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Indicator warning lamp fault - electronic type flasher for LED bulbs


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I promise I did search the forum before posting this - but I couldn't find a post covering the exact fault I have....

After replacing the gearbox, changing over the column switch positions and reconnecting all the spaghetti, I have noticed that the indicators will only flash if I take the warning bulb out (guess how many hours and swear words it took to arrive at this conclusion). If I put the bulb back in, the indicator LEDs will light but won't flash. The indicators light up correctly on the left side and right side in accordance with the position of the indicator column switch, they just don't flash. 

Do I have a defective indicator flasher unit? Or could I have somehow wired something incorrectly? It worked before but now it won't =(

At least the self cancelling now works (thanks to some advice I found in the Forum whilst searching for a solution to this!)

Cheers

Richard

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What flasher unit do you have, I presume it is not the original type

 Did you disconnect the wires from the flasher unit, & if so could you have put them back in the wrong order ?

Bob

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Hi Bob,

thank you for your quick reply. It's an electronic flasher that I bought with the LED bulbs - I've seen photos of it on this forum - it's the plastic one with the separate earth lead. It plugs into the socket that came fitted in the new wiring loom and it can only go in one way. I have disconnected the indicator switch from the loom (and from the additional cables to the hazard warning switch) and believe I have reconnected everything as it came apart (my rationale being that the correct indicators come on when the switch is engaged - perhaps that is not necessarily a correct assumption). 

There was a brief period when I could put the warning bulb in and have the indicators flash, but then the warning bulb was permanently lit (dimming a little in time with the click from the flasher unit). But then it suddenly reverted to the original fault....

Cheers

Richard

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Hi Richard

In my experience, odd electrical faults like this are often due to a bad earth connection somewhere and not necessarily on the indicator circuit. I remember one where pressing the horn push resulted in one of dashboard warning lights coming on because of poor earth on one of the horns. Try tracing all your earths.

Keith

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I assume the 'new' loom and flasher unit were in place before this happened Richard?  If you've changed nothing other than disconnection and reconnection of the wiring, and you are sure it has gone back as it was before,  then it sounds as though the flasher unit has a fault. The odd dimming of the warning lamp, which then went away, supports that as it suggests something awry with the warning-lamp driver in the flasher.  I guess there is no doubt that the flasher unit still has a good earth connection?

According to the Autowire schematic, a TR4A does not have a hazard flasher - is that something you have added?  The TR5/6 system has one but uses a two-pin flasher unit so yours can't  be like that.

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The flasher unit (from what you say) is probably this one:

https://www.classiccarleds.co.uk/collections/indicator-relays-electronic/products/12v-electronic-indicator-flasher-relay-classic-car-with-oe-click-x-l-p-2-3-pin

The warning lamp drive is from a small transistor, which can be blown if too high a wattage bulb is connected to it. Not saying that is what happened though. 

Try disconnecting the extra wiring for hazard lights & see if that fixes it, also check the earth on the flasher unit as Rob says.

Bob.

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I had a similar problem when I switched to LED indicators, and using the same flasher that Bob linked. Only my issue was the dash indicator filament bulb would continue to flash for about 10 seconds after turning off the indicators. I replaced the the flasher unit with this Flosser one. Then the warning light only flashed twice more after the indicators were turned off. I ran the car like that for awhile, until the problem was totally solved when I replaced the dash filament bulb with a small green LED I found in a local auto parts store. Now when I turn off the indicators, the dash light goes out.

Jim

61466F88-6428-46C9-94E6-3ACF7C258939.jpeg

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The "running on" of the warning light was a problem with the early flasher units over here, I did some tests, & on my advice the supplier I use (classiccarleds.co.uk) changed the value of one of the capacitors in the circuit. They now only give 1 or 2 extra flashes.  As yours was from a different supplier, it probably had the original capacitor fitted.

Bob.

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Duncan (Classic Car Leds) is very helpful on this annoying fault ( if on two pin flasher) and will supply a simple wiring diagram to solve it.

Don't change the ignition warning light to LED as it affects the charging circuit at low revs.

Regards Harry

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10 hours ago, harrytr5 said:

 

Don't change the ignition warning light to LED as it affects the charging circuit at low revs.

Regards Harry

Only if running an alternator.

Dynamo charging will be unaffected 

Bob.

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Hmmm, I have an alternator in my car, but haven’t noticed any charging issues. However except for traffic lights etc, I spend little time at low revs. What symptoms should I look for?

Jim

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Some alternators can fail to 'start up' if the ignition lamp is an LED Jim, so the symptom would be no charging.  Current through that lamp provides excitation for the alternator when starting the engine but if there is sufficient residual magnetism, it isn't needed.  Sounds as though you are one of the lucky ones. 

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Don’t I feel the fool (It’s 9 am here and I should never respond until I’ve had my 5th cup of coffee!). I misread Harry’s post thinking he was referring to the dash indicator warning light. I do still have the standard bulb in the ignition warning light. :wacko:

(sheepishly pushes keyboard away)

Jim

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  • 1 year later...

I'm hoping to swap mine out tomorrow, would anyone share the wire colours for me for the following:
 

Connections:

X = Live In (49)

L = Load (to indicator switch) (49a)

P = Pilot / Dash Indicator Warning (optional - not required for 2 pin configuration)

Black Lead - must be connected to a good earth

 

Thanks

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FWIW I had problems with the led flasher circuit, I eventually ran a test suggested by Duncan and discovered the new electronic flasher unit was defective, so not unheard of

David 

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Hi David.

I presume the flasher unit was replaced FOC.

I have had some involvement in these, as when I first tried one, I found the pilot lamp would continue to flash 2 or 3 times after the indicators were switched off.

Having traced out the circuit I suggested some modifications, which are now the norm. I supply these along with my own rear bulbs for sidescreen cars, and have only had 1 faulty one, which turned out to be a "dry" solder joint on the circuit board. The are are still the best LED compatible ones I have come across.

Bob

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Just fitting the flasher and the one I have removed had 4 pins and a red lead. Guessing this was an earth but the wrong colour? Will of course screw the earth lead to the car later

 

8AE67CCA-8536-41EA-96C2-46A8BFEF3440.jpeg

3AD57047-4D4D-4375-9312-B47CD14EF32B.jpeg

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20 minutes ago, Jase said:

Just fitting the flasher and the one I have removed had 4 pins and a red lead.

Not standard then -  some previous modification.  If it went to the pin in the middle like this it was an earth - but why red???

140103_wiring_diagram.jpg

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54 minutes ago, RobH said:

Not standard then -  some previous modification.  If it went to the pin in the middle like this it was an earth - but why red???

140103_wiring_diagram.jpg

Probably the only colour wire they had! I had a 250 here a few years ago that had been converted left to right and the whole loom had been extended over just using red wire and blue crimps and scotchlocs for the whole loom! Nightmare.

Stuart.

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