This is a 450 model, 2001 passion cabriolet. This is a European (Swiss) version and is not a G&K conversion for the US market. There are a few related issues which should help in the diagnosis.
About a year ago, the fuel door lock solonoid started to jam, so it was removed, but this flashing light problem did not occur until almost a year later, so I do not think that the fuel door lock solonoid is related.
Then the car started a new symptom, where the doors would not lock, either by the key fob button (two button fob), or by the lock button on the dashboard, but still no flashing light problem. The lock and unlock button on the key fob did properly activate the interior lights, so I know that the signal was sent and received. Pressing the unlock button is also necessary to enable the starter circuit, so I know that the key fob is communicating properly with the security computer.
The real problem is that most recently the front directionals, side marker lights and tail lights all flash whenever the unlock button is pressed, or whenever the engine is shut off. (I can't remember at this moment whether pressing the lock button also activates these flashers).
They will not stop flashing unless I restart the engine, or unless I disconnect the battery, and when I reconnect the battery, although the flashing stops, the tailgate solonoid triggers and the tailgate drops open! At first, I thought that one of the tailgate solonoids was stuck open, and that it was sending a signal to the computer that the tailgate was open, and therefore the car could not lock itself. But the symptoms continue with each, or all, of the tailgate solonoids disconnected, and the key and trigger release on the tailgate all work fine, and the tailgate latches on both sides properly.
So, I am stumped. The car starts, runs and drives fine, and has no error message on the dash board. I am thinking that it might be something simple like one of the two smaller security relays in the fuse box going bad, but I don't know how to be sure.
The flashing is quite irregular like two flashes, then three, then two regular and one very short, then repeats the pattern again. It does not seem like a signal pattern, but rather like a random, interrupted electrical resistance pattern.
I do know that the flashers should flash nine times if the remote battery is weak or dying, but this flashing continues indefinately, and does the same thing with a brand new battery in the remote key fob.
Chas
Today
Linear Mode
