Hazard Light Problem
 

Recently I've had something odd happen.

I'll be driving along and suddenly my hazard lights will go on. Not after bumps or anything. It can be reset by pressing the hazard light switch twice (once to turn them "on", then again to turn them "off").

It's not a big deal, but on one 90 min drive this week, I think it happened about a dozen times. Then it'll go for weeks and not happen again.

I probably won't rip my console apart to investigate this unless someone else has had a similar problem and knows a real fix.

It is slightly amusing that the same thing happened on my '82 320i. There the physical mechanism that held the switch in the "off" position would fail. You could take the switch apart and then bend the soft metal pin back into shape and everything would be fine (you couldn't leave the switch out since all the turn signals, etc. had wiring that went through that switch). This doesn't seem to be the case now since the switch seems to work to turn the lights off.

Funny, I have the same problem. I don't know if it's the switch itself or if maybe the car computer is trying to tell me something, but it happened to me twice on the way home today, came on once and then again after a minute and then no other times. It's funny cause it only ever happens on the highway... I dont know whats going on here. Anyone have any insight?

My car has had that problem for about 2 years... I've noticed that it tends to happen when the A/C is on. I can't recall a time when it comes on when the A/C is off. I have already spent 50 bucks on a new switch... that wasn't the problem. I'm not sure what it is... and as the original poster stated... I'll have to wait to see if someone else can get a sure fix before I ever start poking around.

herez my story................

Hazardz come on and just flash once and then go off and now also the light on the radio where it tells you what station your on and so forth has gone off completly but the rest are fine.

help! This is my first problem that ive ran into since i got my ti bout 2monthz ago.

the plug is probably loose/loose connection. same thing with my dash clock-popped it out and the plug wasn't even snapped in.

Mine did it three times on the way to work this morning (~30 minute drive) again pressing the hazard light twice will turn them off. It has nothing to do with bumps or rattles. I could be driving on a smooth road and it will still come on randomly. There has to be some logical explanation for this. Could the car's computer be somehow doing this? It doesn't at all seem to be related to the switch.

Who Knowz? The Other odd thing is that this problem started right about when it hit 100k on the Dash

lol it was celebrating its 100,000 mile :tongue:

check the grounds for the hazards/blinkers. its probably just a short. you could even take a test light to the wire and have someone stick it in the wire while your driving, and if the light turns on and off you found the problem.

I have the same thing happening with my '98 ti. I had also replaced my switch and the relay trying to fix this with no luck.

It's definately correlated to the air conditioning. My hazards were coming on randomly during the summer, but I noticed in the late fall and winter that they hadn't come on in months. So I turned on the AC and sure enough, after about 5 minutes the hazards were flashing.

I found this on a website regarding 318i reliability:
Dashboard lights: The hazard flashers may begin flashing by themselves and the turn signals may flash at twice the normal speed due to condensation shorting out the circuit board. (1992-94)

Anybody figure this out yet?

I have the same problem but it happens to me when I close the windows from the outside of the car with the key. I think this problem has to do with the safety system that unlocks your doors and turns on the blinkers when the airbags are deployed. Anyone with electrical skills out there that can help us??

I'm having this issue now, I hadn't thought to see whether it happened with the air conditioning on / off, but I will on my way home today..

That said, I have been keeping it off because it's been so nice out lately and it hasn't happened that I can remember.

Sounds something like my problem, except mine come on (on the dash) and my electrical system fails completely,my car wants to die, my turn singles, brake lights light up anD my car will fail out, if I step on the brakes, use the signals. I thought IT was the A/c system as well, I would shut off the compressor, the blower motor and radio and it seemed turning off the Compressor had the biggest influence. One thing I realized is it would do it after it rained hard, and water somehow was getting underneath my floormat from my weather stripping on the driverside door. Its either a combination of a leak or just my relay kicking the wrong circuit on at the wrong time. Make sure your A/c drain hole is not plugged up, and make sure your not getting water anywhere in the car,
But keep this thread alive so we can figure out this problem.
B/c it annoys the Hell out of me I already got a ticket from it for my turn and brake signals malf. on the road one day.

This is friggin insane ... I have the same damn issue! Air Conditioning on and the hazards just randomly come on. I think that the 'circuit board' condensation deal is the best I have heard yet. So is there an A/C line that passes over a circuit board that we should be looking for?

We have to find a solution to this ... there are too many of us having this same exact issue! Has anybody taken it into BMW to see if there is a technical bulletin on it? Anybody have access to BMW technical bulletins?

i have this one too lol and it turns on when i roll the windoes up with the key from outside. anyone firgured it out yet

My issue is still unresolved ... Has anybody made progress on this?

no not yet this seems to be a common problem just no one has an answer to it

BUMP - It's getting near summer time again and this is going to become a problem again. I have a perfect ti, but this particular issue is very frustrating.

Same here. I've uploaded the 318ti Electrical Troubleshooting Manual in case anyone wants to take a look.

http://fm1.olsv6.com/frank/318ti%20E...g%20Manual.pdf

Also, I don't know if it's possible to add a poll to this thread, but I'm wondering how many of you guys that are experiencing this problem (particularly in combination with A/C) have an alarm installed? Maybe the A/C condensation is affecting the alarm brain? Also, I think some of us added a mod to flash our hazards using the alarm remote. I believe this involved adding another relay in the hazard light chain, so that's another suspect.

