Electrical Problems - Turn signals + Random stalling
Fastlane89
03-06-2010, 05:02 PM
Please help!
Recently my car started acting very weird...and it begun while i was driving around, my car would sputter almost unnoticeably but i noticed that all the lights in my gauge cluster would reset, as if i had just turned the car on. Fine, i can deal. However...
The problem started getting progressively worse. All of a sudden, i tried merging on to the highway and to do so used my left flasher...boom...car sputters intensely, dash becomes dimmer and dimmer, at one point going dark entirely. It started itself back up within a few seconds after i gave it some gas and flicked my flasher back up. I realised the problem when i tried to merge in to the lane next to me about 4 football fields length later when i used my right turn signal. Same effect. So what? I just wont indicate, sure ill piss some people off but hey, i live in Quebec, we dont use turn signals during the most perilous of blizzards. Out of sight out of mind right?
Wrong. Next day i take off to go to my buddies house, without using my turn signals. Car starts up fine, shifts fine but about 100 feet from my house begins to sputter, dim and at one point i dont think i had any accessories running (power steering, brakes, dashboard lights, all OFF)...ive been told it could be an array of things from complications regarding my remote starter (aftermarket, not from GM) from some bad connections to my battery, to my alternator (which is possible, given the abuse its taken i would imagine) to my ignition switch...
if anyone has any information on how i could fix this, i would be forever in debt to your priceless advice.
Thanks,
Tom
Recently my car started acting very weird...and it begun while i was driving around, my car would sputter almost unnoticeably but i noticed that all the lights in my gauge cluster would reset, as if i had just turned the car on. Fine, i can deal. However...
The problem started getting progressively worse. All of a sudden, i tried merging on to the highway and to do so used my left flasher...boom...car sputters intensely, dash becomes dimmer and dimmer, at one point going dark entirely. It started itself back up within a few seconds after i gave it some gas and flicked my flasher back up. I realised the problem when i tried to merge in to the lane next to me about 4 football fields length later when i used my right turn signal. Same effect. So what? I just wont indicate, sure ill piss some people off but hey, i live in Quebec, we dont use turn signals during the most perilous of blizzards. Out of sight out of mind right?
Wrong. Next day i take off to go to my buddies house, without using my turn signals. Car starts up fine, shifts fine but about 100 feet from my house begins to sputter, dim and at one point i dont think i had any accessories running (power steering, brakes, dashboard lights, all OFF)...ive been told it could be an array of things from complications regarding my remote starter (aftermarket, not from GM) from some bad connections to my battery, to my alternator (which is possible, given the abuse its taken i would imagine) to my ignition switch...
if anyone has any information on how i could fix this, i would be forever in debt to your priceless advice.
Thanks,
Tom
BNaylor
03-07-2010, 10:14 AM
Possible ignition switch or multifunction switch. Open up the steering column covers and see if you see any fried wiring.
richtazz
03-08-2010, 10:15 AM
I agree with Bob. Most likely culprit is a bad ignition switch/harness assembly. This is a common issue on these cars. Where the ignition switch/harness mates to the vehicle harness, the contacts get weak and start arcing, causing all sorts of seemingly unrelated electrical issues. It could also be associated with the remote start unit, as these don't play well with GM Pass key equipped vehicles as they get older.
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