Bizarre turn signal issue

[SteveHall64Healey]

I’m having an issue with my turn signal that I’m struggling to diagnose - any help would be appreciated.

With the ignition ON:
- the left signal F/R signal lights both light, flash and then cancel correctly. The indicator on the dash does not light as it should (bulb verified ok)
- the right signal F/R both light, flash but do not cancel and then remain on until the ignition is turned off. The indicator on the dash lights correctly.
- If I remove the P-lead from thre flasher, both dash lights flash when switch is in the right signal position

Here’s what I’ve done:
- verified that the signal switch on the column works correctly using an ohm-meter: left signal side has continuity only when switched left and same for right side. No continuity between the common lead and either side when switch in center position. No continuity to ground or between any wires in left, right or center position.
- replaced 3-prong flasher unit. Existing unit had 39.4 ohms between L and X terminals, new one has 33 ohms.

The car is a BJ8 phase 1, with positive ground.

Any ideas?

thanks,
Steve

 

[steveg]

Check your stator tube wiring. The horn wire is hot all the time and sometimes a short within this wiring has caused this kind of thing.

 

[SteveHall64Healey]

Steve,

Thanks. I checked continuity between the horn wire and the right turn signal wire and there is zero ohms. Infinite ohms between the horn and left side. I think you’ve nailed the problem. Is there anything I can do short of replacing the turn signal unit?

thanks,
Steve

 

[steveg]

Steve,

Thanks. I checked continuity between the horn wire and the right turn signal wire and there is zero ohms. Infinite ohms between the horn and left side. I think you’ve nailed the problem. Is there anything I can do short of replacing the turn signal unit?

thanks,
Steve

You buy the stator wiring harness from probably AutoFarm (or in the US, Moss or British Wiring). Not expensive. Probably nothing wrong with the trafficator mechanism itself.

For how-to info - see this great pdf by forum member Lin Rose - with lots of color photos:
https://www.healey6.com/Technical/Trafficator%20Repairs.pdf

Do a search here for previous posts on pulling the wiring through the stator. (apologies for the underscore - don't know how to remove it)

 

[SteveHall64Healey]

Thanks - that’s an ecxellent article. I’ve ordered the replacement harness. Much appreciated!
steve

 

[steveg]

This isn't everyone's cup of tea. I've removed my trafficator so many times I decided to make it really easy.
Molex connector attaches with a rare-earth magnet. Lower set of wires in pic permanently attached to wiring harness. Upper set to trafficator harness. I put shrink tube around the wire ends as a bunch and simply push them through the stator tube.

 

[RTaillieu]

It sounds like the DB10 relay box is acting up, that box hidden on the left inner fender in the engine bay.
The June Healey Marque magazine has an article on what it is and how to check it out.
All the turn signals and brake indications go through this box.
BJ8 phase one's have the box, phase two's don't.
Check out the "Lost 8 terminal flasher relay" thread.

Rick
64 BJ8 Ph1

 

[ozhealey]

Steve,

SteveG’s advice is good to look into the trafficator. As is Rick’s to look at the relay box (assuming you dont have separate park/stop/indicator lights).

I just this weekend dismantled and rebuilt (cleaned up really) my trafficator and installed a new wiring loom. I was having intermittent turn signal faults which were a bugger to diagnose (as an electrical engineer I was beginning to question my skills). Turns out the small brass nut on the green wire deep inside the trafficator had come lose over the years and fallen off and so I was getting intermittent contact. All is now good in the world and I am back to full health on the Healey.

Where did you find the short between the horn and left turn signal? Did you disconnect the trafficator wiring loom from the main loom before doing the continuity checks? I assume the horn short you describe is the brown and black wire which while “live” as SteveG indicates, is only the earth path for the horns but would explain some gremlins.

At least if you disconnect the looms, you can isolate any shorts to the trafficator or back in the main system somewhere (perhaps the relay).

Cheers
Tony

 

[steveg]

Deferring to those with superior technical knowledge...not sure how it happened but one of my Healey friends had a situation where one of the wires in the trafficator harness had shorted and burned away insulation between the wires. His horn would sound with the car not being driven, just sitting there.

That's the origin of my wiring harness suggestion.

 

[RAC68]

Hi SteveHall,

I have already experienced the loss of the left hand turn signal on my BJ8 Phase 1 and, after evaluation, determined it was from a fault in my 54 year old 8-terminal Flasher Relay Box (located behind the brake fluid container, mounted on the inner fender under the 4"Cold Air Duct - see recent past thread). First, how is your Brake Lights working? The Lucas DB10 Flasher Relay Box is the unit which allows the sharing of the Brake and Signal lights on the same filament of the 2-filament rear bulbs and, when the Trafficator is switched left or right, is the intervening box that send power to the appropriate lights (front/back) along with the proper dash indicator. If the Brake is applied on a turn, the side opposite to the Turn indicated, via the Turn Signal Flasher, will display as a solid (non flashing) Brake light. This indicates that, in functional operation, the Turn Signal is dominant and the Brake light secondary.

As a fast check 0n the operation of the Trafficator and Flasher Relay Box, I would:

1# Set the Trafficator for a Left hand signal. If properly linked, terminal 1 (Turn Signal) and terminal 4 (Left Hand) should show battery power. If not, a fault in the Trafficator or its wiring is probable. Also, Terminals 3 & 4 should also show power to the left hand front and rear bulbs as well as the dash turn indicator.

2# By setting the Trafficator for a Right hand signal. Terminals 1,8,6,7 will show power.

If I were to find power not arriving at 1 (turn signal switch) and 4 or 8 respectively, I would first check the ground on the Flasher Relay Box before going further. Keep in mind that the Flasher (not the Relay Box) can also cause difficulties in its connection through the trafficator.

Hope this helps,
Ray(64BJ8P1)

 

[ozhealey]

SteveG,

The melt down you describe could indeed have been related to a fault inside one of the horns developing which shorted the brown/black wire and power wire to the horn, or perhaps the power green wires in the trafficator shorting to the brown/black wire or earth. As I said above, the nut came off my green wire and was “floating” inside the trafficator and this nut could have caused all sorts of faults if it had shorted some of the bolt on contacts in the trafficator.

Cheers
Tony