Let's put our heads together and figure this out.

mine flashed the first day i drove it around (wasnt warm enough for the ac) then that first night i got mine home i looked down and i was like "how cute hazard lights" and i pushed it... then i pushed it again and it wouldnt go off, i couldnt let it kill the battery so i pry'd on it and snap. Now it wont stay down to be effective as hazards (i can hold it down and they work) but i havent had it randomly come on since then either. Ill keep an eye out for i going off with the AC.

also no mod for flash hazard with remote, but it was on the list, thanks for the link to the manual!

I pulled my alarm brain and still had the issue.

The issue seems to be progressively getting worse, it now happens EVERY time I turn on the A/C within about 10 minutes. Then it keeps happening every minute or so after that and seems to progressively get closer together, sometimes within 10 - 20 seconds, until I get frustrated and turn off the A/C.

wow thats rough! Mine seems to come on 2 out of 3 times when i cut on the overhead lamp, ive been running my ac often for the last few days and had no hazards

it sounds like it my be a ground potential problem since it happens with different things mine happens with the windows every time i roll up the key it will set them off.

Mine does it sometimes when i close the windows/roof with the key and when i lock the doors from the door button.
I don't have the lock/unlock button on the console and the only way to lock the doors is to push the locker from the door with my elbow :D
So it's a problem in Europe too.

Bump.

Recently replaced the O2 sensor (pre-cat). I was hoping it might be related ... but no go, still having the problem. The voltage drop is a good thought, but I have a 300w MTX amp powering a sub and it never triggers the hazards, so that seems unlikely.

ground potential and voltage drop are two separate things.

ok, I think I got this stupid issue resolved --- completely by accident.

I had a problem with the temperature rising when I was sitting in traffic. Quick investigation showed that the low speed fan was not coming on. To make a long story short, I replaced the temperature switch on the top of the radiator, the electric fan itself and the low speed fan relay. One of those three components happened to have solved my hazzard light when using the A/C issue too. I presume it is either the low speed fan relay, or the temperature switch that controls the fan based on the coolant temperature.

... on a side note, none of those things fixed my overheating issue. The problem ended up being the jacka$$es that last worked on my car not bleeding the coolant system. Essentially, that temperature switch on the top of the radiator was never getting activated because there was no coolant that high in the system.

Good luck to you all --- let me know if one of these items fixes your problem too.

check the ground under the hood behind the drivers side headlight that bolts with a 10mm to the fender well, take it off, clean the surfaces, look for corrosion, this is the ground point that grounds the lights, the blinkers, the A/C, the AUX fan, and basically everything on the front end.

Bringing back from the dead!

I might have solved this problem, and hopefully it'll be a fix for you guys, too. I purchased nilknarf's car and knowingly inherited this issue. I ran a few tests after doing the obvious stuff like cleaning the ground area and checking relays. My electric fan was on the level, so it wasn't the fault. I decided to test the alternator under different load levels, and it seems the voltage regulator was the fault. The regulator was spiking abnormally everytime the a/c kicked on. Did some research, and the Valeo alternators are known for having a faulty regulator and cause this issue and others. After I borrowed a non-Valeo alternator to test this theory (Bosch), I've yet to see this problem again for a couple months. (I did the test back during warmer weather.)

I think I have researched all the site's threads pertaining to this problem and I don't seem to have found the answer. My hazard lights will come on almost every time I roll either power window down even if it's for a slight amount.
Almost never happens when I return them up.
This will happen when the car is running or just on accessories, which in my case seems to rule out the alternator.
I tried to remove the hazard relay but my blinkers stopped.
And I did clean the ground connections...no help.
It certainly seems to be a problem with more than a few owners, I would think someone has come up with a solution.
Happens when it's hot or cold... wet or dry.
Also does not matter if A/C is on or off.
Thanks for any help!

my problem is the window switch. when i roll my windows up or down my hazzards flash and i have to hit the switch 2 times. taken it apart plugged it back in. its not the switch. and its not the windows. i just ride around with no blinkers. they go of EVERY time i use the window, and im a smoker in a rainy state.

Look for fuse #23 this is attached to hazzard, turn signal, a/c and I believe alternator. I read in some posts that alternator has been found to be a problem related to hazzard switch hiccups. I am personally experiencing this but my turn signals don't make clicking sound and my heater is not blowing hot air, only cold. My hazz usually turns on when I am about to exit car.

On my 98... fuse #24 powers the turn signals & hazzards only...if that fuse was a problem neither of those would operate.

Also since my problem also occurs with the engine off and the accessories on... I can't see how the alternator would be the culprit.

It is amazing how many folks have or have had this problem...and no apparent remedy is posted from all of the smart people on this forum.

I will keep working on it...there is a solution...just have to find it.

Thanks for all the help.

I do understand that they may not be related but having read this in other forums it only made sense to check. Hope you find a solution to share because I don't have a single spare minute to invest on this.

Got'cha
and Thanks again

my exact problem. it just got worse from that, now even when i lock the doors with my key fob

and jjbritting we will get this!

Let's hope so ....Poolerp

Eratic flashers
 

Found it... it's the crash relay, what happens in the case of a crash the relay activates the flashers, rolls the windows down and unlocks the doors. Apparently when certain loads such as window switches or A/C are activated it trips the relay which makes the flashers come on. Anyway it is located behind the dash cluster...look on some of the part sites it will show the exact location. Just remove and your problem is solved. It is very nice not to have flashers go off almost every time move the window up or down.

So mine started doing this today, previous owner told me about this thread. Mine was doing it when the a/c is on. Turned it off and it doesn’t happen. Guess I’ll try the crash relay one of these days. Thanks for the help Chris!!!


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