Hazard Light Problem

[Astro318ti]

Recently I've had something odd happen.

I'll be driving along and suddenly my hazard lights will go on. Not after bumps or anything. It can be reset by pressing the hazard light switch twice (once to turn them "on", then again to turn them "off").

It's not a big deal, but on one 90 min drive this week, I think it happened about a dozen times. Then it'll go for weeks and not happen again.

I probably won't rip my console apart to investigate this unless someone else has had a similar problem and knows a real fix.

It is slightly amusing that the same thing happened on my '82 320i. There the physical mechanism that held the switch in the "off" position would fail. You could take the switch apart and then bend the soft metal pin back into shape and everything would be fine (you couldn't leave the switch out since all the turn signals, etc. had wiring that went through that switch). This doesn't seem to be the case now since the switch seems to work to turn the lights off.

[themysteryman83]

Funny, I have the same problem. I don't know if it's the switch itself or if maybe the car computer is trying to tell me something, but it happened to me twice on the way home today, came on once and then again after a minute and then no other times. It's funny cause it only ever happens on the highway... I dont know whats going on here. Anyone have any insight?

[C4-C]

My car has had that problem for about 2 years... I've noticed that it tends to happen when the A/C is on. I can't recall a time when it comes on when the A/C is off. I have already spent 50 bucks on a new switch... that wasn't the problem. I'm not sure what it is... and as the original poster stated... I'll have to wait to see if someone else can get a sure fix before I ever start poking around.

[HuGo]

what happen to me last time, and this was so hilarious, the very first day that i get my car (ti) i went to go get my ex gf to show her my new car. I catch her walking down the street near her house so i pulled to the side and pushed the emergency lights (the 2 blinking ones, hazard i think they called) well next thing u know, it got stuck. I couldnt get it to push off. So i couldnt be driving like that. i tried a penny, a pen, etc to get it off but it wouldnt come up. So then i open the hood and took off the fuse (its one of the bigger box one) but then my turn signals wouldnt work. I was like damn, if i get pulled over im screwed cuz it had no insurance in it. It was the first day ive got the car. So then idk my dad fixed it. Why would it get stuck?

I remember this happen to my friend mercedes benz, i pushed his hazard and i got them stuck, i was lmao and he got all pissed cuz he didnt have a license. But his wasnt push down like ours, it was more like a switch. Anyones hazard got stuck before? Why would it get stuck? SUcks that the first day i get my car it happens.

[BMR82]

herez my story................

Hazardz come on and just flash once and then go off and now also the light on the radio where it tells you what station your on and so forth has gone off completly but the rest are fine.

help! This is my first problem that ive ran into since i got my ti bout 2monthz ago.

[DeadpaN]

the plug is probably loose/loose connection. same thing with my dash clock-popped it out and the plug wasn't even snapped in.

[themysteryman83]

Mine did it three times on the way to work this morning (~30 minute drive) again pressing the hazard light twice will turn them off. It has nothing to do with bumps or rattles. I could be driving on a smooth road and it will still come on randomly. There has to be some logical explanation for this. Could the car's computer be somehow doing this? It doesn't at all seem to be related to the switch.

[BMR82]

Originally Posted by themysteryman83

There has to be some logical explanation for this. Could the car's computer be somehow doing this? It doesn't at all seem to be related to the switch.

Who Knowz? The Other odd thing is that this problem started right about when it hit 100k on the Dash

[bmwracerchick]

Originally Posted by BMR82

Who Knowz? The Other odd thing is that this problem started right about when it hit 100k on the Dash

lol it was celebrating its 100,000 mile

[m3wannabe]

check the grounds for the hazards/blinkers. its probably just a short. you could even take a test light to the wire and have someone stick it in the wire while your driving, and if the light turns on and off you found the problem.

[nilknarf]

I have the same thing happening with my '98 ti. I had also replaced my switch and the relay trying to fix this with no luck.

It's definately correlated to the air conditioning. My hazards were coming on randomly during the summer, but I noticed in the late fall and winter that they hadn't come on in months. So I turned on the AC and sure enough, after about 5 minutes the hazards were flashing.

I found this on a website regarding 318i reliability:
Dashboard lights: The hazard flashers may begin flashing by themselves and the turn signals may flash at twice the normal speed due to condensation shorting out the circuit board. (1992-94)

Anybody figure this out yet?

[lazoh]

I have the same problem but it happens to me when I close the windows from the outside of the car with the key. I think this problem has to do with the safety system that unlocks your doors and turns on the blinkers when the airbags are deployed. Anyone with electrical skills out there that can help us??

[Ken]

I'm having this issue now, I hadn't thought to see whether it happened with the air conditioning on / off, but I will on my way home today..

That said, I have been keeping it off because it's been so nice out lately and it hasn't happened that I can remember.

[TiZen]

Sounds something like my problem, except mine come on (on the dash) and my electrical system fails completely,my car wants to die, my turn singles, brake lights light up anD my car will fail out, if I step on the brakes, use the signals. I thought IT was the A/c system as well, I would shut off the compressor, the blower motor and radio and it seemed turning off the Compressor had the biggest influence. One thing I realized is it would do it after it rained hard, and water somehow was getting underneath my floormat from my weather stripping on the driverside door. Its either a combination of a leak or just my relay kicking the wrong circuit on at the wrong time. Make sure your A/c drain hole is not plugged up, and make sure your not getting water anywhere in the car,
But keep this thread alive so we can figure out this problem.
B/c it annoys the Hell out of me I already got a ticket from it for my turn and brake signals malf. on the road one day.

[davidkillion]

This is friggin insane ... I have the same damn issue! Air Conditioning on and the hazards just randomly come on. I think that the 'circuit board' condensation deal is the best I have heard yet. So is there an A/C line that passes over a circuit board that we should be looking for?

We have to find a solution to this ... there are too many of us having this same exact issue! Has anybody taken it into BMW to see if there is a technical bulletin on it? Anybody have access to BMW technical bulletins?