NO indicator light from flashers

[alexander]

NO indicator light from flashers

 

I ‘m at the point of rewiring my long term project Tr3a, everything seems to work fine except the flasher indicator light on the dash.

 

Both right and left indicators work and flash as they should.

 

I’ve 12 volt @the “B” terminal on the Lucas FL5.

 

I’ve tried another FL5—still no indicator.

 

I’ve taken a wire of “P” terminal to a bulb holder and then to earth but still no indicator light.

 

Could it be that I have two faulty FL5 or can anyone suggest another solution.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Alexander

[alexander]

Update.

 

I've taken the new FL5 flasher unit apart and adjusted the contact points and now have dash light working. I wonder how many new FL5 don't work on first assembly

 

Alexander

[ianc]

You did well, Alexander, to make an adjustment which worked - they are awkward things to adjust.

 

Over the last 18 years I have had more problems with flasher units than any other electrical item on the car.

I have had units which

- take ages until the first flash of the repeater lamp on the dash

- don't flash the dash lamp

- cease working when one is sitting at a junction for a while

- flash at completely the wrong speed

- don't work when straight out of the packaging.

 

All these are annoying and, in some cases, dangerous.

 

I have a buzzer in parallel with the dash lamp, as it is difficult to know in bright sunlight whether the flashers are working and with a well-worn column switch it is all too easy to leave the flashers working long after one has turned!

 

I've had failures of two overdrive relays (genuine Lucas items!), an overdrive solenoid, a dip switch (the one which was on the car in 1969, so excusable!), two rotor arms (I'm now using Martin Jay's red items, so should never happen again), a battery isolator switch and a 3-position switch (used with the spotlamps for selecting: on with full beam/off/on all the time [illegal, but useful for setting up!]).

 

Ian Cornish

[Menno van Rij]

Yes, even modern days relays tend to be faulty straight out of the box. My car has the Dan Masters' electrical wiring loom. The loom comes with myriads of fuses and 8 modern Bosch relays. These are all interchangeable (important for this story).

 

A few years back, during to very first test run of my 3A, I noticed that the temp gauge's needle rose significantly, and the electric fan wouldn't cut in. During the weeks before the test run, the fan worked faultlessly when we were busy adjusting the engine inside the workshop. I checked the fuses, contacts etc and I had the brainwave to change the relay for the adjacent (= the same) one. All worked fine again. I took the faulty relay apart and found out there was some sort of debri between the contacts, thus preventing the relay to cut in. During the weeks in the workshop, nothing had happened: the car was happily standing on the floor. But after the first run on bumpy roads, the debri must have 'swarfed' between the contacts.

 

A few months later, this happened again. Now with the horn relay. I decided to fork out a few euros and I bought a complete new set of Bosch relays at the local motorfactors. I replaced all relay and I never had the similar problem again.

 

Menno

 

 

Edited October 6, 2011 by Menno van Rij

[alexander]

Hi Ian and Menno

 

After getting the new FL5 working I took the other unit apart the old one that came in a box with the car 12 years ago). I was surprised by the signs of heat and burnt varnish but after a little cleaning and adjusting this one is now working and does give a good regular flash rate. No idea what I’m doing right so please don’t ask me to explain how to get them working.

 

Alexander