Electronics Need help wiring something up? Thinking of adding an electrical component to your car? Need help troubleshooting that wiring glitch?

Hazard warning lights

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 12, 2024 | 01:40 PM
  #1  
Pcd1970's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Hazard warning lights

Hi all, the hazard warning ****, when pushed in, on my 85 firebird trans am flash only the passenger side, turn them off and put the turn signal on for drivers side and it works, put the hazards on again and again only passenger side works. It worked before and after a new switch was fitted, the horn was inoperable due to the horn contact was broken so needed replacing.
what is causing this to only work on one side?
Reply
Old Feb 12, 2024 | 01:52 PM
  #2  
sofakingdom's Avatar
Supreme Member
20 Year Member
Community Builder
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 27,918
Likes: 2,448
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: Hazard warning lights

Because the TS switch is bad or incorrectly installed or damaged.
Reply
Old Feb 12, 2024 | 02:07 PM
  #3  
Pcd1970's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Re: Hazard warning lights

As I stated was working with the new switch installed, fitted correctly, not disturbed in any way.
Reply
Old Feb 12, 2024 | 04:16 PM
  #4  
sofakingdom's Avatar
Supreme Member
20 Year Member
Community Builder
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 27,918
Likes: 2,448
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: Hazard warning lights

:shrug:

What difference does that make?

The problem is still the switch.

If it worked before but doesn't now, then it broke sometime later.
Reply
Old Feb 12, 2024 | 07:57 PM
  #5  
19eighty4_z28's Avatar
Member
 
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 121
Likes: 17
From: Earth
Car: One Chevy built in the 80s
Engine: 5.7 crate
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: Quick performance 9” 3.70
Re: Hazard warning lights

I had a similar issue trying to use LEDs. You using those? I swapped back to standard and problem solved. Just a thought
Reply
Old Feb 13, 2024 | 06:22 AM
  #6  
Pcd1970's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Re: Hazard warning lights

Originally Posted by 19eighty4_z28
I had a similar issue trying to use LEDs. You using those? I swapped back to standard and problem solved. Just a thought
Only on the rear indicators, yet they work fine when using the turn signal
Reply
Old Feb 13, 2024 | 06:23 AM
  #7  
Pcd1970's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Re: Hazard warning lights

Originally Posted by sofakingdom
:shrug:

What difference does that make?

The problem is still the switch.

If it worked before but doesn't now, then it broke sometime later.
was never touched after it was fitted and working, maybe just maybe could be the relay not pushed in far enough or a wiring issue to the indicator. Doesn't always have to be the switch.
Reply
Old Feb 13, 2024 | 07:42 AM
  #8  
exiled350's Avatar
Member
5 Year Member
Liked
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 295
Likes: 75
From: Michigan
Car: 1987 Camaro Sport Coupe
Engine: 427ci Gen 1 Small Block
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: Strange60 4.10 Eaton Truetrac
Re: Hazard warning lights

Originally Posted by Pcd1970
Only on the rear indicators, yet they work fine when using the turn signal
The turn signal flasher is separate from the four ways. It's possible that the turn signal flasher is good enough to activate with the reduced load of the rear LED but the left side of the four way is not.
Reply
Old Feb 13, 2024 | 08:59 AM
  #9  
Pcd1970's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Re: Hazard warning lights

Originally Posted by exiled350
The turn signal flasher is separate from the four ways. It's possible that the turn signal flasher is good enough to activate with the reduced load of the rear LED but the left side of the four way is not.
I will check the rear lights when I put the hazards on later but don't think its that
Reply
Old Feb 13, 2024 | 09:52 AM
  #10  
sofakingdom's Avatar
Supreme Member
20 Year Member
Community Builder
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 27,918
Likes: 2,448
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: Hazard warning lights

The hazard flasher is in the supply circuit to the TS switch, such that ONE output from it feeds BOTH sides of the car. It CANNOT allow only one side to work and cause the other to not work, at the same time.

Note that I am NOT saying "the OP's haz flasher is good"; NOT saying "don't change the haz flasher"; NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT. Please, don't anyone put those words, or anything like them, into my mouth (keyboard). Sure, the OP's haz flasher might be bad; while HIGHLY unlikely, it's not impossible; BUTT, there's NO POSSIBLE WAY for it to cause the symptom at hand. You might as well propose that the space aliens got bored with creating crop circles and Elvis sightings, and instead decided to "plant a bug" in the OP's car, just to test the intelligence of the human race and laugh at the crap people post on the Internet about it. That's EXACTLY as believable an explanation, as blaming it on the hazard flasher. It is NOT and CANNOT BE the "explanation" for the problem the OP has.

The OP's problem is the TS switch; specifically, the pair of contacts that are supposed to meet the haz flasher's output when it is actuated. That is THE ONLY THING that can possibly account for the symptoms as described. They are either defective, or damaged, or improperly installed, or blocked in some way by foreign matter. There IS NO OTHER possible explanation.

See my signature for a helpful mental discipline that keeps one on the straight-and-narrow while troubleshooting. Ponder EVERY word CAREFULLY: "simplest", ALL", "most likely", etc.
Reply
Old Feb 13, 2024 | 11:42 AM
  #11  
Pcd1970's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2023
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Re: Hazard warning lights

Originally Posted by sofakingdom
The hazard flasher is in the supply circuit to the TS switch, such that ONE output from it feeds BOTH sides of the car. It CANNOT allow only one side to work and cause the other to not work, at the same time.

Note that I am NOT saying "the OP's haz flasher is good"; NOT saying "don't change the haz flasher"; NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT. Please, don't anyone put those words, or anything like them, into my mouth (keyboard). Sure, the OP's haz flasher might be bad; while HIGHLY unlikely, it's not impossible; BUTT, there's NO POSSIBLE WAY for it to cause the symptom at hand. You might as well propose that the space aliens got bored with creating crop circles and Elvis sightings, and instead decided to "plant a bug" in the OP's car, just to test the intelligence of the human race and laugh at the crap people post on the Internet about it. That's EXACTLY as believable an explanation, as blaming it on the hazard flasher. It is NOT and CANNOT BE the "explanation" for the problem the OP has.

The OP's problem is the TS switch; specifically, the pair of contacts that are supposed to meet the haz flasher's output when it is actuated. That is THE ONLY THING that can possibly account for the symptoms as described. They are either defective, or damaged, or improperly installed, or blocked in some way by foreign matter. There IS NO OTHER possible explanation.

See my signature for a helpful mental discipline that keeps one on the straight-and-narrow while troubleshooting. Ponder EVERY word CAREFULLY: "simplest", ALL", "most likely", etc.
Sofakingdom, I owe absolute apologies to you, you were correct that the TS switch is at fault, not sure what has happened whether it has gone faulty, broken contacts or misaligned, but just unplugged it, with the battery disconnected, and plugged the old one back in and all 4 indicators worked with the button pushed in. I don't know your knowledge on these cars but will listen to what you have to say in future when posting on here again.
I bow down to your knowledge and is greatly appreciated. I now have to dismantle the steering wheel and locking ring to get to the cause of the problem.
once again I thank you for your diagnosis.
Reply
Old Feb 13, 2024 | 01:02 PM
  #12  
sofakingdom's Avatar
Supreme Member
20 Year Member
Community Builder
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 27,918
Likes: 2,448
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: Hazard warning lights

Glad it was that easy.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ubigbad
Electronics
10
Sep 9, 2018 12:28 PM
Alex Fields
Electronics
8
Oct 26, 2015 05:16 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:57 AM.