Signal light problems
Thread Starter
2nd Gear
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Signal light problems
I have a problem,
My signals sometimes quit working. If I put on my hazard lights for a few seconds and turn them off, the signals start working again.
Has anyone had the same experience?
Thanks for any insight you may have.
My signals sometimes quit working. If I put on my hazard lights for a few seconds and turn them off, the signals start working again.
Has anyone had the same experience?
Thanks for any insight you may have.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,786
Likes: 7
From: Iowa
flasher's on its way out. well known C5 problem. the flasher is a green module a few inches long, its built into the emergency flasher button just to the left of the center AC/heat vent.
don't take it to the dealer! dealer quoted me $600 to fix mine! you can get a replacement flasher from GMPartshouse.com for about $20, and if you know the trick (that's not in the service manual) you can replace it in 15 minutes or so. not difficult at all to do. I'm sure the procedure is on the forum somewhere, try a serach!
baseically you need to remove the radio bezel and the radio head unit. you can see the bottom of the flasher from there. carefully pry the emergency flasher button off the flasher. from underneath, use a screw driver to pop the lower retaining clip off. now the trick. the top clip is not accessible at all. the service manual says to remove the dash to get to it, put a flat blade screw driver on the flasher itself from the front, the are exposed when you pulled the emergency flasher faceplate off, and give it a good bump with your palm, the flasher will pop right out. remove it from where the radio is, there's a single connector of wires on the back, just reinstall the replacement and put everything back together. you'll be good to go until that one eventually fails, they are well known to not last as long as the car!
there are instructions out there with pictures that show you exactly what to do, its not difficult at all.
don't take it to the dealer! dealer quoted me $600 to fix mine! you can get a replacement flasher from GMPartshouse.com for about $20, and if you know the trick (that's not in the service manual) you can replace it in 15 minutes or so. not difficult at all to do. I'm sure the procedure is on the forum somewhere, try a serach!
baseically you need to remove the radio bezel and the radio head unit. you can see the bottom of the flasher from there. carefully pry the emergency flasher button off the flasher. from underneath, use a screw driver to pop the lower retaining clip off. now the trick. the top clip is not accessible at all. the service manual says to remove the dash to get to it, put a flat blade screw driver on the flasher itself from the front, the are exposed when you pulled the emergency flasher faceplate off, and give it a good bump with your palm, the flasher will pop right out. remove it from where the radio is, there's a single connector of wires on the back, just reinstall the replacement and put everything back together. you'll be good to go until that one eventually fails, they are well known to not last as long as the car!
there are instructions out there with pictures that show you exactly what to do, its not difficult at all.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,786
Likes: 7
From: Iowa
no problem! good luck, follow up here with any other questions and we can help out. to get the flasher contact Gene Culley at gmpartshouse.com, he's a member here.
or as an alternative...you could install an LED flasher, some vendors sell a kit to make it an easy plug and play operation, you just need to remove the knee bolster and unplug a factory connector under there and plug this new one in between. this will keep the stock flasher working for the emergency flashers only (assuming it works for that purpose) but it bypasses the stock flasher for the turn signals and uses the LED compatible flasher instead. its actually an easier thing to install, I don't think its more expensive, and it sets you up to be able to install LEDs in your signal lights if you want to do that eventually. without an LED flasher you'll get hyperflash. I replaced my stock flasher only to install an LED compatible flasher a short time later anyway! either way you go its a pretty quick job.
or as an alternative...you could install an LED flasher, some vendors sell a kit to make it an easy plug and play operation, you just need to remove the knee bolster and unplug a factory connector under there and plug this new one in between. this will keep the stock flasher working for the emergency flashers only (assuming it works for that purpose) but it bypasses the stock flasher for the turn signals and uses the LED compatible flasher instead. its actually an easier thing to install, I don't think its more expensive, and it sets you up to be able to install LEDs in your signal lights if you want to do that eventually. without an LED flasher you'll get hyperflash. I replaced my stock flasher only to install an LED compatible flasher a short time later anyway! either way you go its a pretty quick job.
