> At 9:44 AM -0400 6/18/03, Harrymague@aol.com wrote:
> >This is the darnest thing I seen in TR6 electrics. My turn
> signal flasher
> >blinks at different speeds for the left and right. I tried a
> new flasher and
> >got the same thing. The right appears to flash at the right speed, but
> >the left
> >seems slow. Anybody have any ideas. Thanks in advance
>
> Sounds like the resistance on one side of the car is a bit higher than the
> other. The flasher works by a thermal principle, so it takes a bit longer
> to heat the unit when the resistance is higher. Look for a bit of
> corrosion
> in a socket or connector on the "slow" side.
>
> The alternative is to fit an electronic flasher unit. I did this some time
> ago and the signals work at a steady speed regardless of what's going on
> with the rest of the electrical system. No more "slow" signals at night
> with the headlights on while waiting for a light to change.
While Phil is on the right track here, a word of clarification might help.
Flashers, both thermal and electronic, come in both load-sensitive and
non-load-sensitive versions. Most OEM flashers are load-sensitive, so that
you will notice the funny flash rate (or complete lack of flash in some
cases) and replace the burnt-out bulb. Of course, as Phil noted, that also
makes them sensitive to any other differences in resistance, like a bad
connection or a corroded wire.
Non-load-sensitive flashers are generally called "heavy duty", as they are a
necessity for vehicles that tow trailers. From what I've seen in stores,
the "heavy duty" electronic flashers are more commonly stocked, but the
Tridon catalog lists both varieties.
Also worth noting, not all 3-terminal flashers will work with the TR
electrical system. Some of them will cause the turn indicator lamp to stay
on all the time. Sorry, don't recall part numbers offhand, except that a
Tridon EL-13 is a non-load-sensitive, electronic flasher, that will work in
a TR that needs a 3-terminal flasher. But, if you mount it in a clip, be
sure the clip applies only light pressure to the housing. The clip on my
TR3A eventually distorted the plastic housing enough to cause the flasher to
quit working (and break the plastic).
Randall
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