Some easy diagnostic help

[Wild Willy]

Well, I dug the Camaro out of the snow today to drive to work, while the Blazer is getting new brake pads- I am not going to do that outside when the temp this morning was 3 degrees-

Fun to drive something with a little scoot, and I got to play with a younger guy in a new GTI- I guess they are pretty quick for an econo-box, but let's just say, he lost.....

Any way, half way into work, I lost my turn signals- both sides, so pretty sure it isn't just a bulb. I went to Shoebox's site, and got the location of the turn flasher- my question, as I sit at my desk, is: How likely is this to be the flasher, or is it likely just to be a fuse? I haven't looked at either, yet- just trying to diagnose what happened-

[Injuneer]

Are your brake lights working? The flasher flashes the same elements in the bulb that the brake lights use. If the brake lights are working, and ALL directional signals are out, I'd suspect the flasher module.

[Wild Willy]

Wait, it gets weirder... This afternoon, on the drive home, everything back to normal...? I am happy I don't have to tear into anything, it is 3 degrees here, but just wondering-

Latest theory is that the voltage was abnormally low- the battery was charging like crazy, first time I drove it in a month and a half- and, in the early morning hours, the headlights were on, defroster, and (?) maybe about the time the turn signals stopped working, I had switched on the rear defogger- I was conscious of not overloading the charging system, but was trying to get all the glass clear by the time I got into work-

Anyway, thanks for the reply. I don't know whether to hope the problem repeats, so I can solve the riddle, or just hope it was a one-time glitch-

[formula_gramps]

Willy,

Can't tell you how many times I too have prayed that something was a "one-time glitch". Usually, my prayers aren't answered.......

It could be an intermittent condition that is a function of temperature. Intermitent in the flasher as Injuneer suggested, a marginal ground or other connector somewhere in the circuit.

When you think about it, we ask a hell of a lot from our automotive electronics when it comes to consistent operation in a pretty huge range of temperatures. Consider the range of temperatures the electronics under the hoods of our fire breathing cars experience. All the way from when you're caught in traffic in August to having your car buried in snow when it's only 3 degrees outside. Some of us are old enough to remember a time when electronics were not that stable over such a range.....

Hope it is a one time thing........Good luck!