kertong

Why is this happening? One day, both my blinkers stopped working, but the hazards were fine.

So I check the fuse, and its blown. So I replace with another 15a fuse, and the bilnkers work for about a minute - then it stops working. Check the fuse, and its blown.

Tried once more, and blew that fuse in about a minute.

WHat would cause this? I tried a search but couldn't find anyone else with the same problem.

95_LT1_6SPD

check the wires, maybe a short. But i would just try putting in a bigger fuse and see what happens.

slopokrodrigez

DO NOT put a bigger fuse in. They are sized according to several things and wire size is one of them. You chance damaging several lengths of wire and it is a major PITA to pull new wires. What you need to do is find the short. You can work from either end of the circuit. Use the side of the fuse that goes to the lights or work from the socket with fuse out in either case. Use an ohm meter from the line side to ground and wiggle everything you can particularly at body panels until the resistance is higher. Be sure to remove the bulbs and fuses.

Built on Sin

Test to see if the fuse is blowing when you put tranny in reverse.
If so, you need to replace the reverse backup switch. Located
on pass. side of tranny.



Like Slopok said, DO NOT REPLACE WITH BIGGER FUSE.

slopokrodrigez

Hey Kertong, which fuse exactly did you have to replace? I don't see any fuse for the turn signals that is 15 AMPs. The #2 fuse(turn/ backup) in the I/P fuse panel should be 20AMP. And the #10 fuse(tail lights) in the I/P fuse panel is also 20AMP. Looking at the I/P fuse block, the 3 stack fuses (no.s 10, 6 and 2 should all be yellow 20 amp fuses. There are quite a few things connected to the #10 fuse.

How did you get the wrong fuse in there Could be your only problem. Boy do I feel stupid for not picking that one up yesterday.

Dave

Rpm280

Do any of your tail lights/ brake lights stay on or not work in the back?

kertong

thanks for the answers, all!

slopokrodriguez: again, it looks ilke I am indebted to you, i appreciate your help.

The signal fuse that blows is in the fusebox on the driver's side dash, not under the hood. my sticker under the cover says "TURN-B/U" and asks for 15A.

I think a backup switch is a possiblity - I heard a "pop" after I went into reverse once, and that is when the blinkers stopped working.

THe taillights/brakelights seem to work fine, though. When I hit the hazards, things blink well too.

Where is this backup switch, and how much is it to replace? is it a hard job?

thanks again,

slopokrodrigez

The switch should not be the problem. Your wire is grounding and the switch doesn't go to ground. Think about it, in order to pull too much current, the wire must be grounded. The switch has nothing to do with ground. If you're looking for the switch, it's located on the right side of the tranny about the middle. Remember even if you disconnect the switch and the problem goes away, that only means the wiring is bad like going to ground but at least you will know what circuit the problem is on.

I'm still confused though, my shop manual calls for a 20AMP in that position. Are you sure yours is supposed to be 15?????

If it turns out the problem is on that circuit, pull the fuse and the backup bulbs and measure from one of the switch wires to ground. If the reading is high, measure the other wire at the switch to ground. If either one is low, watch the meter while you wiggle all the wires you can until the meter reads high again.

Now I'm gona tell you something here and I hope it doesn't confuse you. The power for the backup switch comes from the fuse to the switch. Then from the switch to the backup lights. If you remove the switch and the problem goes away, you know the wire is shorted between the switch and the backup lights. That's cause the wire from the fuse to the switch has 12 volts all the time. The other wire from the switch to the lights only has 12 volts when the switch is closed(pressing the pedal). The wire color in that case that would be the problem is light green.

Check the light green wire to ground but be sure you pull the bulbs or you will get a low reading from the bulbs.

Another way to find the problem without crawling under the car is to remove the backup bulbs and measure from the light green wire at the socket to ground. You will still have to wiggle wires until the reading is higher but you do not have to remove the switch to do so.

Sorry long winded.

Good luck
Dave

viperkiller

just to add on a little, i have had a few cars with same problem in the shop. check ALL the blinker bulbs. the filiment can break and fall across the break side in the bulb basically cousing a short inside the bulb itself, and the light will still burn until the fuse goes.

also 15 does sound a little light for such a demanding circuit.

kertong

Hey guys, just an update:

It *is* a 15A they ask for, and the old blown blinker fuse that worked so well for so long was a 15A as well.

And yes, it does pop and blow (i can hear it pop) as soon as I engage the reverse gear. Hmmm. Myabe the reverse bulbs are blown..

Built on Sin

I guarantee you, that if you replace the backup switch, it will fix the problem.

Takes about 5 min. and cost like $12 at Autozone.

slopokrodrigez

2 questions kertong, what happened with your problem lately and why doesn't your personal page come up?

kertong

hey slopokrodriguez:

well, i don't have a multimeter so i can't measuer voltages at the moment - I've been driving around without the blinkers so far. if I take out the "courtesy" fuse, and pop in a 15a turn-b/u fuse, the blinkers work fine and i can go into reverse without the fuse blowing.

so, its a bit tough to figure out, but $12 for a backup switch can't hurt - gonna try that next.

and myp ersonal page? hmm. ok, link fixed. thanks.

slopokrodrigez

Curious that the circuit works with the courtesy fuse out. But that proves it's not the switch. I'm gona check the wiring diagrams. I'll get back to you.

Dave

cgen

Hey Kertong... i have a 01 camaro and i am having the exact same problem... Did you ever figure out what was happening? and how did you fix it? did the back up switch fix the problem?

Thank you