INDICATORS STAY ON!!!
 

MY93 WRX 4-door saloon

Can anybody help me diagnose the following fault...

When operated, my indicators stay in the on position i.e. do not flash - but they work fine when the hazard switch is pressed in. Is it the flasher relay unit that's at fault? Are there dedicated relays for BOTH the hazard light switch and indicator switch?

Thanks.

Quite a lot of cars seem to have seperate relays for the indicators and the hazards ... can't gurantee it in this case but sound the most logical answer to the problem.

No it should be the same relay.
Your relay should be clipped into the dash bulkhead cross bar. This is the brace type behind behind the dash which goes from a pillar to a pillar. It also has 2 bars/bracket in the middle (rbehind the radio area) these are vertical.
If you remove the radio & some of centre console you will see to metal brackets.The relay is on the RH side bracket.

Do all the indicator bulbs light up when the indicators are used and when the hazards are on?

This is normally caused when the bulb loading is not sufficient. Have you fitted aftermarket bulbs? Try some standard bulbs front and rear on one side and see if that solves the problem. The hazards will work due to the larger combined loading of all the bulbs. Alternately try a different relay.

Thats exactly where I was heading ... it would still be worth confirming if there are seperate relays for the hazards and indicators though ... does the clicking come from the same area / relay when the indicators and hazards are on (obviously you'll need an assistant to use the indicators stalk to turn them on and off to get the clicking manually:) )

Thanks for all the replys...

If I operate the left indicator the 3 lamps for that side (plus the respective dash 'indicator arrow') simply stays in the lit postion with, obviously, no relay 'clicking' noise... ditto the right indiactor.

All six indicator lamps (plus dash 'arrows') work normally when the hazard switch is used.

Any ideas?...

Cheers

John.

been a while but in european tractors..."yes i know" there were 2 flasher units......one for hazards and the other for indicators. If a bulb if down the indicator would indicate faster but the flasher would always flash at the same speed...thats just tractors in england but i figure theres some EU ruling on it? IF the indicator stays on id get a flasher unit.

I had the same problem with a car i used to own, And it was the car alarm that was faulty. It might be that..

WRX TWIN TURBO... Only got a Laserline 921 immobilsiser... In any case they were working fine for about 3 months until now.

I agree thedeester1 that I think the flasher relay has 'stuck'. I've bought one from someone breaking a WRX for £6 off eBay - if it isn't the relay, then no financial damage done...

Cheers everyone.

Did you try the clicking relay test to see if they are one and the same for both hazards and indicators? remember you'll need someone to turn the indicators on and off manually to simulate the indicators and feel which relay clicks.

As if its the same one for both it cant stick for the indicators and then work for the hazards.

Does you alarm flash the indicators?

if so it could be the alarm causing the issue.

No, I only have an immobiliser that does nothing with the indicators, as it just immobilises the engine via 2 electrical circuits. I suppose it could be a bad earth, or the relay's come loose - but my guess is that there are two separate relays for the hazards and indicators and that the indicator one is faulty...

Ah, last night the hazards stuggled to operate i.e. became stuck on. This would, indeed, imply that the indicators and hazards go through the one relay as many of you have eluded to.

I'm convinced now that it IS the relay that's had it...