The turn signal/blinker in my 2000 Dodge Stratus is working only intermittently. Since the signal always works for at least a few seconds after I press it, I believe that rules out a blown fuse. That’s just a guess.
Do I need to take it to a dealer to fix this? I am definitely a novice when it comes to car repair. I can change the air filter, lightbulbs, etc, but haven’t done anything more serious. I am trying to avoid bringing it into the shop unnecessarily.
Thank you in advance for your suggestions!
The first suspect would be a bad flasher unit. These are inexpensive and plug in–usually no tools required. The only problem is finding where the flasher unit makes its home. Your owner’s manual might tell you this.
Since the flasher works at times, juseniah may be able to track it down by ear. That’s assuming that the “clicker” associated with the flasher is actually part of the flashing unit. I think that’s the case, at least on older cars, but I’m not sure why I think that.
In any case, it should be possible to find out via searching on the Internet where a 2000 Stratus flasher is. There may even be pictures.
Thanks Triedag and vtcodger2-- I appreciate the replies! I’m a little concerned that buying a new flasher unit will do nothing if it’s loose wiring. Do you know?
If it ALWAYS works for a few seconds and then quits, a likely cause is something that stops working as it heats up when the flasher is running. That “something” is more likely the flasher itself than any loose wiring. (But it could be MAYBE be the wire connection to the socket where the flasher plugs in.) The flasher is a cheap part (a few dollars), and once you figure out where it is, replacing it is about as easy as changing a light bulb. In this case I’d just “throw the part at the problem” rather than do any deeper diagnosis.
If changing the flasher does not work, come back and give some more details of the symptoms. One thing to look for: when you pull out the old flasher see if there is any corrosion on any of its plugs or on the sockets where it plugs in. Corrosion will cause a high resistance electrical connection which will cause extra heating, and that might be the root cause of the problem.
Now that I think about it, the first thing to try is to find the flasher, remove it, and plug it back in. If the problem is oxidation of the flasher pins or improper seating of the unit, removal and reinsertion may well fix it.
Except … Apparently as part of their campaign to make no repair trivially simple, Chrysler may have used a solid state relay inside the steering column on the 2000 Stratus. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Change_the_turn_signal_flasher_relay_on_2000_dodge_stratus
On the other hand, This ad http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/LED-bulb-turn-signal-hazard-5P-EP27-flasher-relay_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ270346537718 says the 2000 Stratus uses a more or less standard five pin pluggable relay that costs $13.
“the first thing to try is to find the flasher, remove it, and plug it back in. If the problem is oxidation of the flasher pins or improper seating of the unit, removal and reinsertion may well fix it.”
Good point (I should have thought of that). However, IF corrosion is the problem, then OP should do something to prevent its recurrence, unless you want to fix every so often. I’d guess that cleaning the contacsts a little - maybe just by plugging and unplugging the flasher a few times – and putting dielectric grease on the contacts to prevent further corrosion.
This was my first posting on CTC, and boy did I hit the jackpot. You guys are a great help. I’ll get the part tomorrow and see how it goes!