fix first before chasing down other gremlins?

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:1lybc94a][email protected][/email:1lybc94a]

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Sounds like two different problems to me.

Starting could be the 12v battery or a connection problem. Check that the terminals are tight and free of corrosion. You shouldn't be able to twist a terminal barehanded and it move. The ground side on the firewall anchored by the 10 mm hex head screw has also been reported to have corrosion problems. Removal for cleaning and inspection is a DIY job.


Once the headlight switch recall issues are resolved then:

The turn signals and their interaction with other lights is usually a ground problem. The load on the shared ground increases with corrosion or looseness and can become high enough to limit the circuits function.

It used to be relatively easy to incorrectly install an 1156 bulb (single filament) fo ran 1157 (dual filament) which would cross circuit the taillight / brake light circuits and sometimes cause a feedback in the turn signal circuit. The newer type bulbs are more difficult to do this with but I've seen it done. If you've recently replaced any of the above bulbs check those first.

HTH!

And please post back letting the group know of your "fix"

 

[fscott]

Sounds like two different problems to me.
The turn signals and their interaction with other lights is usually a ground problem. The load on the shared ground increases with corrosion or looseness and can become high enough to limit the circuits function.

John's got the answer here. I've seen the same sort of wierd behavior on a motorcycle when one of the ground wires broke off.

Are you seeing the problem with both the left and right turn signals? From your post, it sounds like you are. If so, I'd suspect that there's a common ground for the turn signals, and this is where the failure lies.

In your case, the blinkers are finding a ground through the brake lights/running lights, causing them to behave oddly as they sometimes see backwards current flow, and sometimes see current attempting to flow from both directions (makes the light do nothing or glow dimly)

Good luck!

 

[C. Alan]

My 2000 started doing something similar this morning. I noticed that with the lights on, my blinkers were not working when I press the break petal. When I checked the lights, I noticed that with the blikers on, it was lighting up the break lights. With the lights off, the break lights do the strange pattern dance. I may have to check my grounds this evening.

 

[C. Alan]

*Update*

Well, in my case, I think a failing 12 volt battery was a definite factor in my blinker problems. Last night, I spent some time in the back of my car trying to find a bad connection that would explaine the 'floating ground' problem that my blinkers were displaying.

I had the lights on, and I was not running the motor. In about a 10 minute time, I noted that the lights were getting dim, and the motor would not start. I looked at the 12 volt battery, and noted that it was the original battery, and was over 4 years old.

So this evening, I went to my local parts store, and I picked up a new 12 volt battery to the tune of $80.

[rant] Have you ever noticed that you cannont buy a battery without gettting their dumb warrenty. I could only get a battery with an 8 year warrenty! Very few people keep a car for 8 years now-a-days. I would rather pay a lot less and get no warrenty on the battery. [/rant]

Now, my blinkers work great! my guess is that when the battery is dying, it does not provide a very good ground, and this effects the lighting system.
--C. Alan

 

[JustinGray]

My blinkers did something similar but not exactly the same. The cause was actually a bad light somewhere in the rear light assmebly. The fix was easy. The dealership replaced the lightbulb... problem gone.

 

[C. Alan]

The problem is back...

Well, I thought I had it fixed with the new battery, but today the problem showed up again. My blinkers are doing the same strange missbehaving act.

I also noticed that the engine will not go into auto shut-off, even when the car is warm and it is warm outside (60F). Also, when I have the lights on, my rear hatch wont release.

So does anyone know where all of the circuits in the rear of the car ground to?

Thanks,
C. Alan

 

[JustinGray]

I think the owners manual has a list of all the ground sites on the car... if not ill look for you when my electrical manual comes in the mail... week tops

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Re: The problem is back...

G601 is common to the turn signal, taillights and hatch opener. ETM pgs. 110-6, 110-8, 134. Photo 114 is the location. <g> Best I can describe is in trunk compartment, middle, along back body panel near the key lock/switch. But _real_ electrical troubleshooting can't be done via the Internet. You need an ETM. AFAI remember there's one on eBay right now!

HTH!

 

[C. Alan]

$68 later...

I have a good mechanic who's shop is located just about a block from my work. I took it to him at 8am and he had it fixed by noon. He said it was a floating ground, and they checked every grounding point in the rear end they could find in their charts, and sure enough, they found the floater.

He only charged me for an hour labor, and my autostop works again!
--C. Alan