Drivers side turn signal flashing fast.

[rickjames8]

Rear one works, front one doesn't. Figured it was the bulb, but I've tried 3 and no luck.

Is there a common place to check for shorts or broken wires leading to the front turn signal?

[Morpheus]

Drop the washer bottle cage in the left front wheel well and check the large front harness connector inside. On my first car, I had a similar issue and it turned out to be a bad connection in this area.

[DMC5180]

Rear one works, front one doesn't. Figured it was the bulb, but I've tried 3 and no luck.

Is there a common place to check for shorts or broken wires leading to the front turn signal?

Does the front Park/Turn light socket have any rust corrosion? Does the Park/Running light work with the headlight switch ON?

[rickjames8]

Thanks Morpheus - will check that tomorrow.
5180 - there is no corrosion and the parking light element of the bulb does work. Thanks!

[David T]

Rear one works, front one doesn't. Figured it was the bulb, but I've tried 3 and no luck.

Is there a common place to check for shorts or broken wires leading to the front turn signal?

When the turn signal flashes quickly it is an indicator that 1 or more bulbs are not working. Turn on the 4 ways and walk around the car. See which lights are flashing and which ones aren't. The ones that aren't are the ones to fix.

[DMC5180]

Thanks Morpheus - will check that tomorrow.
5180 - there is no corrosion and the parking light element of the bulb does work. Thanks!

I that case, I gotta believe it's the bulb. Try swapping out the bulb with the known working bulb from the RH front.
Also just try wiggling the bulb in the socket while you have it switched ON either with the 4 ways or turn switch.


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[Mark D]

I had a similar issue on my car at one point and it turned out I had a mouse that had partially chewed through the wiring to the bulb socket. If you know the socket itself is in good shape and you've got a good bulb then start tracing the wiring back. If you remove the upper grille you can acess the next connector in line which is where the signal light pigtail connects to the front harness. See green circled connections in the photo below. These connections can also get corroded and cause intermittent issues. From there the harness goes to the main connection on the driver's side above the washer bottle.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=47790&d=1481552138

[rickjames8]

Drop the washer bottle cage in the left front wheel well and check the large front harness connector inside. On my first car, I had a similar issue and it turned out to be a bad connection in this area.

So the washer bottle cage, is, I'm assuming, the black box in front of the front wheel on the drivers side. If so, it's held in by about 8 philips head screws. Most of which turn (1-2 are really stuck) - however, even the ones that turn don't back out, they just spin in place and I can't see the topside to hold whatever it is they're screwed in to. Did you have this issue when you tried to pull that box?

[rickjames8]

I had a similar issue on my car at one point and it turned out I had a mouse that had partially chewed through the wiring to the bulb socket. If you know the socket itself is in good shape and you've got a good bulb then start tracing the wiring back. If you remove the upper grille you can acess the next connector in line which is where the signal light pigtail connects to the front harness. See green circled connections in the photo below. These connections can also get corroded and cause intermittent issues. From there the harness goes to the main connection on the driver's side above the washer bottle.



Mark - thanks so much for the photo - very helpful. I'll take a look at that now, as this water bottle area access is going to be a mess. I found this link (http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?5243-How-To-Repair-Cracked-Washer-Fluid-Bottle) and it looks like I should have had bolts, not screws, so who knows what mess a DPO made in there.

[DMC5180]

Yeah the black plastic bucket bottom contains the washer bottle. I don't recall my fasteners being Phillips head screws. Mine are M5 bolts with 8MM heads.

The fasteners go into aluminum rivnuts. When the fastener corrodes to them they will almost always spin. If that happens all you can do is grind or drill the head off.


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[PJ Grady Inc.]

I had a similar issue on my car at one point and it turned out I had a mouse that had partially chewed through the wiring to the bulb socket. If you know the socket itself is in good shape and you've got a good bulb then start tracing the wiring back. If you remove the upper grille you can acess the next connector in line which is where the signal light pigtail connects to the front harness. See green circled connections in the photo below. These connections can also get corroded and cause intermittent issues. From there the harness goes to the main connection on the driver's side above the washer bottle.

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=47790&d=1481552138
"
As previously noted corrosion is a common problem both at the front T/S harness connections and at the socket itself. You should use a good electrical compound such as "Kopr-shield" here to protect the contacts. Another trick is to bend the little 3/16" tab that forms part of the socket body in slightly towards the bulb to promote better grounding of the bulb. Any issues here will cause the symptoms described and this problem is very common here in the Northeast.
Rob

[rickjames8]

See green circled connections in the photo below. These connections can also get corroded and cause intermittent issues. From there the harness goes to the main connection on the driver's side above the washer bottle.


That did the trick!! Thanks again! The blinker is happily blinking.