Mk5 Zetec-s Hazard Light Permanently On, Darnit!

[p_sandalz]

Hi all

I haven't found anything useful on the internet thusfar and was hoping someone here might be able to steer me in the right direction please.

I have a 2001 mk5 1.6 zetec-s. Generally it gives me no problems but the other day I started her up and the hazard lights started to flash endlessly. Actually pushing the hazard light switch behind the steering wheel makes no difference - they only stop when the ignition is switched off - something the hazards wouldn't do if correctly activated. The only thing I could think to do was pull a fuse. I know that the fusebox in the car is not guaranteed to be like the fusebox in the manual so wasn't surprised when pulling the supposedly correct fuse did nothing. The fuse that the removal of stopped the hazards was no. 8 which the manual said would be central locking and electric mirrors! The electric mirrors still work fine, but true enough the remote central locking now no longer works and the key has to be used in the door.

Does anyone have an idea what the devil could be the problem?

Thanks fellas

Duncan

[Goodkat]

I don't know for what it means on a Ford, but on a similar era Renault it is one of the symptoms that the ECU is failing. My other half's clio does it sometimes.

Sorry I cannot help further.

Sent via the 'Clacks'

GNU STP

[1.6FordMk4Zetec-S]

I'v never had that problem on my MK4 like that but I had a friend that did on his MK5. I told him that it could be the indicator stalk column unit. So he replaced with a brand new one for about £15 and weirdly it fixed it but. I also agree with the guy above it could be your ECU. The best thing you can do is go to a scrap yard and get a cheap indicator stalk column unit if replacing it works. I would then buy a new one off eBay or something so you know it's not half used. :) I would start with the cheap things first and work your way up as you don't want to replace a ECU and wire it all up only to find it still don't work. I would say upto you buddy! :)

[p_sandalz]

Hmm - can't see how the ecu could be involved, although I suppose anything's possible when a car gets past a certain age. I think I'll try and swap out the whole indicator/wiper unit that sits atop the steering wheel. I have just noticed that the wiper functions are no longer fully working also! The slow and fast are fine but the selectable intermittent (selectable by activating it twice at the interval you choose) is not longer working at all. Confusing business this.

Thanks for the replies - anyone else get any bright ideas?

Duncan

[p_sandalz]

Noticed that the intermittent wiper now no longer works also. The other wiper functions are fine, just not the intermittent, and if I replace the central locking fuse the intermittent wiper works once again. All seems rather strange - any suggestions anyone, please?

[p_sandalz]

Very few responses to this sadly. This last entry is purely to help anyone who might stumble upon it in future with the same problem: The GEM module was responsible for the hazards permanently flashing. I replaced it with a new one and nothing worked at all. I put the old one back in and everything worked fine. Very puzzling, but whatever the details it's obviously down to this module. Worth checking out if you have a similar problem, especially as the GEM is not too difficult to remove once you know that it's attached to the back of the fusebox near the driver's right knee.