C5 Estate electrics problem

[Marcel]

Hi all. Please can anyone help with the following 2007 C5 estate problem....All four indicators flash simultaneous and intermittently...with ignition on or off.,,, With ignition on, putting indicators on or hazard switch on results in indicators or hazards working correctly but as soon as controls return to normal position then fault reappears.,,, The fault can stop for a period, then reappear.,,, The rate of the indicators flashing is random and can vary between 3 to 20 cycles.
This may be unrelated but I had one of the tailgate lift shockers replaced and the fault started a couple of weeks later.
I would appreciate any help or advice.
Thanks

Marcel

[wheeler]

Strange one, first thing i would do here is to leave the hazard light switch disconnected for a while & see if the problem stops.
When the fault happens can you stop it by pressing the hazards switch?

[GiveMeABreak]

Also, can you confirm that you don't have any LED bulbs fitted anywhere on the vehicle?

[Marcel]

Hi Thanks for early replies.

No led' bulbs fitted.

Operating hazards or indicators overrides the malfunctioning flashers and either indicator or hazards then operate as they should. I wondered if it was the alarm module as all four indicators flashed simultaneously so replaced it but the fault remains.

[GiveMeABreak]

Ok, so a possible candidate is the switch module in the steering wheel. Is the indicator stalk in any way floppy, loose or does it have movement when gently wiggled?

It may be a mechanical component in the module that's causing the erratic behaviour, but a diagnostic with a Lexia would be the first course to try and eliminate anything else.

[wheeler]

It is kind of sounding like a hazard switch fault then, if it was the alarm triggering it then pressing the hazard switch wouldnt stop it. You should easily be able to rule it out by leaving the switch unplugged. If the fault still remains with the switch unplugged then next step would be to do a BSI reset.
I would probably initially rule out the steering wheel switch module for 2 reasons.
1. The fault can happen with ignition off, indicators dont operate with the ignition off, hazard lights do.
2. The fault is causing the flashers to operate on both sides, indicator faults with steering wheel switch module faults tend to be on the one side at a time.

[GiveMeABreak]

I mentioned that as "Electrical malfunctioning of the direction indicator control stalk (Activation of the direction indicators without being requested)" can be attributed to:

• Mechanical problem internal to the switch module under the steering wheel
• Vehicle equipped with a driving school module
• Failure of the built-in systems interface (Software problem)
• Malfunctioning of the switch module under the steering wheel (Software problem)

[Marcel]

Thanks guys. I'll book the electrician next week and let him have your thoughts on the problem.

[Marcel]

Sorry, one issue I forgot to mention is that the fault causes the indicators to flash rapidly. i.e. not as the normal indicator rate.

[GiveMeABreak]

That's usually what can happen if LED bulbs are fitted in place of Halogens and one of the reasons why I asked. It can cause insufficient load on the circuit, resulting in the rapid flashing, so if you don't have LEDs, then suspect an electrical problem like a short / bad earth.