Question on flasher of BN6

BN6_2197

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #1

My flasher lamp on the dash board does not work regularily if the flasher is switched on. It only lights once. Now I am searching for the cause. There are two main components in the flasher system, the flasher relay and the flasher unit. I hear a quiet "click" in the flasher relay but now "clack" of the flasher unit. I have continuously changing electric tension at the "L" pin of the flasher unit, between 9 Volt and 2 Volt.

Two questions:
* Is this a hint that the flasher unit is defect?
* What is the meaning of the flasher unit within the flasher system at all?

Thank you very much in advance,

Volker

 

TimK

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #2

More information would be helpful, do the exterior lights flash correctly? If not, you probably need a new flasher. Flashers are cheap, just try a new one (any commonly available one should do). The flasher unit is what makes the lights blink on and off. The flasher relay gets the electric current to the proper lights and ensures that the brake lights come on when the brakes are applied.

 

OP

BN6_2197

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #3

The exterior flasher lights work correct. Only the behaviour of the flasher lamp at the dash board is unexpected. As said, it only lights once directy after the flasher switch at the steering wheel has been moved.

 

TimK

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #4

Does the interior light blink once and stay off, or stay on?

 

OP

BN6_2197

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #5

It stays off after it has blinked once and I do not hear a "clack" anymore of the flasher unit.

 

TimK

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #6

The interior lamp is fed electric current directly from the flasher unit, not the relay, so the problem has to be with the flasher unit -- I'd say replace it.

 

OP

BN6_2197

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #7

By the way: when the interior flasher light is off and the exterior flasher lights are still blinking there is no Electric tension at pin "B" of the flasher unit, which connect to the 35 AMP fuse.

I have 9 Volt electric tension on pin "B" at the one time the flasher light at the dash board is working.

 

TimK

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #8

You've got all I can give on this -- just replace the flasher unit.

 

OP

BN6_2197

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #9

Ok, I will do that. Wanted to be sure, that I replace the right component. Flasher unit is about 20 € here in Germany. Thank you very much, Tim.

 

GregW

Yoda

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #10

BN6_2197 said:

By the way: when the interior flasher light is off and the exterior flasher lights are still blinking there is no Electric tension at pin "B" of the flasher unit, which connect to the 35 AMP fuse.

I have 9 Volt electric tension on pin "B" at the one time the flasher light at the dash board is working.

Click to expand...

9 volts is kinda weak. Is the engine running while you are running these tests?

 

TimK

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• Mar 22, 2014

• #11

Well, now that Greg has posted, If you have a weak battery, that might be a problem, but if the exterior lights are flashing OK, then I am stumped.

 

T

terp83

Senior Member

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• Mar 23, 2014

• #12

Volker

I had a similar symptom on my BT7, except the dashboard indicator would flash a few times, then go out. My problem was that both stop/tail lamps were reverse-wired. The additional symptom that I encountered was that the stop lamps and rear turn signals appeared not to be working when the headlamps were turned on. They were working, but through the dimmer bulb filament, which couldn't be seen over the brighter filament.

Jerry

 

OP

BN6_2197

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• Mar 24, 2014

• #13

My engine did not run during the tests.

Jerry, there were times when all worked fine. Otherwise I would not have got the
certificate of the GermanTüV ;-)

 

OP

BN6_2197

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• Mar 29, 2014

• #14

Gents, I am still in analysis phase ;-) Checked the permanent electric current which is connected to the direction swith. When the flasher is not turned on I have stable 12.09 Volt. As soon as I turn the flasher on the electric current starts to be dynamic between 11.90 and 12.00 Volt, no stable current in this situation any more. I measured the electric current at the 35 amp fuse where the wire leading the permanent current to the direction swith starts.

 

Johnny

Darth Vader

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• Mar 29, 2014

• #15

Do you have the original type flasher unit mounted near the grille? New ones are electronic, the original are mechanical, which you can remove the cover and clean the relay contacts. Not a bad idea to do once in awhile anyway. BTW disconnect the battery before doing any electrical work.

 

OP

BN6_2197

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• Mar 30, 2014

• #16

Next update: When the ignition switch is turned off I have 12.43 Volt at the Brown with Blue in wire and 0 Volt at the 2 white out wires. When I turn the ignition switch the electric current at the in wire is still 12.43 Volt, at the out wires I have only 11.50 Volt. Hence I "loose" electric current in that scenario.

What I am wondering is that at the White with Black wire from the ignition coil to the distributor I measure 0.18 Volt when the ignition switch is turned on. The engine is not running in that case and the starter button not pressed, of course. Is this expected?

 

RAC68

Darth Vader

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• Mar 30, 2014

• #17

As with Ralph’s issue on the flasher, the flasher provides power to all directional signal lights both internal and external. The interior dash signal indicator is grounded through the “P” terminal of the flasher and without that ground, the dash indicator will not light …even though the external lights will.

Make sure the case of the flasher is grounded through its retainer clip to the body. Also, since the “B” terminal provides power to light the lights, if you are not getting power from the fuse to t he flasher, you should have NO power to light any lights.

Also, if a connector leading to the dash indicator has corrosion, you may be experiencing a resistance that allows the initial spike of power to pass but, as the power flow stabilizes, drops below the resistance threshold. This will give 1 flash but no more. In all cases, if you are lighting the outer signals, you must be getting power from the fuse block …unless incorrectly wired.

Good luck,
Ray (64BJ8P1)

 

Johnny

Darth Vader

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• Mar 30, 2014

• #18

If you have the mechanical type Brake Switch Overriding relay there's a great article on adjusting the contacts in the Healey Marque magazine dated November 2004 page 8. You might be able to view that article using the AHCA website.

 

GregW

Yoda

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• Mar 30, 2014

• #19

RAC68 said:

As with Ralph’s issue on the flasher, the flasher provides power to all directional signal lights both internal and external. The interior dash signal indicator is grounded through the “P” terminal of the flasher and without that ground, the dash indicator will not light …even though the external lights will.

Make sure the case of the flasher is grounded through its retainer clip to the body.

Click to expand...

Turns out none of the terminals or the flasher case are grounds. I used to think there was a flow back from the dash lights, but apparently not. The grounds in the circuit are from the turn signal bulb sockets at each corner of the car.

 

Keoke

Great Pumpkin

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• Mar 30, 2014

• #20

The grounds in the circuit are thru the turn signal bulb filaments and sockets at each corner of the car. --TKS--:smile-new:

Problems usually crop up at the front turn signals when corrosion in the socket prevents good grounding.

General comment here: "Electrical current is always measured in AMPS not volts.