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I've got a mean electrical gremlin that I need to remove as soon as possible.
1989 244DL, LH 2.4 w EGR, EZ-116K Ignition System
Initial symptom was intermittent no crank (usually after driving for awhile and then parking it for a short time). I would turn the key, dash lights would light up, I'd get kind of a click sound from behind the dash with no attempt to crank. Lights worked, power windows worked. If I waited a few minutes it would start and run again just fine.
Now it's acting more oddly. Will no longer crank or start at all. I turn the key and sometimes the dash lights work fine, but usually they are dim. Sometimes the door chime works, other times it's dead or drones. It kind of acts like the battery is dead, but it's not. I've left it on a charger overnight with the same symptoms. I was thinking it was the ignition switch because the lights and accessories would act different if I slightly changed the key position, so I ordered a new switch.
In the meantime however I realized that even with no key in the ignition, if I switch on the hazard lights they freak out. The switch flickers dimly and makes a buzzer type sound. This makes me think it's not the ignition switch. I connected the battery negative cable and connected an ampmeter between the battery + terminal and + cable and I do get fluctuations. Does this mean that something is shorted or sucking power while the car is off?
I've checked and cleaned the battery terminals and connectors. Checked and cleaned most of the main engine grounds (haven't checked the alternator ground yet).
I feel like the freaking out of the hazard lights could be an important sign, in that the issue must lie somewhere beyond the starter/solenoid, ignition switch, power stage (ignition amplifier) etc.... I'm just not clear where I should be looking. Could I use a multimeter on the fuse panel while the car is off to try to track down where current is flowing?
Any thoughts friends??
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