04 Malibu turn signal problem

My daughter has the newer body style 04 malibu 6 cyl with about 55000 miles. A couple of weeks ago she started having the problem with the left turn signal flashing wildly and not working. When we bought the car we got a 90 day warranty - so we were trying to work thru the dealership and they told us it was the hazard and gave us part 10359580 - took a week and unfortunately I could tell that this was a part for the older style Malibus, because I also have a 97 - and the part was for the 97, not the 04. So they reordered me part 15258590 - which again is the hazard switch - and I'm not sure if this is going to fix the problem. From what I can read on the forum, it appears that the hazard switch replacement for turn signals that's discussed seems to be with the older models. The dealership is no help - her 90 day warranty is up today, so they are just ordering cheap parts stringing me along I'm afraid. The first part that fit the older malibus had about 10 wire connections - so it made sense that it might be controlling the turn signal. This new part is just the small hazard lite icon and looks like it just plugs in with 3 prongs. My daughter is in training 3 hours away for the next couple of weeks, so I can't look at the car today, but we were trying to get this fixed while it was still under warranty.
Does anyone know in the newer style if the turn signal problem is actually in the turn signal switch on the column - or is the hazard switch still involved? I called another dealership and they didn't seem to know the answer either - Of course I understand a phone call isn't getting them any labor money - so they aren't going to volunteer much info. Help - I hate to have my daughter take the car to a dealership in a college town where she might get a huge bill - but she can't be driving around a large city with no turn signals.

Thanks

Looked up my 04 Malibu diagnostic for the newer car. Right off is says check for operating hazards. Do you know if the hazards work, if no, try the switch assy you have.

This is a very common problem in new-style '04 and '05 Malibus. The daytime running lights in those 2 model years (changed for '06) are in the amber parking lamps and they tend to burn out quickly. I forget all the details, but there should be a ton of documentation either in here or elsewhere on the Internet....fortunately (??) for me, I've had a minor front-end accident that required replacement of both headlamp assemblies, so my turn signal problem is gone, at least for now. I'm also seeing a lot of '04 Malibus on the road with very hazed-over headlamp assemblies. Not good.

This is a very common problem in new-style '04 and '05 Malibus. The daytime running lights in those 2 model years (changed for '06) are in the amber parking lamps and they tend to burn out quickly. I forget all the details, but there should be a ton of documentation either in here or elsewhere on the Internet....fortunately (??) for me, I've had a minor front-end accident that required replacement of both headlamp assemblies, so my turn signal problem is gone, at least for now. I'm also seeing a lot of '04 Malibus on the road with very hazed-over headlamp assemblies. Not good.

Had a left bulb burn out at 10K, 30K now no problems since. Headlight lens are as clear as the day I bought it. It is garaged when not on the road, sees little sun.

Okay - I should have mentioned that daughter's boyfriend replaced the turn signal bulb right off, and that didn't fix it, unless there is something wrong that is blowing the bulb immediately - which would be odd since it's only the left turn signal with the problem. Also the hazard switch seems to be working. Does anyone know where the posts are about the 04 & 05 turn signal problems? Everything I could find seemed to be discussing the older models, in fact the one post specifically mentioned the part that fits the older body style.

slls - The Malibu diagnostic - is that in the owner's manual? Again the owner's manual is 3 hours away in the car - so I'm kind of grasping at straws trying to diagnose a problem that I can't mess with at present.

Thanks

Not only does it blows the bulb, it also burns out the connector.

I might have originally seen all the posts about this over in Edmund's. That site had most of the early-on diagnostic info, since it was only recently that the '04 and newer Malis have been discussed on this site.....

Okay - I should have mentioned that daughter's boyfriend replaced the turn signal bulb right off, and that didn't fix it, unless there is something wrong that is blowing the bulb immediately - which would be odd since it's only the left turn signal with the problem. Also the hazard switch seems to be working. Does anyone know where the posts are about the 04 & 05 turn signal problems? Everything I could find seemed to be discussing the older models, in fact the one post specifically mentioned the part that fits the older body style.

slls - The Malibu diagnostic - is that in the owner's manual? Again the owner's manual is 3 hours away in the car - so I'm kind of grasping at straws trying to diagnose a problem that I can't mess with at present.

