headlights flick off when indicating

[VS O.B.C.T]

Hey, i was wondering if anyone has had this prob, looked thru the forum and couldnt find it anywhere.

My headlights blink off when the indicators are switched off, (when the stalk returns to normal position.) This is really annoying and dangerous. It only happens on low beam. I checked the wiring, as much as i could, for bad connections, earth leaks etc, but couldnt find anything. Heard it could be a problem in the body control module. Any pointers?

[hako]

It is fairly common - mine flicks to hi beam momentarily when the flashers cancel and has done for the last 80,000km. Yours sounds like it is failing differently. To fix you need a new flasher arm (or stalk)....they are on Ebay or buy a new one for under $100....it has been written up before how to change but report back if you have any probs. An interim fix is to manually self cancel Good Luck.

[Bob129]

yer, mine too flicks to hi beam when cancelling....one of those annoying things ive always been meaning to fix.

[VSIIBerlinaL67]

yep as said already its the stalk my highbeams used to come on when i indicated and then flash just as the indicators turned off. got a second hand stalk all good now.

[DannyboyDS]

He did however say hes flicked off, it could also be a short, although you have checked through, try checking through with a multimeter while flicking the indicator on and off, go as thorough as you can, even as far as hard wiring the indicator to switch on without the stalk (Shouldnt take you too long if you know which wires it is allready) and then disconnect, get any problems, if no, then it is the stalk, if yes, then there may be a short.

[VSIIBerlinaL67]

yer it can either flick on or off. the contacts inside the stalk are stuffed. if it was a short a fuse would be blowing.

[DannyboyDS]

ahh fuses I forgot about that, although that depends on how long the short lasts and how much current is flowing through, remember the fuses have a tolerance.

Although It is a big hole in my argument I tend to agree, the fuse should blow since it would be nearly 12 volt pumping through if it were to short, so what on the stalk is effecting the lights then?

the two shouldnt effect each other having there switches in seperate locations and all.

So how does it happen, out of interest.

[VSIIBerlinaL67]

the switch for the highbeams are in the stalk.

fuses are rated by amps not volts and if there was a short the fuse would diffently blow as the head lights draw alot of current.

[DannyboyDS]

I know fuses are measured in amps.

12 volt at so many current....

I didnt explain myself properly there, I build circuits as a hobby.

and yeah the switch for the highbeams are in the stalk, so if hes high beams were flicking on I could understand that, but hes lights flick off completly, that to me sounds like it could be something else completly, anyone else had lights flick OFF completly when the indicator stalk returns to the off position?

Im not arguing here, but I feel it warrents further investigation as the symptoms are sligthly different it really seems like a short.

[VSIIBerlinaL67]

in my case mine turned on so that meant that the contacts in the stalk were touching when i indicated. but in his case there only making contact when his indicating, if you have a look in the stalk, you see lots of little metal plates that make contact on each when the stalk is in certain postions and springs that hold the tension on the plates inside the stalk. somewhere inside the stalk somthing has gone wrong causing somthing to not make contact or cause contact when its not supposed to.

[DannyboyDS]

Fair call, guess we will find out soon enough when this dude replaces the stalk.

Im interested to see the results.

[VS O.B.C.T]

Hi, sorry its been so long for my reply.

You guys were spot on. I replaced the indicator stalk and the problem was resolved completely. I saw them on ebay for $40, but Holden wanted $73 new. I figured better to get brand new and have no hastles, especially for less than double the cost.

Thanks to all those who commented for your help, much appreciated. Cheers.

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

Sorry to comment so late here, but to answer Dannyboy, the power for the lights runs through the stalk so any fault with that and it would affect the lights, be it momentary flashing of high beams or lights flicking off.
Just like the hazard switch affecting the indicators.