Turn signal help

[AUSMHLY]

Make up your mind man, are you going left or right?
I'm sure that's what the drivers behind me are thinking. Dam British driver.

So...nothing has changed. No burnt out bulbs, no me messing with any wires. It's just Lucas saying hellooooo.

The other day I noticed the left turn signal indicator on the dash was not blinking. So I moved the trafficator knob back to center then to the left. Then it worked.
I moved it to the right, then both indicators on the dash blinked. Moved it to the left and both indicators blinked.

Kept moving it, sometimes it would work correctly, only one side was blinking as it should.

So I have an intermittent problem. Right on! These are the fun ones.

Oh great ones here on the BCF, where do I start trouble shooting?

I've checked to make sure I have gas in the tank, air pressure is correct in all tires (including the spare) and my windscreen is clean. So I've ruled those areas out. However I did just post about my front shock leaking. It just happened too. I think there's a conspiracy going on.

Cheers,
Me

 

[tahoe healey]

Sounds like operator error.

 

[AUSMHLY]

Sounds like operator error.

Being that Rich has meet me in person, he is qualified to sum up the situation.


I've got the day off from my first job today, PDR.
That leaves the rest of the day for my second job, Healey troubleshooting.

I'll start by checking all the bullet connectors.
Looking for frayed areas where there maybe be a short.
Then I'll pull the trafficator and look at those connections.

Could the flasher unit be the cause?
Do they either work or not work? If so, I could move on to another area.

What about the flasher relay?
I have a upgraded repro, that has a computer board inside the housing.
Again, either works or doesn't ?

Cheers,
Dick Tracy

 

[Keoke]

Sounds like you have dirty or significantly worn contacts in the cotrol head. I would start with an inspection of the contacts and a good cleaning if they appear OK and reassembly. Have Fun-Keoke :laugh:

 

[Randy Harris]

Check the left parametric modulator. If that isn't working go to the diastonic electro-numericisor. The tri-stator could be acting up in which case you'll need to disassemble the programmable distribution unit which should, if memory serves, reveal the source of the problem - leaking wires.
Good luck my friend...
Randy

 

[AUSMHLY]

Sounds like you have dirty or significantly worn contacts in the cotrol head. I would start with an inspection of the contacts and a good cleaning if they appear OK and reassembly. Have Fun-Keoke :laugh:

Let the fun begin.
I've had that out too many times to brag. I can now take the trafficator out in less than an hour.

I was hoping it was a contact situation. That sounds like the easy fix. Maybe I should make a video of how to R&R the trafficator and post it on Youtube. Then watch the number of hits. Got Trafficator?

As always Keoke,

 

[AUSMHLY]

Check the left parametric modulator. If that isn't working go to the diastonic electro-numericisor. The tri-stator could be acting up in which case you'll need to disassemble the programmable distribution unit which should, if memory serves, reveal the source of the problem - leaking wires.
Good luck my friend...
Randy

I was afraid that was the situation.
When can I expect you at my front door, so you can walk me through that gibberish?

OK, grab the thingamajig and turn that whatchamacallit.
Or in the way New yawka's say fugetadoutit!

 

[andybj8]

Roger
sounds more like a short to me, worn contacts would not make both sides indicators work at the same time?, I believe the replacement trafficator cables either have a larger cored cable or ring connector so that they can easily meet in the head, that being they can easily touch so they may have moved.
Might just need retightening and some insulation tape to keep them seperated.
Otherwise might be a short somewhere in the stator tube (new larger cable may have had the insulation cut through when it was pulled through? and just making contact now)
otherwise I would go with Randy's theory and find a Delorean at the breakers and rob parts off it :wink:.

And didnt you just change your steering wheel back from motolita to standard, probably done then!

difficult to say about the flasher unit (the original type would not cause this as its just a delay on/off for which ever sides indicator is picked by the control head) but you have to go all modern and without seeing a wiring diagram cannot comment.
cheers Andy

 

[AUSMHLY]

Hey Andy,

Thanks for your input. I like that you guys remember what I do/did, changed steering wheel.

To comment on my both blinkers on at the same time...well, not really. What happened was they (internal flashers) both lit up and both flash once or twice and that was about it. The outside lights would not light up.

OK, so just R&R the trafficator. I found the brass contacts were a bit greasy. The previous person who rebuilt this, must have gone a little overboard with grease. Oh, wait, that was me. My bad.

I cleaned everything, and put it back together. It seems to work fine, testing it in the garage. I'll know later when I take her out for a ride. (It's raining now and I don't want to mess up my killer hair dew, nor drive her in the rain).

I'll follow up and let you guys know if that is what the problem was. Nine times out of ten, I cause the problem.

