Bad flasher relay or bad wiring??

[jeeper]

We bought a 2006 Kio Sorento.
Turn the blinkers on either direction, the light will light up, but not flash.
Turn on hazards, lights will turn on, but not flash.

Obviously this is a flasher relay/module. I bought a new one, but it turns out I have to remove the dash to relace it. 🤦‍♂️ So I simply haven't replaced it yet.

Today, the kids hit the lever, and the blinkers started working!! Weird, right?

Left blinks regular, right blinks fast. Assume a bulb is out, but all bulbs are functioning.

Blinker works for like 20-30 minutes as we drive around. Then started working only on right (fast blink) side, with an occasional flash on the left side. Wiggling the lever doesn't really change anything. Seems to be random no matter what.

Is this typical for a bad relay?? Or do I have a bad wire in the cluster somewhere?

 

[bryson]

I'll bet you have a ground issue in one of the bulb sockets... Pull the bulbs from all 4 corners and make sure the sockets are clean and the connections are tight. I'd check all bulbs, as connection/ground issues from one circuit may present in another.

 

[jeeper]

This actually makes a little bit more sense, especially as I replaced the headlight bulbs right before we went on our drive. So pulling the headlight in and out may have actually helped get a connection to allow the blinkers to start to work. I will pull them apart again and clean the blinker bulbs well