slow flashers

[erldrums]

hi,
anybody out there got a cure for really slow flashing turn signals at idle?..i've replaced the flasher unit, new bat, and alt seems to be putting out enough(though not a huge amount!) juice.the flashers are so slow it's not funny. and stop if the idle goes under1000/1100 revs.This is getting a bit scarry, nearly had a car up my rear end tonight cos he didn't notice me stopped, turning right at a junction...!

[TopCatGr58]

Hey there Erldrums,

Just what do you mean by Alt "seems" to be putting out enough juice? Have you taken a voltmeter to it and measured it both at idle and then at 3000 rpm?? The engine will run entirely off of the battery for a while and so everything can seem to be working, but you won't actually be charging!

Next, you should check the frame grounds for all of your lights, which could be rusted/corroded, and not allowing enough current to flow thru the flasher fast enough to heat up the triggering mechanism?

You also say you replaced the Flasher Unit? A regular flasher unit won't work unless you've swapped a couple of the wires for the turn signal plug. Are you using standard bulbs, or have you put in LED style bulbs?

And there are 2 flasher units, one for the Emergency Hazard flashers, and one for the turn signals. The Hazard one has only 2 prongs, the turn has 3 prongs, but a regular auto 3 prong won't work.
T.C.

[Ken Talbot]

Dirty electrical connections! Start at the battery terminals, move out to where the battery cables attach to the frame and to the solenoid, and keep working your way along until you get to the bulbs in the signals. Take every connector apart and clean each part of each connector. You're working at cleaning up 25 or so years of corrosion. Get it all clean, your signals will flash at idle at a stop light, even with the brake light on.

[mro]

wear yellow rain coat only when flashing!

Did as TC says, still a little slow and sometimes stopped at idle.

Cleaned battery and engine grounds and they work pretty good now.


mro

[xj11john]

I had that problem and also not working at all on left signal, turned out to be the rear left socket was so rusted that not getting enough current, cleaned it up and also attached new wires to it just in case and working like a champ now.

[erldrums]

well i changed the flasher unit out of my old xs, which only has two prongs on it,and it works a treat,(the xj has a square three prong unit) but i don't have self cancelling now, which is obviously the third connector(yellow i think, will have to go back out and look),terminals are all pretty clean, but i guess you really have to set the idle at 1200 like the manual says to keep the battery charging!

[erldrums]

I'll go through all the connectors between the flasher unit and the self cancelling unit,if that doesn't improve things, it points to a suspect flasher unit i guess..?...but at least i've go flashers that flash for now!