Roger.....that.

 

[andybj8]

Roger
sorry must have misunderstood, in that case may be worth unplugging the modern gizmo and trying the old can relay, basically there are 2 contacts inside, one for the indicator bulbs and one for the dash lights (pretty basic on the bj8's compared to the combined brake unit on the earlier cars). Might be easier to dismiss your gizmo than pull the trafficator.
OR
It looks like a quick check to test the indicators would be to take the indicator can relay / gizmo out of the circuit. Therefore terminal B (green cable from fuse)and terminal P (light green and pink cable to dash lights) and terminal L(green and brown feed to load / main indicator lights via trafficator switch)could all be shorted together. With the trafficator moved either side it should turn on thats side indicator light and dash lights permantly.
might be worth a try?
cheers Andy

 

[Rob Glasgow]

Roger, Often times the best way to solve a new problem is to look at what has changed and then put everything back the way it was before the issue occurred. Since I now have your Motolita steering wheel on my car, would you like me to remove it and send it back.......On second thought, since you can remove the traficator in under an hour, you should come down at pull the wheel yourself....Good luck on finding the solution.

 

[AUSMHLY]

Sounds like you have dirty or significantly worn contacts in the cotrol head. I would start with an inspection of the contacts and a good cleaning if they appear OK and reassembly. Have Fun-Keoke :laugh:

Right you are Keoke. :thumbsup:
It was a combination of dirt and oil/grease on the contacts.
It stopped raining so I snuck out for a quick drive around the block. All fixed.

So, for those who may happen to run into this similar situation, it just may be dirty contacts and a good cleaning is in store.

Thanks Keoke and Andy. Oh and yes you too Randy. Now if I could figure out what the heck you're saying Randy. :confuse:

Cheers,
Roger

 

[AUSMHLY]

Roger, Often times the best way to solve a new problem is to look at what has changed and then put everything back the way it was before the issue occurred. Since I now have your Motolita steering wheel on my car, would you like me to remove it and send it back.......On second thought, since you can remove the traficator in under an hour, you should come down at pull the wheel yourself....Good luck on finding the solution.

Rob, you been talking to TH? :computer:
You guys know me too well. I create my own problems. Seems I may have over lubricated the trafficator when I had it out before.

And while on on the humble train, I also placed the return tab in the trafficator in the wrong place when I removed the Moto-Lita and installed the stock banjo wheel. Instead of the tab being at the bottom where the two pins are, I put it at the top. No wonder the cancellation did not work, duh.

Guess where I lined the tab up today. :thumbsup:

Roger

 

[tahoe healey]

Randy, I think its the flux capacitor.
Keoke, NOTHING on Rogers car needs cleaning.
TH

 

[Keoke]

Randy, I think its the flux capacitor.
Keoke, NOTHING on Rogers car needs cleaning.
TH

:shocked: Looks can be very deceiving.---Keoke-- :laugh:

 

[AUSMHLY]

Randy, I think its the flux capacitor.
Keoke, NOTHING on Rogers car needs cleaning.
TH

:shocked: Looks can be very deceiving.---Keoke-- :laugh:

One might LOOK at Keoke's avitar and wonder, why the devil did he pick that?
I think it's because Keoke knows, the devils in the details. :angel:

NOTHING on Roger's car needs cleaning (Thanks Rich!)

Roger, did you clean the inside of the trafficator?
So you see Rich, SOMETHING on my car needed cleaning :lol:

 

[Jerry]

I put LEDs in the turn signal lights. Now the dash lights blink together. I have decided that is normal (for my car) so I am NOT taking the trafficator apart. After all the blinking on your dash is just to tell you to turn them off after you turn? Yea, most of the time that works automatically, but not all the time.

Jerry
BJ8

 

[Robert560]

Just FYI... if you're a member of AHCUSA, there's a really fantastic article on disassembly and reassembly of the trafficator in their "Tech Archives (more)" section. It's under "Interior and Trim". Using that as my guide, it helped make tearing into the trafficator an easy animal to tame.

~Robert

 

[Keoke]

One might LOOK at Keoke's avitar and wonder, why the devil did he pick that?
I think it's because Keoke knows, the devils in the details. :blush:

 

[AUSMHLY]

I put LEDs in the turn signal lights. Now the dash lights blink together. I have decided that is normal (for my car) so I am NOT taking the trafficator apart. After all the blinking on your dash is just to tell you to turn them off after you turn? Yea, most of the time that works automatically, but not all the time.

Jerry
BJ8

Hey Jerry,
I also have LED bulbs for the turn signal indicators in the dash.
Try this electronic flasher from Napa. It stops led bleed over.