Ok, so for awhile now I've had a "phantom" error. At seemingly random intervals, the error buzzer will go off. It usually happens after the car warms up and been driven, and not any time during a cold start, or idling in the garage.

The problem shows itself sometimes as a "ding ding..... ding-a-ding-ding" meaning that its not a constant ding'ing. Othertimes, it'll be "d-d-d-ing d-d-d-d-ing .. ding... ding" meaning that it will go off CRAZY for a few seconds, then just stop.

Now of course during all of this no error lights are on.

I know I could just unhook it, but I'd like to keep it there just in case the wife takes it out and a problem DOES occur .

Any ideas as to where to start or what to look for?

 

i forget the name of that thing but i think its called the OCCILATOR (sp) which i think is near the headlight area....again i am not for sure...i know Trochoid and RX7 Doctor knwo this thing

 

The only thing I can think of at the moment is that it is the low coolant warning. But normally the instrument panel will light off.

 

is there some thing i nthe front of the car that well... ....come on Doc i knwo you know that POS thing that does all the buzzing..................Hmmm yup i sound educated LOL

 

Sounds more like the warning buzzer, key in ignition, etc. The warning buzzer for low coolant and oil make a horribly loud attention getting noise. That noise is continuous, not a ding ding.

 

Ok, I'll bet on the oscillator, assuming your "ding-ding" is more like an "eerrnt-eerrnt" or something like that (different oscillators make different sounds, a nasty warning-like sound that eminates from some mysterious place behind the dash).

Up by the left front headlight there is a little black box with some wires and a connector going to it and the letters "Oscillator" printed on it (although these are sometimes hard to discern).

Unplug the oscillator, it will do no harm and if you don't here the buzzing anymore, it was the oscillator. Usually you can just plug it back in and the noise won't come back, so it's an all around pretty easy fix.

If not the oscillator (which you will determine by unplugging it), there must be a problem with one of the warning buzzers. But I've had three oscillator events and no problems with warning buzzers over the years.

Good luck!

Ray

 

does it sound like this ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWMffAKa1q0

or does it sound like the sound warning you to turn the headlamps off ?

 

NotveryHappyJack: not like that. It's clearly a mechanical buzzer sound, similar to , if not the same as, the low coolant buzzer.

The times my low coolant went off, the buzzer did not always buzz. It would stutter with like a ding, light comes on... light was on for a second or two, goes away and another ding when the light went out. There were a few times were it would ding during the process, but I've fixed the coolant problem now .

For what its worth, this is on a 82.

Doc: yeah, no lights during the process, but the light self-test at ignition on does show all lamps working.

 

Jack what you posted was the redline buzzer. The bing he is talking about is the low oil/coolant warning bell. My car does it too, so I just pulled the Cig/clock fuse and it cuts the buzzer too. But I'll try the box by the headlights. Thanx guys.