Fast Blinking Turn Signal

[hahne23]

Hi everyone. First post on site, second time ES300 owner, and since its a 96 I'll become a frequent visitor :) My question is: does anyone know what would cause the turn signal to flash rapidly. Obviously that usually means the bulb is out. They weren't, but both front and rear were changed anyway and the connection were clean. I'm thinking it's some kind of relay switch or something. Thanks for any ideas!

[Ratatat]

check fuse connection for corrosion leading to high resistance.

[mfogle]

My '99 ES300 just started doing the same, the dealer said it was the lamp socket, maybe this is a DIY, but how to get at the socket?

[Blayd]

From inside the trunk?

[CUMan]

This is a very common problem with the mid-90's ES models. My 94 has had the problem a couple of times, and I have been able to fix it both times.

The fast blinking is usually caused by the front turn signals. It is usually not the bulbs causing the problem, but the bulbholders. My personal theory is that this is a design problem, involving the connection between the car's electrical system and the bulbholders. The rear bulbs use a wired socket that is different from the front and does not cause problems. If a rear turn signal is not working, it is usually the bulb.

The headlight assembly must be removed to fix this. This is done by removing the black piece of plastic between the grill and radiator. When this is done, you can see the bolts that need to be removed to allow you to pull out the headlight assembly. I believe there are three of them. If the headlight assembly has never been removed, you may have to pull really hard to get it to release.

When the headlight assembly is out, you can access the bulbholders. Remove them and clean the connection points inside the bulbholders where the bulbs make contact. Pry up the connection points a little bit to give a tighter fit with the bulb. I would also suggest that you replace the bulbs while you have things disassembled. Also clean around the perimeter of the bulbholder where it makes contact with the car body. Use sandpaper to remove all corrosion that may be there. As I recall, there are three small bumps where the bulbholder connects to the car's electrical system. These must be clear of all corrosion.

Note that the bulbholder connects with the car's electrical system through a printed circuit. I think this is the weak point in the design. This printed circuit is open to dirt and moisture and therefore very prone to corrosion. Very gently clean the printed circuit to remove any corrosion that may be on it.

[Rhoderman]

My guess is like CUMan says, the socket is not making contact with chassis ground. The bulb will find ground through the "other side", i.e., the park light circuit.

If it's blinking fast, and you turn on the headlights, you might be able to shed a little more light on the subject (no pun intended...). My guess is that the corner with the bad socket will quit flashing entirely. Try it.

[spalkin]

I just had this same problem on mine. The left signal was going fast. That means there's something wrong with a bulb on that side. You can usually see the problem. Mine was that the front left turn was dim. I took the bulb out, replaced it and put it back. Nice. Then, just to see, I went back, put the old one in and hit the signal. It worked perfectly (with the 'dim' old bulb!). I'll save the new one. The problem was the contact where the fixture that holds the bulb meets the headlight housing. I cleaned up those contacts and applied some dielectric grease.

Make sure all those contacts are clean. I had the same problem with climate control lights.

[CUMan]

That is a good point about the dielectric grease. This should help prevent the corrosion from reappearing.

[gbhrps]

Our old 97 ES had the same problem. The left front turn signal bulb socket was the culprit. Toyota used two "S" shaped flat blades as the contacts in the socket. The "S" shape was to act as a spring and contact the connection point on the base of the bulb. Over time the spring effect lessened, less contact created more resistance in the circuit, and the flasher speeded up. All I had to do to correct the problem for 9 months or so was to use a dental pick to stretch the "S" spring longer and ensure a solid contact with the base of the bulb. On the 97 it wasn't necessary to pull the headlight assembly, just the turn signal assembly towards the front of the car, after removing the one screw in the radiator saddle next to it, the one that hides under the black plastic cover of the rad saddle. Good Luck!

[superlumeny]

That is a good point about the dielectric grease. This should help prevent the corrosion from reappearing.

How about.... O-ring or neoprene washer...to seal bulb-to-socket space.....????....

[CUMan]

I doubt that one would be able to seal off the connection points, but it might be worth a try.

The bumps which make contact with the printed circuit are tiny. Any o-ring or gasket would have to be outside these bumps to seal off the connection. Whatever you attempt to use would have to be very thin and narrow. If it's too thick, it would probably affect the integrity of the connection. And, how would you hold it in place when you reinserted the bulbholder?

This is a flawed design. It was apparently changed in later years since you rarely hear of this problem with ES models after the mid-90's.

[redcab]

Hi...I'm trying to solve this same "fast blinking" turn signal problem and I'm having trouble locating 2 of the 3 bolts to remove the headlight assembly.

I removed the black plastic cover.

I see one bolt right on top.

I see one screw at the corner of the headlight and the turn signal assemblies.

Where are the other 2 bolts that hold the headlight assembly?

Thanks!!

[gbhrps]

There aren't any. Just pull the headlight assembly straight forward. There is an alignment pin on the headlight that fits very tightly into a spring socket. You'll think its another bolt, its not, just pull hard enough to overcome the spring socket.