Weird Hazard Switch/Lights issue (VIDEO inside)

[GetBoosted84]

Hi everyone,

I'm running into a really weird issue with my hazards. About two weeks ago I noticed that my lights weren't blinking when I arm my alarm (even though the horn makes a noise and the doors do lock).

After that I tried to use my hazard switch on my dash and that was acting weird also. It wasn't working for the most part and when it actually does work, it would shut off within a minute or minute and a half.

After checking the fuse then searching, everyone seemed to come to the consensus that the switch needed to be replaced so I bought a new one from ECS and I am still having the same issue!

Here is a video of what I am talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fof6y2NAqig

P.S. - My turn signals work and not blown out. Also, I am not running any modifications to the turn signals such as the dual taillight mod or the daytime running lights mod for the front corners.

I have to go for inspection shortly so any help would be greatly appreciated!

[turbo kraut]

didn't read it all, and you got a new one, so i am stumped....... unless it is a short

[GetBoosted84]

...i am stumped....

Yeah that makes two of us.

[walky_talky20]

Are you running any LED bulbs anywhere? I'm thinking wiring or possibly a bad bulb. I've seen bulbs blow one filament and short themselves to the other causing very strange issues. Perhaps a quick inspection of some of the bulbs?

When the switch is messing up like in your video (flashing once then failing), what are the lights on the outside of the car doing?

Good Luck.

[GetBoosted84]

Are you running any LED bulbs anywhere? I'm thinking wiring or possibly a bad bulb. I've seen bulbs blow one filament and short themselves to the other causing very strange issues. Perhaps a quick inspection of some of the bulbs?

When the switch is messing up like in your video (flashing once then failing), what are the lights on the outside of the car doing?

Good Luck.

No LED bulbs are currently in my setup. If it's wiring, I'm not sure where to begin to start tracking down those kind of gremlins... any ideas?

The bulbs outside the car follow suit with the switch. I tried two different switches (original one and a new one from ECS) and both are failing.

[Jared71482]

Try a new fuse for the hell of it.

[petera4]

check grounds

[Dallas09]

Maybe something central locking related, possibly shorted and preventing the hazards to work since you said you had a central locking light flash issue?? Thats a weird one.

[GetBoosted84]

Try a new fuse for the hell of it.

I'm going out to check that now.

check grounds

Did you have a specific grounding point or wire that you are referring to?

Maybe something central locking related, possibly shorted and preventing the hazards to work since you said you had a central locking light flash issue?? Thats a weird one.

Correct, arming the alarm doesn't set off the 4-way flashers anymore. Really think it's my central locking system? I mean my locks still function correctly both via the remote and by using the key-in-the-door method. That seems like a stretch, although I'm game if you know of a way to diagnose that type of issue.

[GetBoosted84]

Ok no dice on the hazard switch fuse (15amp) or the central locking fuses (15amp & 5amp). I tried replacing all three and no dice.

[GetBoosted84]

bump...

Any thoughts/comments/suggestions?

[GetBoosted84]

bump... please help

[Ayefore]

What did you do to stop it from flashing at the end? I sounds look like a bad relay or a loose signal wire to a relay to tell the relay to turn on the blinkers.

[GetBoosted84]

What did you do to stop it from flashing at the end? I sounds look like a bad relay or a loose signal wire to a relay to tell the relay to turn on the blinkers.

I didn't do anything, that's the issue. The lights actually working is sporadically working (for a max of about a minute if I'm lucky).

Is there another relay that would control the hazard switch other than the actual switch itself? Maybe I got another bad switch from ECS? Slim chance but I guess it could happen.

[Dallas09]

You could try an rewire the hazard switches power, could have a bad connection somewhere... id try finding the + and - and wiring to some other constant source, it might be easier than trying to track it down.

[GetBoosted84]

You could try an rewire the hazard switches power, could have a bad connection somewhere... id try finding the + and - and wiring to some other constant source, it might be easier than trying to track it down.

Yeah I was thinking of that. At this point I'm thinking that might be my best option.

