Subject: Re: [TR] TR3 Turn Signal Flasher Failures

From: John Young <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:59:18 -0700 (PDT)

I suspect that the buzzer draws too much current for the flasher. 

John
Young NASS# 528
Indiana
'78 Spitfire
'66 Spitfire
'59 TR3A (being repaired
after 37 yrs ownership)

________________________________
 From: William
Brewer <[email-masked]>
To: Triumphs <[email-masked]> 
Sent:
Sunday, June 16, 2013 3:28 PM
Subject: [TR] TR3 Turn Signal Flasher Failures
     About every 3 years my TR3A turn signal flasher starts malfunctioning. It
works fine and then one day it will work fine on the right turn signal and the
left turn signal will flash one time and stop. I have a buzzer hooked in with
the indicator light so I can hear it when the turn signal is on. Anyway, I am
on about my 5th or 6th turn signal flasher unit and wondering if anyone has an
idea what causes them to fail. A new flasher unit seems to fix it every time,
for awhile.
     I bought a new "heavy duty" flasher unit from NAPA that
looked similar, but the turn signal indicator doesn't work at all now,
although the turn signals themselves work. It probably takes too much
electricity to run or something.
     I have a new flasher on order from MOSS.
I order them two at a time now...
     TIA,

    Bill in Tehachapi

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---

From: Geo Hahn <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 13:15:43 -0700

On Sun, Jun 16, 2013 at 12:28 PM, William Brewer <[email-masked]>wrote:

> About every 3 years my TR3A turn signal flasher starts malfunctioning...

Bill --

I'd say something is wrong here.  I've had the same old Lucas 'Do Not Drop'
flasher for 30+ years, possibly original to the car:

http://tinyurl.com/lj5g25s

What's the detail on that buzzer?  Since that is the one non-standard
component I wonder if it is creating a load that is hard on the flasher?

Disclaimer:  I really have no idea what I'm talking about of course.

Geo

---

From: William Brewer <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 15:25:25 -0700 (PDT)

I was burning out flashers before I installed the buzzer. The buzzer was
put in because I couldn't see the turn signal indicator light with the tonneau
halfway unzipped and would end up driving around with the turn signal on... I
doubt that the buzzer draws much current.
     The problem is that if I take
the buzzer out it will probably work as usual and then burn out in about 2
years again. There would be no way of knowing until then and I have already
proven that they burn out without the buzzer in the past.
     I'll check the
bulb voltages. I think that years ago I upgraded the bulbs to a brighter bulb
than the l157's or whatever they are. Maybe that is the problem.

     Bill in
Tehachapi

________________________________
 From: Geo Hahn
<[email-masked]>
To: William Brewer <[email-masked]> 
Cc: Triumphs
<[email-masked]> 
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2013 1:15 PM
Subject: Re:
[TR] TR3 Turn Signal Flasher Failures

On Sun, Jun 16, 2013 at 12:28 PM,
William Brewer <[email-masked]> wrote:

About every 3 years my TR3A turn
signal flasher starts malfunctioning...

Bill --
 
I'd say something is wrong here.  I've had the same old Lucas 'Do
Not Drop' flasher for 30+ years, possibly original to the car:

What's the detail on that buzzer?  Since that is
the one non-standard component I wonder if it is creating a load that is hard
on the flasher?
 
Disclaimer:  I really have no idea what I'm talking about of
course.
 
Geo

---

From: "Randall" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 16 Jun 2013 20:05:46 -0700

> left turn signal will flash one time and stop.

Sounds like for some reason, the LH signals are drawing less current than
the RH.  Bad connection, corroded wires, even a really old bulb might be the
cause.  Do they act the same with the headlights on?

(I'm guessing that, as the flasher ages, it takes a bit more current to make
it work properly.  That's why a new flasher solves the problem, for awhile.
The stock flashers are deliberately sensitive to current draw, so you can
tell when a bulb burns out.)

> electricity to run or something.

I had much the same experience with all of the thermal 3-prong flashers from
Kragen (now O'Reilly).  They are simply not made correctly to work in the
circuit in our cars.  On the last one, I finally gave up and changed the
wiring to the dash lamp to make it work.  The change was simple, I just
removed the ground wire for the indicator lamp, and connected the wire to
switched 12v from the switch instead.

Later, I switched to a Tridon EL13 "electronic" flasher, which works with
either connection to the indicator lamp.  The first one failed after 5 years
or so, apparently because the mounting clip I used was too tight and the
plastic housing cracked.  But the second one is still going strong.

FWIW, the EL13 is not truly "electronic", it just uses a RC timing network
and relay instead of the usual resistance wire and bimetal strip contacts.
It should still work correctly with positive ground.

-- Randall