Thanks

No, not in the owners manual, I downloaded the entire Malibu SI when I was lucky enough to have a user name and password. New system now, each tech has his own.
Are you saying all 4 lights flash when the hazards are on, this is important.

My daughter has the newer body style 04 malibu 6 cyl with about 55000 miles. A couple of weeks ago she started having the problem with the left turn signal flashing wildly and not working. When we bought the car we got a 90 day warranty - so we were trying to work thru the dealership and they told us it was the hazard and gave us part 10359580 - took a week and unfortunately I could tell that this was a part for the older style Malibus, because I also have a 97 - and the part was for the 97, not the 04. So they reordered me part 15258590 - which again is the hazard switch - and I'm not sure if this is going to fix the problem. From what I can read on the forum, it appears that the hazard switch replacement for turn signals that's discussed seems to be with the older models. The dealership is no help - her 90 day warranty is up today, so they are just ordering cheap parts stringing me along I'm afraid. The first part that fit the older malibus had about 10 wire connections - so it made sense that it might be controlling the turn signal. This new part is just the small hazard lite icon and looks like it just plugs in with 3 prongs. My daughter is in training 3 hours away for the next couple of weeks, so I can't look at the car today, but we were trying to get this fixed while it was still under warranty.
Does anyone know in the newer style if the turn signal problem is actually in the turn signal switch on the column - or is the hazard switch still involved? I called another dealership and they didn't seem to know the answer either - Of course I understand a phone call isn't getting them any labor money - so they aren't going to volunteer much info. Help - I hate to have my daughter take the car to a dealership in a college town where she might get a huge bill - but she can't be driving around a large city with no turn signals.

Thanks

Not working and flashing wildly which I take to mean real fast sometimes is a bad ground. These days of plastic cars everything has to be grounded, find your frount and rear harnesses and follow them to where they find metal and ground also check the signal lite housing it self for bad wires and corossion, sockets too.

Okay I guess I will try to put on the new hazard switch, then check the wiring and connectors. Apparently the left turn signal works about every other time normally, then the next time starts flashing very fast and doesn't work- puzzling.

never had problem like this with my 04 but my 01 use to do that and it was indeed the hazard switch/relay

Well, talk about irony of ironies. Three days ago, I encountered the EXACT same problem with my '04 Maxx. Driver's side turn signal indicator flashes wildly. I checked and both bulbs (front and rear) work fine, but only the front bulb flashes (wildly). The rear bulb doesn't flash at all. I forgot to try the hazard switch check.

I'm now covered by GMPP (orig warranty has expired, but I have 2 more years of extended coverage).

Unfortunately, I'm going out of town tomorrow for 10 days and won't get a chance to take it in until around the 17th or 18th. I also am about ready for an oil change and new wiper blades, so...

I'll report back when my Chevy dealer gets a hold of it.

This mayt be irrelevant - my neighbour had a trailer hitch and wiring installed on his '04. When he hooked the wiring to the trailer, it shorted out the taillight circuit board. The dealer replaced the board, but the trailer lights don't work. Neighbour figures he best leave it all alone now.

Update - daughter finally came home for a few hours and her dad couldn't get the turn signal to act up. I know she wasn't imagining it because when I went to visit her it was flashing wildly, then you turn off the car and restart and it may or may not work or go crazy again - so it's an intermittent thing. Since we already had the part and no time to check wiring, he put the hazard switch on and once she got back home - it started acting up again. Her dad says until it quits for good she's going to have to live with it unless she wants to go to a dealer there and PAY - it's hard to diagnose something when the car isn't here. If the other person who had the problem finds a solution - I'd sure like to know what it is.

Have an appt. with the dealer for the 18th. There's some stuff in Edmund's about this - looks like it might be a bad hazard switch. Was a common problem with the '97-'03 generation, too.

The problem with waiting is that, at least on mine, I have NO left-rear turn signal at all. Not so safe....

After being delayed a week, I finally got the car in yesterday, and it was a simple matter of replacing the driver's side rear turn signal bulb. I suppose this is a dual-filament bulb, because it lit fine at night as a running light, just didn't blink....the dealer said that they've seen quite a few of these go on certain late-build '04s and early-build '05s.

