99 Sunfire --Flashers/Turn Signals, Brake Lights, a......

Brake lights, flashers/turn signals, and Rear Defrost all went out at the same time. All the wiring diagraims i have do not show the rear defroster at all, so hard to figure out which circuit they are all on. Has anyone seen/had this problem before?

 

Have pulled all the fuses out and inspect them?

 

Yes, not a single fuse is blown.

 

Do the front lights work, or is it just the rear? Do you have a multimeter to check and see if you have power at the fuses?

It is odd that all of these would go out, specially the rear defrost. Inspect your battery cables too, they might be corroded enough that they aren't getting enough power.

 

The head lights, and tail lights still work when you turn the head lights on. The tail lights are the same lights that are the brake/turn signals, so i know the bulbs work, and they are getting power.

Its not a static issue, its some lose wire i am pretty sure. This is due to the fact that one day it didnt work, and the next day it did. It did this on and off for about a week. Mainly i need to know if anyone has a wireing diagram that includes teh rear defrost, since none of mine do.

I am out of town for a internship over the summer, and i left all my tools at my house, i might go out and buy a new multimeter tomorrow. Its such a specific issue with all 3 going out at once, i thought someone might have encountered it before.

 

If the brake / turn lights are housed in the same glass shell that the running lights are in, the fact that the running lights work does not mean that the bulb is good.
There are two filaments - one for the brake / turn and one for the running light. Start cheap by replacing the rear lights and see if the brake light starts working. Also, you may get a fast blink on rear turn signals, meaning it's time to replace the front bulbs also.

 

How would the rear defrost tie into the tail lights? I've never seen this before.

 

Rear defrost and lighting may be coincidental............Turn Sigs/Hazards and brake lights run through a circuit board ..........part of the Hazard switch....A common problem

 

Since when one works, the other works, and when one quits the other quits, i really doubt its just a coincidence. I am sure somewhere between the battery and rear of the car these two systems share some power refrence. The problem is the car guide i have now doesnt show the rear defroster at all in the wireing diagrams, so its hard to figure out what all they share.

If it was only the brake lights/turn signals/flashers, i would automatically think it was the turn/hazard flasher, or the brack switch, but since the defrost is added in also, i doubt its one of these.

Also noticed the ABS light comes on a little bit after the flashers/turn signals/rear defrost stop working. It will stay on no matter if u turn the car on and off until the turn signals ect start working again, then you can cycle the abs system*restart the car* and it will turn off, until they stop working again. Thus again another reason i would beleive its some lose connection to a power refrence.

Its a really weird problem.

 

hmmmm...ABS light too....

Only thing I can think of that controls most of these are the body modules. If not that, then maybe a alternator problem causing lack of voltage to these systems?

 

I think a loose or corroded ground would also cause these symptoms. Trace the wires out, usually the ground will be attached to a bolt somewhere close by.

Hope this helps!