Weird electrical gremlin

[maroon93limited]

So I was driving around town at lunch today, when all of a sudden the horn started blaring and the headlights started flashing like I had hit the panic button on my key fob. Pulled over, unplugged the horn but the headlights were still going nuts and the flasher just under and to the right of the steering column was still clicking. It went away for a bit, but at work a co-worker came in about an hour later saying that my headlights were flashing again.

Seemed to fix itself after a bit, but happened again on the way home. Unhooked the battery and left it for like 4 hours. Hooked it back up, headlights were still flashing. I reached under the dash, grabbed the flasher and voila, it quit and hasn't done it since.

Here's the kicker, it's happened before but only in the rain, and never to this extent. Today it rained all bloody day, but before it started I had hit no puddles, just like the last time it happened. Should I just replace the flasher and be done with it, or should I be looking for something under the hood getting wet. Being that it's so intermittent it might be a little hard to track down.

 

[YBCold]

seems like a wire might be shorted. my guess would be to look for a wiring diagram someone here might have one. ill see if i can make a scan of my haynes book and trouble shoot the circuit that includes the horn and lights. could be the flasher, wires or a relay.

 

[maroon93limited]

I think I might have solved my own problem. At first I did a search for "bad flasher", but I think I found something after doing a search for "factory alarm". Apparently this has happened to a few of us on here, one person after washing their Ex. So I think I'm going to unhook the 11 wire module for the alarm in the left rear quarter panel.

I forgot that when this was happening today I also heard some clicking from that area, and I noticed last year that there seemed to be a bit of a leak behind the panel at sometime.

 

[YBCold]

hm. go figure. i think the click comes from the relay. probly the horn relay? ohwell

 

[maroon93limited]

Thanks YB. You're right, I guess that is a relay that I heard clicking under the column and not a flasher. Some parts guy I am! I'll throw an update on here tomorrow after I fiddle with it for a bit.

 

[TedJ]

The problem is the rear fixed window or something in that area leaks water, it leaks onto the alarm module in the back there, and it goes nuts. I think Ford added a rubber flap in 94 to prevent this.

Take the driver's side rear interior panel off and water test it. If you have really skinny arms you might be able to unplug the module from the jack access panel.

 

[Delta_1980]

take out the rear window and re-seal it. solves the problem every time!

 

[maroon93limited]

Sent the Ex for a tranny flush yesterday and about an hour later the mechanic phoned me and asked how to turn the alarm off. I told about the problem and he galdly unhooked the 11 wire connector at the module for me. Voila, fixed for now until I can fix the leak.