HELP: Electrical system going crazy (Lights, horn, dash) - Maintenance and Repair Forum

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HELP: Electrical system going crazy (Lights, horn, dash)
Monday, November 08, 2010 10:35 AM
i bought a 1997 sunfire 2.2 and im just on the process of getting it certified, but i noticed a problem with the electrical system. if i turn the headlights on (car off), they work, but both signal arrows on the cluster stay on, if i push the blinker to the left the arrows go out, but to the right they stay on. if i turn the car on, and put the signal to the left, both arrows flash and the orange gear indicator light flashes too.

i also have a problem with the horn, if i press the horn, i just hear the relay click and both signal arrows flash while pressing, if i unplug the horn i still hear the relay but no arrow lights flash, i tried to bypass the horn harness, i took the pink wire (tested to be 12 volts when horn pressed) and i took a minus wire to the other terminal on the horn and now it worked, it worked great until i turned on the head lights and it went back to clicking.

there is a remote started on this car that has not worked since i bought it, i have since unplugged the box under the dash thinking it was the fault, still no luck.

if anyone know where i can start looking for this problem, please let me know,

Re: HELP: Electrical system going crazy (Lights, horn, dash)
Monday, November 08, 2010 10:59 AM
Just a shot in the dark. Is your hazard light switch like, half on?



Re: HELP: Electrical system going crazy (Lights, horn, dash)
Monday, November 08, 2010 11:07 AM
no its off, and i just tested to see what would happen if it was on, it turns on fine and both arrows flash normally, until i turn on the headlights, then it completely stops flashing like if it wasnt even on.
Re: HELP: Electrical system going crazy (Lights, horn, dash)
Monday, November 08, 2010 11:13 AM
Check the ground from your battery to chassis (on the battery tray). I know that at very least the passlock wires up at the steering column can be affected by that ground being weak.

Check the condition of the wire coming out of pin 1 of your OBD port, it should be purple IIRC. Make sure it's not grounded or broken anywhere, although I don't think that would cause these problems, if there was a shoddy remote start install I'd check that just to make sure.

Do all of the signal lights work outside the car? ie the corners, the bumper lights, and the tail lights?



Re: HELP: Electrical system going crazy (Lights, horn, dash)
Monday, November 08, 2010 12:38 PM
Update, i think i might have found the problem.

I have another sunfire on my driveway, just a year older (1996). i took the whole headlight/horn harness out and tried it in my 1997 sunfire, and the problem went away, all the signals worked and horn was fine. the only problem now is when i put it in drive, i dont have day time running lights, the green headlight light flashes when i put it in gear. but goes away when i turn on the headlight switch. I think it might be because my 1996 does NOT have a relay on the harness, but the 1997 does. i am guessing i need to go to the wreckers and get a new harness with a relay or could or could it be just the relay? if so, can anyone confirm from what year i can use from?
Re: HELP: Electrical system going crazy (Lights, horn, dash)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 12:15 AM
well i just had this conversation with vetran gm tech and he said the harness u swaped out goes hay-wire and the fix is to replace the whole thing as u did. he also said a good indication of one going bad is that green running light inbicator in the dash going stupid but if one car has running lights and one dont that could be the cause of what u r experencing
Re: HELP: Electrical system going crazy (Lights, horn, dash)
Wednesday, November 17, 2010 2:18 PM
You definitely have a bad ground somewhere... I had the EXACT same problems (as you've described... word for word...) and I had forgotten a ground under the battery tray. This was when I did my Eco swap... but same symptoms exactly...

I also had weird problems with my power windows... and door locks.



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