Strange things happening - SOLVED (burned out tail light bulb caused odd problems)

[inuvik]

Glad you were able to open the files.

[Car Nut]

It's healed!!!!!! ( I think )

Since I can't do any diagnostics without the Mitsu scan tool, I decided to go back to the basics. Started checking the wheel sensor wires, connections, whatever. I then pulled off one of the tail lights to check the bulbs. Pulled out the brake bulb, and it looked fine. Shook it, tapped it, the filaments didn't shake or anything. Decided what the heck, I'll go to my bulb box and get another one to throw in there, just so I could eliminate the bulb as an issue. Pushed on the brake pedal, are you ready?....... IT WORKED!!!!!!
Ran to the other side and pulled that bulb. It looked fine too. Swapped it out, and IT WORKED TOO! By now I'm really scratching my head. I'm wondering, how in the heck did they both stop working at once? Something cause them to blow? Who knows.

I had the car running while all this checking was going on, and noticed that the ASC light was still on. So.... I turned off the car, and then pushed the start button again. Ready for this? It didn't start. WHAT???? Pushed it a second time, and the system went into accessory mode. Pushed it one more time, and it started, along with the ASC light going off. Did it again, and it works exactly like it should. Now explain that. Who would have ever thought all that stupid stuff would have happened over a stupid bulb(s).
Needless to say I'm a happy camper now.

I can only imagine the phone call I might have received from the dealer, if I had dropped it off. Hello, is this Mr. Dumbazz? Yes, what did you find? Well sir, we ran five hours of diagnostics on your car, test drove it to lunch, and picked up our dry cleaning while we were out. We then returned to the shop to examine the freeze frame data that the scan tool recorded. It clearly showed that your blinker fluid was extremely low, at which time we decided to top it off. While we were filling the fluid, we ran diagnostics on the brake light bulbs, and discovered that they were non functional. We replaced those for you while we were in the neighborhood. Anyways, the car works fine now, and your bill only comes to $637.45. Will you be picking it up today sir?

So anyways, I'm out $27.27, for the brake light switch, plus a little bit of time. Hopefully this experience might help someone else later on.

[Car Nut]

Glad you were able to open the files.

Thanks very much for your link!

[Johnny Mullet]

Glad you got it sorted!

[Eggman]

Decided what the heck, I'll go to my bulb box and get another one to throw in there, just so I could eliminate the bulb as an issue.

What bulb did you use? The owner's manual calls for P21/5W.

[Car Nut]

What bulb did you use? The owner's manual calls for P21/5W.

Not sure, Couldn't read them. I have a commercial account at Advance auto parts, so I'll pick up a box of 10, of the correct ones, tomorrow. I can usually buy 10 for less than a package of 2, of the ones hanging out on the rack.

[Car Nut]

Glad you got it sorted!

Me too!

[Cobrajet]

Who would have ever thought all that stupid stuff would have happened over a stupid bulb(s).

Took me a while to figure out that somebody had put the wrong bulb in one of the taillights!

I would have thought that...and I did! Glad you got it sorted out.

[Eggman]

Hey Car Nut - do you know the bulb type for the ones that caused all your malfunctions? Call it strange, but I wonder if these symptoms would be easy to duplicate? Also, I wonder if they in any way contributed to the damage the car took...?

[Car Nut]

Hey Car Nut - do you know the bulb type for the ones that caused all your malfunctions? Call it strange, but I wonder if these symptoms would be easy to duplicate? Also, I wonder if they in any way contributed to the damage the car took...?

I found one of them. It was a P21/5W. Need to find the other one. I recall they were both silver in color. Not one silver, and one brass base one. Probably both originals.