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Indicator Flaser Relay

mylesw

Jedi Hopeful
Offline
Hello

I am now on my third flasher relay (the tin can shaped one) in about three months. They keep failing and I am not sure if it's the car or the quality of the parts. What should I look for to stop it from happening again?

Thanks

Myles
 

Keoke

Great Pumpkin
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I might suggest check the battery for excessive high voltage due to charging problems.Also look at the light bulbs themselves and make sure they are the proper type.
 

andrea

Jedi Knight
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Same experience,
I find that the exterior metal of my flasher relay sparkling when contact the ground-??-,
now is insulated from ground and work OK
 

rcflyer

Senior Member
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Hi everyone...I'm a new BJ8 owner as of July and have worked out a few things wrong and still working on a couple (Par for course) Yep...just experienced the same issue. The problem is when they make the Lucas flashers (Mine anyways) they were sloppy and the L contact inside is shorted to GROUNG! So, it works great until you mount it on the firewall...then POW...blown fuse...and the relay has overheated and no longer flashes. I ordered a new one from Healey Surgeons and I will check it before mounting it. It is easy to open the can and fix the short, at least on the one from Lucas. ALSO...BJ8 Early wiring WILL NOT work with some flashers (Both internal indicators flash together( because of the way the NAPA as example flashers are made (They have electronics inside ). The Lucas flasher worked great until I mounted it on the firewall. Hope this helps someone else!, How do I get the return to work while posting?? Thanks, Lee
 

rcflyer

Senior Member
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No, I'm referring to the turn signal flasher itself (3 terminals). The Early wiring BJ8 (1965 single lights front/rear model BJ8). The NAPA flasher would not work, The Lucas did (Until I mounted it on the firewall and it blew w fuse AND ruined the flasher). I have a new one ordered. Thanks, Lee
 

rjc157

Jedi Warrior
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I would check the wires coming out of the trafficator and see if they are clean ,it has to be some kind of ground issue
 

rcflyer

Senior Member
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Nothing wrong with wiring or grounds. I metered it all out. The indicators worked perfect BEFORE I replaced the flasher with a NAPA unit. If you study the wiring diagram on page NNN10 (early cars) you see how the indicators SNEAK the ground through the non-flashing front lamp (strange design) when the si. Also if you look at the flasher wiring diagram on page N14 of the shop manual you see how the flasher uses 2 contacts. The NAPA unit (I took it apart) uses a transistor for the P connection and not a ISOLATED contact. So, moral of the story is on these specific cars looks like some brand/design of flasher won't work correctly. Thanks, Lee
 

pkmh

Jedi Warrior
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Crazy idea but did you perform testing of wiring and grounds as you turn the wheel side to side? I also had this problem and realized wirings were frayed behind trafficator. Could be an intermittent short. I still stick with RJC's advice, first, until after pulling out trafficator and inspect as well as stator tube area.
 

rcflyer

Senior Member
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I totally eliminated the trafficator in the wheel, by unhooking the wires at the turnsignal relay and directly jumpering out for the left or right signal. The only thing that seems to make this all work correct is the correctly designed/built flasher. Remember on the early BJ8 the trafficator only picks a relay in the relay box...then the contacts in the box make it all work. Very simple circuit. The Healey designers did this circuit a little strange..(The way the inside turn indicators find ground is through the front lamp that is not flashing.....but it does work if you use the correct parts. Thanks,Lee
 

bob hughes

Luke Skywalker
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On my bj7 the blinker will work for about 30 seconds, then not at all, any ideas the cause of this issue?

A couple of things to try first.

Remove all the connections into the brake switch over riding relay on the inner wing on the car - one by one and clean up the terminals, use some petroleum jelly or similar when replacing the wires. If you feel capable remove the lid of the unite and clean up the contacts with some fine 'Wet and Dry' paper - used dry, blow any dust away.

Check all the bulbs and their connections, especially the ground wires, including the indicator light in the dash.

If that does not sort the problem then go to the flasher unit itself, you may have to get a replacement one. There is a test outlined in the workshop manual if you have one -
Check that terminal B is a battery voltage with respect to earth using a voltmeter

connect the flasher unit terminals B or (X) and L then operate the direction indicator switch - if the flasher lamps light and stay lit then the flasher unit is defective. If the lamps do not light then there are more tests to do on the brake override relay.

Temporarily link relay terminal 1 to terminals 2 & 3 - left lamps should flash -

Temporarily link relay terminal 1 to terminals 6 & 7 - right lamps should flash

If the lights do flash under this test then there is something wrong with the brake switch over riding relay.

Clean and check all connections first though - this could be the cause.

:cheers:

Bob
 

Ed_K

Jedi Knight
Offline
Nothing wrong with wiring or grounds. I metered it all out. The indicators worked perfect BEFORE I replaced the flasher with a NAPA unit. If you study the wiring diagram on page NNN10 (early cars) you see how the indicators SNEAK the ground through the non-flashing front lamp (strange design) when the si. Also if you look at the flasher wiring diagram on page N14 of the shop manual you see how the flasher uses 2 contacts. The NAPA unit (I took it apart) uses a transistor for the P connection and not a ISOLATED contact. So, moral of the story is on these specific cars looks like some brand/design of flasher won't work correctly. Thanks, Lee

I also have a 65 BJ8 with a single light per corner. I have been using the same modern electronic flasher since I replaced it several years ago. You must have something else wrong. The modern flasher should work fine. In fact if you have replaced the bulbs with anything modern like LED bulbs or added the 10 watt halogen bulbs inside of the rear reflectors, you will have to use the modern electronic flasher as the original flasher won't flash with a significantly less current flow to the bulbs.

Ed
 
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