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Weird Electrical Problem, Would Like Some Opinions

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Old 07-23-2008, 09:40 AM
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Default Weird Electrical Problem, Would Like Some Opinions

Alright, i know this is a weird one and i'm scratching my head. I'm sure i'll track it down eventually but figured I would ask for other opinions. This problem just started "out of the blue" on saturday. Well, actually TWO problems, but i have to believe they are both directly related.

First problem: Driving down the road, my head unit kept switching it's display back and forth (intermittantly) from whatever input source i was listening to (ie radio, cd, dvd) to the back up camera. Now keep in mind my head unit auto displays the back up camera everytime i put the gear selector in reverse. So i'm driving down the road and all of a sudden instead of showing what radio station i'm playing, my head unit shows me what is behind me via my back up camera. Now i'm immediatly think ok a loose wire somewhere in my audio/video system. But then, problem number two happens....

Second problem: I come home later that day and back into my garage and notice that when I'm in reverse AND applying the brakes my right turn signal light in my gauge cluster shows to be "half way" luminated (meaning its lit up, but not very bright). I notice in my right mirror also SOME of the LED's are lit up like I was using using my turn signal, but they were not blinking, and not all of them were luminated. When i release the brake pedal, everything goes back to normal.

I didn't have much time to mess with it yet as i have been busy with work and home stuff lately. I did have my wife check to verify my brake and reverse lights are all working when in Drive and reverse.

WTF is going on here?!
Old 07-23-2008, 10:21 AM
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My guess is a bad/broken ground wire.
Old 07-23-2008, 11:10 AM
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Yea, I'm thinking you have an open wire in the harness to the rear tail lights...is the back up camera wired into the reverse lights somehow?
Old 07-23-2008, 01:33 PM
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my guess like they said is an exposed wire or missing ground
Old 07-23-2008, 03:41 PM
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The LED tail lights have been known to cause problems also...
Old 07-23-2008, 05:10 PM
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Originally Posted by budhayes3
Yea, I'm thinking you have an open wire in the harness to the rear tail lights...is the back up camera wired into the reverse lights somehow?
yes, the back up camera is activated when the gear selector is in Reverse.
Old 07-23-2008, 05:11 PM
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Originally Posted by budhayes3
The LED tail lights have been known to cause problems also...
The tail lights are stock, other than an LED third brake light which i've had for 2yrs without any problems. I doubt that is whats causing it. I'll have to double check it anyways though.
Old 07-23-2008, 05:25 PM
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Here's the schematics for both your backup light system and right turn signal system. These are from an 04, not sure what year yours it but it should be the same.



.
Old 07-23-2008, 05:27 PM
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Here's brake lights.
Old 07-23-2008, 05:33 PM
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I have the same problem with the right turn signal on the cluster being half illuminated. It happpens only when the headlamps are on and I apply the brake.


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