The problem I found with my left front turn signal after 10K miles, was that the contacts in the connector were not touching the bulb any longer. A quick bend with a small screwdriver and I've been back in business. Nothing burned out, no electrical shorts, no bad fuses, no corrosion.
Of course, I took the lamp assembly out of the vehicle before I stuck the screwdriver in there...

Usually any issues with wildly flashing signals will be either: a burnt bulb or a connection issue at the bulb...try replaceing the bulb, locating by using hazards, if replaceing the bulb still does not repair your issue, look at the connection at the bulb...

Okay - this problem is still not fixed - daughter & boyfriend haven't taken care of the problem where they are - not sure how I'm supposed to help when she's 4 hours away - but she says it constant now. When she was home last, the wiring was checked (quickly due to time constraints) and the connectors for the bulbs - and the rear bulbs were also changed. When she's home for Christmas I'm about ready to replace every part it could possibly be. On a Grand Prix forum I read where this symptom (wildly flashing turn signals) was a problem caused by the turn signal switch/stalk itself - does anyone know if this could possibly be? I've called the dealerships - no one seems willing to fess up to a relay or anything else other than a wiring problem. Is there a relay for the goofy things - or could it be the switch? :disappoin

There's new info (w/i the last 10 days) in an Edmund's forum that this is caused by too much voltage being sent to the turn signals - one person has this problem recurring as well. He (or she) had the problem fixed by the Chevy dealer. They knew immediately how to fix it. I don't think the exact fix was detailed.

My buddy's wife drives a 2000 or 2001 malibu and had a problem with the turn signals blinking rapidly or not blinking at all. After lots of attempts to fix, the replacement of the hazard switch fixed her problem. Just thought I'd let you know...Good Luck!! :popcorn:

That was a common problem with the '97-'03 generation, but it's not a problem with the '04-'07s.

My car's right turn signal would work sometimes and other times it would not work even after I replaced the bulb.
My mechanic suggested I check the light socket and I found it was corroded and the bulb was loose when I inserted it.
I cleaned it with WD40 and took a very small screw driver and pryed the contacts together just a little bit. Make sure the power is off of course.
Since then the light has worked every time.

Rapid flashing of the turn signal on my 04 Malibu has in each case turned out to be bad contacts in the bulb holders. I seem to have solved the problem by spraying WD-40 into the holders. The problems were also intermittent.

tsb (technical service bullentin) #06-08-42-004 pretains to bulb and socket replacement search the web or have the dealer pull it up. i would ppost you a link but i cant due to copyright agreement.

yep - still have the problem - since it is intermittent never wasted money taking it to dealer - i can try the suggestions but it doesn't seem likely. When this all started the wiring was traced all the way and nothing found and replaced the hazard switch with no result. Strange but true - when the turn signal doesn't work - I shut off the car and restart it and the turn signal works fine - so it seems more computer than bulb or wiring?

As I said, I seem to have solved the problem by spraying WD-40 onto the bulb and socket contacts. I did this some 2 years ago and have had no problems since. I think there is some oxidization of the contacts going on here. It doesn't matter what brand of bulb you buy they all seem to be made in China. Maybe China is running out of lead for the contacts?

Since I bought my Malibu used, I have had problems with the left turn signal. After several visits to the dealership and several light bulbs later. I found the problem myself. Good thing we pay the dealerships to do nothing. Found that there was no connection in the light socket and after several different attempts, I placed a small nail, yes a nail, in the socket to hold the bulb securely. After all of the money that I spent at the dealership I could've bought 2 new headlight assemblies. I have had the nail in the socket for about a year now and no problems.

Hark - I know this is a very old thread, but were you ever able to find out the problem? I currently have the same exact problem on my 04 Malibu and no one knows what's going, on including the GM dealer in my area. They ran a complete diagnostics on the car and they say nothing appears to be wrong and there are no fault codes in the computer. I also brought it to an auto electrical specialist and he wouldn't even mess with it. He said " Sounds like a real headache " My problem started when I installed a new pair of plastic headlamps, because the old ones were all whited out from the sun. I thought that was the problem, so I sent them back and the company sent me a new pair. I installed those and I still have the same problem. I also tried contacting one of these GM techs you pay a fee to online. So far, none of them have been able to help. I'm at the end of my rope with this car and don't know what the heck to do with it anymore.