[walky_talky20]

Is your interior light delay working properly?

I am thinking the problem might be the Central Locking/Interior Light Delay/Theft Alarm Control Module. In particular, its output to the hazard switch.

I'm not quite sure how to test this. Perhaps removing the control module, and see if the problem persists. I'll try and find out where this module lives.

Good Luck.

[GetBoosted84]

Is your interior light delay working properly?

I am thinking the problem might be the Central Locking/Interior Light Delay/Theft Alarm Control Module. In particular, its output to the hazard switch.

I'm not quite sure how to test this. Perhaps removing the control module, and see if the problem persists. I'll try and find out where this module lives.

Good Luck.

The theater lighting you mean? If so then yes it is working as expected.

If you know where that module resides I can yank it this weekend to see if that fixes the issue. I'll look through my Bentley manual tonight also to see if I can locate it.

[walky_talky20]

I believe the control module is V94 - "Central Locking Motor with control unit for interior lights switch-off delay and anti-theft alarm system".

It looks like this signal is coming from the central locking pump, which is not super simple to get to. It requires removing some trunk panels.

http://www.audiworld.com/tech/elec131.shtml

I would probably try removing the two wires coming from the pump, right at the flasher switch (pins 6 and 8 I believe). I can't be sure what kind of signals are going from the pump to the switch, the diagram is a little confusing when it comes to the internal workings of the flasher switch. But it seems like it does the same thing as momentarily pushing the flasher switch.

I'm thinking one of the signal wires from the pump is intermittently shorting at the control module, or along the way - causing the flasher transistor not to get enough voltage to engage the flashing even with the flasher switch pressed... or something like that. Just a hypothesis.

If you want to test it that way, just be sure to leave a window down, just in case, haha.

[Dallas09]

The central locking has only one positive wire to the hazard flasher. My guess is the central locking just sends a positive to the hazard flasher when you lock/unlock your doors and the flasher just has a constant common ground (along with a constant + for when you actually push the button).. I would lean towards it being a common grounding issue since, both the button itself and the lock/unlock flash fail to work at times... There would be no reason for the positive power when the button is pressed to run all the way through the central locking when that button has constant power always (not switched with ignition or on only at certain times or anything).

The other thing is that your blinkers work fine which use the hazard flasher, so maybe it isnt a ground unless there are two grounds??

[GetBoosted84]

Looks like I'm going to be tracing some ground wires this weekend.

[walky_talky20]

Dallas:

Maybe I'm missing something, but from the diagram I'm looking at, it looks like there is 2 wires that go directly from the pump to the flasher switch. What do you think?





Here it is in the Haynes manual:


I guess I'd have to measure it to see what's actually going on there. Certainly, a poor ground to the switch might have those symptoms (intermittent operation).

[Dallas09]

Interesting, im curious as to what those other terminals specifacally 81 with the boxes around them that connect in on the bentley manual.. And its interesting how on the haynes manual (which i like much more for wiring diagrams) has almost a looping wire, it looks like one of the wires runs into that square (id like to know what the square is refrencing because its just blank) and then runs back out of it... Unless one is a + and one is a -... i dont really know im really not that good with wiring diagrams. I guess where id start, using the haynes manual, make sure that the red/yellow wire that says "hot at all times" is actually always hot and never looses power, then do the same for the load reduction relay wire too.. Then id check the grounding wire, im not sure which wire it is im assuming the ones to the left since they are cut off, you might be able to look.

[GetBoosted84]

I'm going to pull out the Haynes manual today so I can check the wiring on the car and hopefully trace the ground wire.

P.S. - I'm glad some people fully understand those wiring diagrams because I certainly don't. I have an idea of what's going on but not entirely.

[GetBoosted84]

UPDATE: Issue resolved after re-running the wiring for my turbo timer. I'm not sure what exactly was causing the issue but it had something to do with getting a switched ignition source from the 75x post. Or at least it seems that way.

Since I re-ran the wires for the turbo timer harness the issue has been resolved.

(Sorry to revive a dead thread but I thought this would help future searches on the topic)