[hoondavan]

Yesterday the blinkers stopped working (2008 EX). No clicking sound, no blinking. Same with the Hazards. I visually checked the fuses under the dash (another article listed the ones to check). I'm 99% sure I checked the fuse under the hood. Since it wasn't expensive and available locally, I replaced the blinker relay ($40 at NAPA). No luck.

EDIT: [Fuse 16 under the hood was bad OK] Problem resolved. I must have been reading the fuse box cover incorrectly when I first checked. Obviously, if it does happen again I'll have to dive in a bit deeper.

 

[hoondavan]

OK, blinkers are once again non-operative. I'll assume Fuse 16 blew again. Any thoughts on where I should start on the cause? Wife will be taking it to our indy mechanic tomorrow if I can't figure it out today.

Also worth noting, I've only had the van for a week. I had a PPI done, but I do question how in-depth they went...becasue the spare tire was loose and audibly rattling. I do know there's a control module in the trunk behind the spare...so I'm concerned that may be part of the issue.

 

[thscott]

It is very common for water intrusion to cause the various fuse and relay areas to get wet and cause issues. Do you detect any moisture in the fuse and relay locations?

 

[hoondavan]

It is very common for water intrusion to cause the various fuse and relay areas to get wet and cause issues. Do you detect any moisture in the fuse and relay locations?

I didn't notice any moisture last night, but the van did smell a little damp...and we had lots of rain last night and my wife said the blinkers died within 10-15 minutes. The rubber strip along the roof rail is pretty deteriorated and missing in places on the front rail, maybe the water is overwhelming the drain holes? I'll have to start checking for leaks.

 

[thscott]

That rubber/metal strip along the roof channels is not a primary seal. It is mostly cosmetic. However the roof weld seams under those strips often are a source of water intrusion. Especially evident dripping from the A pillar along the inside of the windshield. The factory sealant and welds develop micro cracks. There are many posts and video on how to clean and reseal those roof seam welds.

 

[hoondavan]

Thanks, I did see some videos on resealing those seams. I'll take look into cleaning and resealing.

 

[hoondavan]

I checked the trunk closely and it's damp underneath the carpet, so there must be some water intrusion. The van had been rear-ended and repaired before we purchased it (disclosed by the seller). The pictures didn't look too bad, but I'm guessing the water in the trunk has something to do with the repairs. I'll have to take it back to the body shop and have them check their work.

 

[hoondavan]

OK, issue resolved...I figured I should close the loop on this. The left-side (Driver's side) blinker worked fine but the fuse would blow if I tried the right-side blinker or the hazards. I pulled the right-side rear taillight and noticed there was a wire for the aftermarket trailer hitch that had been added at some point. I followed that wire down and noticed it was actually sagging below the bumper line. I hadn't given it much thought. It must have been tucked into the bumper but fell down. As it fell, it was resting on the exhaust tip. The rubber melted off the wire and must have been grounding on the tailpipe, or just the lack of covering was causing the short.

I cut out the section of bad wire, spliced it back together and secured it with a zip-tie. All good. It's not perfect, but I'll need to make sure it doesn't fall down.