Inoperative Direction Indicator Warning Light

[Scotsman]

Recently had the steering wheel off and central indicator assembly apart on my 59 TR3. In process I foolishly blew the fuse, flasher unit, and dash bulb. Have replaced all, and the signal lights all work but the direction indicator warning light on dash does not. Horn works. I also converted car from positive ground to negative.
I have tested dash warning light bulb, it works.
Done a continuity test on lead from flasher unit through bulb to ground. Dash bulb and continuity tester bulb illuminate.
Rearranged the 3 wires attached to new flasher unit in all possible combinations and dash light will not illuminate (solid of intermittent).
Got a second flasher unit. (Nappa Thermal Flasher 550). Still no luck.
I have the central terminal on flasher unit going to warning light. If I reverse the leads on the other two terminals indicator lights will no longer work.

What am I am missing (be polite)? Wrong flasher unit? An additional circuit I need to check?

Thanks.

 

[trrdster2000]

Scotsman, run a bit of sandpaper on the metal behind the dash where the switch rest as when you used a continuity light you were getting a good ground. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

Wayne

 

[TR3driver]

Wrong flasher, IMO. I went through this a few years back, and even though they were supposed to be compatible, the thermal flashers from the local parts store did not work properly. I eventually bought one of every 3 terminal flasher they had in stock, and the only one that made the light work properly was a Tridon EL-13 "electronic" flasher.
https://www.amazon.com/Tridon-EL13-Flasher/dp/B001I1QPNG

The other solution that seemed to work with the 550 flasher was to re-wire the indicator lamp to hot instead of ground.

In spite of the "electronic" name, the EL-13 is actually electro-mechanical (a relay plus resistors & caps), so I believe it will work with either polarity. But my TR3A was already converted to negative ground, so I didn't actually try it with positive ground. If you do use the EL-13, you may need a mounting clip for it (my car already had one). Make sure the clip isn't too tight, or the plastic housing will eventually break.

 

[Scotsman]

OK, tested the center prong marked "P" as suggested by Jedi Knight and still no luck (connected to a circuit tester and grounded other end).

I have converted the car to a negative ground. Could this effect things? As stated earlier the front and back indicator lights do work.

It appears there are quite a few posts on the net relating to this issue and the suggestion is to use a "heave duty" flasher unit. NAPA THERMAL FLASHER 550 does state HEAVY DUTY on unit.

 

[Kleykamp]

I had that exact problem. Bought new flasher,OEM style,didn't work. Bought A/M 550 flasher, didn't work. Ordered another new OEM style flasher,and it did work. I intitially thought that hooking the first new one up wrong, fried it, but I think it was just a bad unit. Seem to recall the 550 worked intermitantly, meaning the dash indicator would flash about 2 times and quit but the signals would still work.

 

[MDCanaday]

Believe it or not you had better start with a Lucas flasher,there are cheap Chinese flashers on the market
that dont work at all.I tried all the flashers my local"parts " store had not a single one functioned.Finally the Lucas arrived from TRF
,plug and go.
MD