ONE SIDED FLASHER

[Deleted]

I made my weekly pilgrimage to check out my car today and fitted the repainted wheel with the last of my lovely crossplies won some weeks ago from EBAY
Car electrics are not my strong point and I have a small problem.My flashers are working ok on the o/s but staying on continuously on n/s.
Its probably the flasher unit and search shows me that it can be replaced by a later modern unit.(The flashers have been slow for years anyway)
JRW shows different unit prices for 3/3.5 but I far as I can see, the unit is common to late 3 litres and 3.5 litre....
Anybody know where I can get a suitable update?

[harvey]

If they flash OK on one side and not the other I would think the fault is more likely to be on the circuit for the side that doesn't work, rather than the flasher unit. If you think about it, why would the flasher unit work for one side and not the other if there were no other fault in the system?
They can stay on continuously if there is a blown bulb or a bad earth.

[stantondavies]

Flashers staying on continuously usually indicate a blown bulb.

[Phil Nottingham]

Agreed or high resistance connections either in the numerous bullet connectors correded lamp housings and earths or dirty switch contacts, or even dirty bulb holders bulb sides

Vehicle Wiring Products sell the correct flasher unit either the early 3 pin or the later common 2 pn or convert to electronic 4 pin. Wiring mods are required for 3 to 2 to 4 pin though

[Deleted]

Good points, I'll check a bit more thoroughly next visit. Minor electrical gremlins are the price for lack of use at the moment

[lagain]

I fitted an electronic unit and it is much better than the originals as its flash is constant regardless of battery condition. Try Lucas SFB162

[Deleted]

Is that a straight swap and suitable for the existing circuit with no mods?

[Phil Nottingham]

No you have to modify your wiring to the warning lights and add an earth - its quite easy but it also depends whether your original had 3 pins or 2.

You can get way with just leaving the warning light terminal unused if you have the later 2 pin type (from approx 1969) but this is not really a god idea although many do just this

[Deleted]

Thanks for clarifying that Phil.
It's back to basics with me and I'll just check the obvious.If I need to replace it, I will use one like the original.
Is the unit common to 3 and 3.5 ltrs?
Apart from checking connections etc, I steer clear of car electrics.

[lagain]

I can only comment on SFB162 as that is the one I have used.
My car is an early '71 and the original flasher unit had 2 terminals.
The SFB162 has 3 terminals on the base, which are marked 49A 49 and 31
On 49A put the light green and brown wire, which is the one that goes to the bulbs
On 49 put the green wire which is the power
On 31 put a length of wire that can go to earth.

A 5 minute job, resulting in perfect flashers.
(the flasher unit is behind the speedo and rev counter)

[Phil Nottingham]

That one will work with 2 terminal flashers - not the earlier 3 terminal electromechs fitted to P5 and early P5B's. Moste lectronics are 4 or 5 terminal so that the warning(s) lights work properly

[Deleted]

Thanks all.
I check out whether I've got an early or late flasher when I actually do the job- probably not this w/e.

[Deleted]

I did have a quick look today and situation still the same. I pulled out the binnacle but could'nt actually see the flasher unit but I know where it should be. How far is it safe to withdraw the binnacle without "breaking" something
In laymans terms, can anyone explain to me why bad earths etc will cause the lamps to stay lit when the indicator switch is moved upwards for left hand turning? Everything is fine on the circuit for right hand turning.
I always thought that bad earths meant no lights and a blown bulb rapid firing of the remaining ones.
I'm really no good at Auto electrics
As a bizarre aside, the screwdriver from the toolkit appears to be melting It could be due to the reaction between the aging plastic handle and the rubber/foam material it is slotted into.
In addition, the original foam packing of my beautiful front seats is crumbling away and I suppose will have to be refilled one day
I think my car is biodegrading at the moment!!

[Phil Nottingham]

Bad earths cause the current to find somewhere else to run through - if this is via another lamp filament and then to its earth then it will light up but at less brilliance.

The indicator warning lamps work on this principle as well - the earth is through the other side indicatos lamp.

This is also why on even moden cars you can see brake lights flashing etc

You can withdraw the binacle quite a long way if you disconnect the trip cable UNDER the dash - you should then find the flasher unit - if its a 2 pin type it may be just hanging there - it should be in a spring clip. The three pin unit will have a proper bracket held with a screw

[Deleted]

Thanks Phil.
I'll check out all the earths before thinking about the flasher unit again.

[dorsetflyer]

Richard, at least you have only got to check the earth connections out starting at the front of the car, then going through two repeaters, and finishing up with the rear bulb.
Just make a thorough job of cleaning them. A spot of 'Vaseline' or 'WD40' wont go amiss when finally connecting up.

[Deleted]

Thanks John and nice to see you back on the board!

[Deleted]

I had a very quick look today and I notice that 4 earth wires run to an earthing fitting at the front inside wing. First place to start thinks I so I gently tried to prise out the bullet end and the little cylindrical holder broke off so I just pushed in back in to what was left of the fitting
Anyway, I let the engine run for 20 minutes just to warm the car through and tried the indicators and all working well although at different rates of flashing. I then switched the sidelights on and the n/s flashers remain on So I seem to have the classic case of generalised dirty earths and damp fittings due to lack of use.Car has travelled nil miles since Nov 2005
Does anybody have a couple of four earthing point fittings they could let me have for the price of some stamps or whatever?
Thanks Richard

[Phil Nottingham]

Its best to replace these with proper crimped or solder ring terminals and be done with it.

[Deleted]

The bullet ends of the black earth wires seem ok, its the fitting on the wing I need to replace, is that what you mean?
I don't really want to change the bullets, just find a new earth fitting. The general wiring on my car is as original with everything in good order.... nothing's ever been disturbed.

[Phil Nottingham]

Its still best to replace the bullets - I recall that the fittings can still be got new though

[Deleted]

Thanks Phil, a general motor factor or a specialist?

[Phil Nottingham]

Specialist - its on here somewhere I think! Auto - Electrics?

I have tried "used" parts and they fail quite quickly

[dorsetflyer]

Richard, I have just checked out another thread relating to earthing problems and it seems that JRW may have some, priced at around £3 each, so it might be worth getting in touch with him.
I know we all like to try and keep things how Rover intended, but with all the problems on earthing I would tend to use crimped ring tongues and then fasten them to the wing. It does make it much easier to keep them earth leads clean.