Flasher Frustration

[White79MGB]

I have another small problem as I do some small jobs to refurbish my newly acquired Tr3. The turn signal flasher will flash the lights real fast, and there is no power to the amber dash light. I replaced the flasher unit with a new one from Moss, and it does the same thing. Anyone have experience with how to fix this? Thanks, this forum has been a great help so far!

 

[mrv8q]

MGB, I too replaced the flasher w/ a new one, w/ no difference. You then must go through and check eack individual lamp; make sure you have good grounds, and an electrical schematic to make certain things are hooked up correctly. Dielectric grease worked wonders for me, to ensure grounds in both the instrument panel and bullet connectors in the engine bay.
Believe me, stick with it, all your lights can work again!

 

[martx-5]

You can find the schematic here from Advance Auto Wire. Might help in tracking down the problem. Be sure to also check the dash indicator bulb, and make sure that the flasher unit is wired up correctly. The schematic shows which posts go where.

 

[Harry_Ward]

Behind that amber lens is a little screw in bulb which you have to gain access too by reaching your hand underneath and behind the dash where that bulb is located. The bulb is in a flat paneled socket with a wire coming out the back and is basically installed with two metal prongs holding it in the hole by friction. If you grab hold of the recepticle (not the wires) you should be able to remove the entire recepticle and bulb usually by lifting out one side first. Now the fun part, the wires may not allow you to fully remove the recepticle to a point where you can see what your doing. You have to do most of this by feel. Unscrew the bulb and check to see if it is blown or not. If not you can clean up the contact areas to both the bulb and the socket and try it again. My bet is the bulb is blown. After you replace the bulb you have to plug it back in in order to gain ground for power. Assume it's positive ground? Also by reaching your hand in there be carefull because when I did this I must have jostled the other bulb wires and it was like stringing Christmas Tree lights. One would work another would not. Wound up replacing them all and cleaning the works. If you want to git her done NAPA sells the bulb just make sure you bring the old one with you. make sure the key is off and signals are off and don't try to plug anything in or out while it is on this usually shorts the bulb. Or you can get carried away like I did in the attachment and really tempt the Lucas God to make your day!

 

[sammyb]

When I got my TR3 I spent so much time trying to figure out why my green interior light didn't flash with my signals. Turned out that the DPO had put the generator light into the flasher light -- but one had a bad bulb, and the other wasn't seated properly, so it wasn't getting a good connection.

Finally I turned on my car one day and said to myself "wow my green light is on -- ummm....shouldn't the red light be on at startup?????"

Everything flashes properly now, except it's not very bright (like its current owner /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif ) and I still wind up driving for blocks with my turn signal on.

 

[White79MGB]

Problem solved! I went to the local auto parts store and bought a generic old-fashioned flasher off the shelf ($3.99) and it works perfectly. The Lucas flasher units were bad, both the old and new ones did not work. All is well, thanks for your help again! Tim

 

[Deleted member 3577]

Lucas flasher units......

 

[mrv8q]

Tim, for curiosity's sake, what was that generic flasher? I could never find one, though the TRF one was $9, as I recall, with the correct screw terminals.

 

[R6MGS]

Any 552 series flasher will do.....Same problem with my TR6...original flasher was fried, new lucas flasher was junk, $3.99 job worked great.

 

[White79MGB]

The one I bought is a 550 series - the directions on the packaging states it is a hazard flasher replacement but I guessed correctly that it would work for turn signals. This unit was designed to plug into a connector so it has no mounting bracket. Since I am not concerned about originality, I'll work out some way to secure it.