Flashing Glow Plug & Cruise Doesn't work?? wth?

So this morning going to work: glow plug light came on then extinguished as normal. One min later, the glow plug light starts flashing. No other issues noticed. Full power, runs fine, nothing. Get onto interstate and cruise control doesn't work...so now I think "oh S@%t"...what did I get into buying a 15 year old car...lol.

So I just got home and plugged in: Engine - Brake Switch (F) P0571 Implausible Signal.

I google this....possible symptoms Glow Plug indicator. Possible causes: brake light bulb faulty. SOOOOOO.....I buy LEDs from a vendor I saw on the forum here: deAutoLED. And I quote: "Shop with confidence – never worry if these will cause errors".

So an LED bulb in my brakes is causing the glow plug light to flash? How does that make sense? lol. I guess I HOPE that is it.....would that cause the cruise control to not work? That is weird too....

Oh...and I put deAutoLEDs in my new headlight assemblies for the turn signals....so the turn signals are flashing in hyper fast mode. I think it's time to complain to them and get my money back. So much for an "easy" upgrade to using LEDs to max extent....

So...part 2:

To troubleshoot this properaly I'd assume I have to put in the incadescent bulbs in the brakes and see if the flashing glow plug indication goes away.

Secondly: I will have to put the old stock headlight assembly turn signal bulbs into my new ones and see if my hyper fast turn signals go away back to normal.

Thanks deAutoLED's for the crappy product! (I'll take that back and correct the record if it isn't related). But now this costs me time and hassle to have to change those bulbs back.....time for a beer I think.

The flashing glow plug light is just a version of the Malfunction Indicator Light... it flashes in cases of a significant engine issue or an issue related to safety... it means "FIX ME NOW".

In this case it thinks you have a burnt-out brake light bulb, because your new LEDs bulbs are drawing a fraction of the power the old bulbs did.

Because it thinks there's a safety-related issue with the brake signalling system (it's seeing an implausible signal from the brake switch outside of the signal it normally sees) it's also disabling the cruise control, again for safety.

Or... the brake light switch decided to mis-behave at the exact time you installed the bulbs.

Vince Waldon said:

The flashing glow plug light is just a version of the Malfunction Indicator Light... it flashes in cases of a significant engine issue or an issue related to safety... it means "FIX ME NOW".

In this case it thinks you have a burnt-out brake light bulb, because your new LEDs bulbs are drawing a fraction of the power the old bulbs did.

Because it thinks there's a safety related issue with the brake signalling system (it's seeing an implausible signal from the brake switch outside of the signal it normally sees) it's also disabling the cruise control, again for safety.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Makes sense. Dumb question: but is there a MIL/check engine light too? Or does it always use the glow plug light to warn you of an issue (ie: I read that as when there is a code being thrown)? I'm pretty sure there is a CEL (check engine light too)...but maybe that is for emission only related codes? I'm just curious now for my own education....

I had the same thing.
They make load resisters to wire to the brake light circuit.
They sell them at Wally World (aka Walmart) and Radio Shack (only when I'm desperate)
Solves the problem.
There is a thread how to fix the flasher to work.
I would think the resisters would help that also.

ratkc135 said:

is there a MIL/check engine light too?

Click to expand...

Yes, the check engine light is yellow and looks like a small engine.

If you turn the key to ON it will light up as a bulb check.

The CEL is generally for "when you get around to it" problems, and the flashing CEL/glow plug light for "FIX ME RIGHT AWAY" problems.