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1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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spathak
User
Jun 30, 2017, 10:43 AM
Post #1 of 15
(1951 views)
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1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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I have a 1998 BMW 328i, 2.8L 6 cylinder with 158K miles on it.
Every morning when I start driving the car, the turn signals work just fine. However, after about 10-15 minutes of driving, the right turn signal and hazard lights stop working. During the remaining of the drive, sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. The left turn signal works just fine. The problem is only with the right turn singal and hazard lights. The issue is difficult to diagnose as when I take the car to a mechanic, the signals start working as if they are conspiring. The mechanic says that it has to stop working completely for him to be able to diagnose the problem.
Things I have tried:
I have switched the bulbs from left to right, but the problem persisted with the right turn signal.
I changed fuses (fuse no. 23, 34) associated with the turn signals. In the fuse diagram on the lid of the fuse box, the description of these two fuses say "Hazard warning flasher and turn indicator lights".
I bought a new hazard switch and replaced the old one which used to get stuck in one place.
One thing I have noticed is that when the car is out in open and therefore hot, the right turn signal stops working much sooner, with only 2-3 minutes of driving. I don't know if this has anything to do with the problem, but this has happened every single time when I drive back after work.
I have read somewhere that if it is a relay problem, it affects both the turn signals, so I am not sure if it is a relay problem as the left turn signal works just fine.
Can you please help me diagnose the issue?
Shubhendu
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jun 30, 2017, 11:54 AM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2017, 10:56 AM
Post #2 of 15
(1941 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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First off, please change your user name as the spammers will have a field day with your e-mail.
Your mechanic is right. It has to be in a failed state to look for the problem.
You probably have something like a bad socket for one of the bulbs or a bad ground. The next time it happens, get out of the car and look at the lights to see if one is out and one is on solid. The one that is out is the problem light.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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spathak
User
Jun 30, 2017, 11:03 AM
Post #3 of 15
(1933 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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Thank you for such a prompt response. I've changed the user name :).
I've checked that when it goes out. None of the lights are on when it stops working.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2017, 11:26 AM
Post #4 of 15
(1922 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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Go back and re-edit you 1st post but don't change anything. It's stamped with your email address open to public.
Flashes and crap only one side and BMW not my specialty isn't going to help much but choosing to pick on one side if flasher like some other cars has real points inside AND do both functions it's cancelling one side while thinking it's in flasher mode. Those type things - general are temp sensitive, points stick or do connect and nothing goes thru just at certain temps. You said hazard flasher was stuck in place - go check under that also. If directionals separate flasher than one too.
Hey - don't forget to look at rear also - sockets in particular and wires going into them from behind any of them,
T
(This post was edited by Tom Greenleaf on Jun 30, 2017, 11:28 AM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2017, 12:01 PM
Post #5 of 15
(1910 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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OK, I fixed that.
I'm trying to figure out how I can post a wiring diagram but in the meantime I would be looking at the flasher in the Power distribution box.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2017, 12:24 PM
Post #6 of 15
(1900 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2017, 12:44 PM
Post #7 of 15
(1896 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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OK, with that I think just heat is getting to right part inside of combination switch or why it was stuck is heating it up that side just takes that much time. IDK why but know a weak connection right there would heat up.
Again - look at condition of the connection of the flasher you just replaced or rather where it plugs into,
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2017, 1:02 PM
Post #8 of 15
(1888 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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Definitely not the combination switch. That's just and on/off switch, not effected by heat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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spathak
User
Jun 30, 2017, 1:06 PM
Post #9 of 15
(1886 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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Thanks. I have not changed/looked at the flasher has yet. I thought (after watching a youtube video) that it was under the steering wheel. I just searched a few images on google and it seems that the flasher is located in the fuse box. I will look at the flasher and post what I find.
Also, the hazard switch was stuck physically. If you switch it on, and then try to press it to switch it off, it got stuck in the on position. I have already replaced it. This is what I bough from Amazon to replace: Link deleted ................ not allowed
Are you talking about this switch when you say 'combination switch'?
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jun 30, 2017, 1:16 PM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jun 30, 2017, 1:17 PM
Post #10 of 15
(1872 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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Yes, he's talking about the switch but don't worry about that right now. Concentrate on that flasher.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2017, 1:19 PM
Post #11 of 15
(1867 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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Arggh? Many (don't know what BMW might think of) flashing making on/off things will use a bi-metal strip that get's heated from bulbs being lit and open and close circuit is why I thought also if prongs to replace this stuck thing were stuck the now VERY lousy connection is still right there. Weak connections anywhere make heat like overloaded right at that area and might, just might show it there or underside of the female where it plugged in and was stuck.
Let HT take this on. I was hoping to find it fast. Diagram shows the device not how it's installed,
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 30, 2017, 3:48 PM
Post #12 of 15
(1858 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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The switch is mechanical. The flasher is solid state so it is subject to temp issues.
There is also a Crash Control module in the circuit but I'm not sure what it's function is. I think it just monitors the circuit.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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spathak
User
Jul 6, 2017, 1:33 PM
Post #13 of 15
(1821 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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I have ordered a turn signal flasher online. It will arrive next week. O'Reily's didn't have the part available. The flasher was located under the hood so was easy to replace. I think replacing it should solve the problem, as it used to make sparking sound just before the right turn signal stopped working. I never realized it was the flasher that was making the sound. I thought it was a sound created by something else to notify the driver that turn signal is blinking. I will let you know if it works when I replace the flasher next week. The flasher is seven pronged so could be that left and right turn signals have different circuits.
(This post was edited by spathak on Jul 6, 2017, 1:36 PM)
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spathak
User
Jul 15, 2017, 9:46 AM
Post #14 of 15
(1767 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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The issue has been resolved. It was the flasher. I replaced it and the turn signal is working fine now. Thank you for all the help.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jul 15, 2017, 9:52 AM
Post #15 of 15
(1766 views)
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Re: 1998 BMW Right Turn Signal and Hazard Light stops working after I drive for 10-20 minutes.
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Made a good guess. Back a couple when a flasher has that many terminals you just know it does more.
Closing this up as solved and YOU may request it open by any moderator,
T
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