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Re: Hazard (flashing) lights (was Re: That rotter Lucas)

To: mburdick@unmc.edu, lang@isis.mit.edu
Subject: Re: Hazard (flashing) lights (was Re: That rotter Lucas)
From: Ken Streeter <streeter@sanders.com>
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 1994 07:12:42 -0400
A few days ago, I had asked for some advice with my hazard flasher
problems (quick flash, barely detectable light).

The suggestions were all helpful!  In my case, it turned out to be
the simple case of the wrong flasher unit being installed.  You may
recall that I mentioned that the directionals worked fine; only the
hazard lights were a problem.

After spending some time tracing the problem, I found that removing
any two of the four bulbs from the hazard circuit would make the
remaining two work just fine.  Ah ha!  Maybe a PO installed the
wrong flasher unit for the hazard lights...

There are separate flasher units for the hazard and directional
lights in the TR6.  Apparently, the directional flashers had died
on some PO.  He had disconnected the dead Lucas directional flasher
unit, and added an American Wagner variable-load flasher unit for
the directionals.  (He simply added this unit under one of the
wire-harness straps -- it would never fit in the little Lucas
flasher bracket -- he left the old (broken) Lucas directional
flasher in it's bracket.)  I found that the broken Lucas
directional flasher had the same part number as the one in my
hazard circuit, and the number matched that of the directional
flasher in TRF's catalog.  Thus, both units were for directionals
(2 bulbs), neither was for the hazard lights (4 bulbs).

So, I figured, I'd need to order the correct flasher unit from TRF.
But wait, I realized I could at least take the big Wagner unit out,
and replace it with the correct Lucas unit for the directionals.  I
did this, and then put the Wagner variable-load flasher on the
hazard lights.  Everything worked!

All of this has made me realize that the variable-load flasher
units are somewhat nicer in that they can handle any number of
bulbs (when one burns out), and use the same part for different
cars, and different applications.  Does anybody know of a
variable-load replacement flasher that is of the same size/shape as
the little rectangular Lucas flasher units?  I suppose Triumph used
the fixed-load flasher units so that when a bulb burns out the
non-flashing directional would indicate this.  It seems to me that
being able to have one interchangeable part would be better now, as
I would only need to keep one spare on the shelf...

--ken  '74 TR6, Bedford NH

Kenneth B. Streeter        | ARPA: streeter@sanders.com
Lockheed Sanders           | UUCP: ...!uunet!sanders.com!streeter
PTP2-A001                  |
65 River Road              | Voice: (603) 885-9604
Hudson, NH 03051           | Fax:   (603) 885-0631


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