Electric problem with blinkers, they blinkers flash very fast?

Tiny
ACKERMANAUTOMARTLLC
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 CHEVROLET AVALANCHE
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 178,000 MILES
The blinkers flash very fast. As if there is a bulb out or bad. But if you turn the headlight switch from auto to off it begins to flash at normal rate. But both lights in rear try to blink left and right. I have changed the brake light switch / the rear circuit board / the headlight switch/ transmission position switch. Don’t know what to do or look for now!
Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 AT 6:14 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 34,330 POSTS
That's the classic symptom of a bad ground. A clue is if you turn on the left flasher and both rear sides flash, remove the right bulb from its socket and the left one will quit too. Current goes through the left signal filament, can't find a path to ground, so it doubles back through the tail light filament in that bulb, then over to the right tail light, through that one, then to ground over there.

Check all of the other rear bulbs, like the license lamps and side marker lamps. There's too many diagrams to dig through. Knowing which other bulbs don't work can help narrow down the location of the bad connection.

Here's all the diagrams for the turn signals. I'll study them tonight. I'll be back tomorrow to see what you found.
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Wednesday, September 3rd, 2025 AT 7:22 PM

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