TR4/4A Turn signal dash light inop?

[Alex Grant]

Dash Light was working indicating turn signal. Now it just stopped , all of the turn signals work, light bulb is good at the dash and when I put a test light at the flasher unit that works. Wonder if flasher unit might be bad to make indicator light not work.

 

[TR3driver]

When you put a test light at the flasher, did you try the output to the dash bulb? My first guess would be a bad connection between the bulb and bulb holder behind the dash. Could be the flasher, but not as likely IMO.

 

[Alex Grant]

When you put a test light at the flasher, did you try the output to the dash bulb? My first guess would be a bad connection between the bulb and bulb holder behind the dash. Could be the flasher, but not as likely IMO.

i didnt test for output at the bulb but bulb and the bulb holder work . Tomorrow I'll try the output at the dash. And I also made sure that there was no bad wire between flasher and the bulb unit by using a test meter.

 

[Geo Hahn]

Just to be sure -- are there any LEDs involved here? Or is everything stock incandescent bulbs?

Simplest test of a flasher is to substitute a known-good one - borrow one off another car if you have something similar.

 

[Alex Grant]

Finally got around to figure out why turn signal light on dash wasn't working. It was a bad flasher unit, replaced with a new one and all is well.

 

[KVH]

I had a problem like that, switched out two flashers and then found I had a bad bulb on the front driver's side. Is there something about a bad bulb, unequal current, or something like that causing the flasher and signal both to go haywire? I just seem to recall being told that bad bulbs are mistaken for bad flashers.

 

[TR3driver]

The stock flasher is deliberately sensitive to the current flowing through it. This is so the driver gets a visual indication when one of the turn signal bulbs burns out. (ISTR that was actually a US safety requirement.) Unfortunately, that also means it is sensitive to anything that reduces current through the bulb, like a high resistance connection somewhere or even having the bulb installed backwards. I believe it was JonMac who had a problem caused by corrosion inside the insulation of one of the wires!

However, I've also seen replacement flashers that were sold to fit earlier TRs but did not work properly. Bunch of years ago, I went through every model of 3 terminal flasher in stock at FLAPS, and none of them worked right, except for a Tridon EL13 (which is what I've been using ever since).