Indicator speeding up with time

Well it is that time of the year again when the old girl goes in for the dreaded MOT, I perform all the usual checks and give the car a service before it goes in and generally it flies through. This year I have noticed that the indicators speed up with time.

Probably the indicator relay is on its way out, can any of the collective please advise/confirm.



Bob

Hi Bob,

First, if your BJ7 Flasher rate increases with time, have you done anything to your electrical generation system? An increase of power flow to the Flasher or Flasher Relay will increase your flash rate. However, with a good Flasher, I woud expect this condition to happen from start and not increase over time.

Also, as you already know, our Flashers utilizes a bimetalic strip with each metal reacting at a different rate of expansion and contraction via heat generated by electrical resistance. This dynamic strip warpage forms the basis of the controlling ON/OFF Switch that results in the Flashing effect of the Directional light filaments. Over time, this continuing warpage has an affect on the metals in the bimetallic strip and it is likely that one could be responding more quickly to the resistance-generated-heat the longer it is in operation.

Short answer, I would try changing the Flasher as it is the least expensive component in the center of the Directional system.

Hope this helps,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

Well the new unit is on and the problem has now gone away, must have been happening for some time as it now looks as if the indicators have had a new lease of life.



Bob

Hi Bob,

Did you replace teh Flasher Relay Box or the Flasher to rectify the problem?

All the best,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

Hi Ray

I replaced the flasher unit only, I did originally go to the relay box thinking that the problem was a bad connection but I was satisfied with that, so the only other thing was the flasher unit. As my car is a BJ7 I needed the screw type connections to the electrics ( the same as the earlier cars) but my supplier had only the blade connection type as for the BJ8, each blade had a small hole in it so I ended up with small nuts and bolts to make the connections for now. I will have to change the connections on the wiring to female blades at some point. Shame really because when I replaced the harness in 2013 it came with female blade connections which I converted to the screw connection type



Bob