Flashers = not | | Emergency = yes -> Whats up?

[farleyd]

Hi guys, on my SC, the emergency flashers work fine, but not the flasher themselves, when activated by the switch. I know about bad turn signal swithes - got anitehr one, but is there a way to find the culprit BEFORE having to dismantle to whole thing????

I have a brown cable - see pic, not connected un der the dash, in the emergency switch area, can it be related?

Thanks!

[dhoward]

If it's brown, it's a ground. (hey! I'm a poet!) It could very well be the cause of the problem. Look for a faston connecter under the dash with nothing connected to it...

[fintstone]

Does the light on you hazard switch button light up?

[ruf-porsche]

Did you check the flasher itself? Some cars use a separate flasher for turn signal and another one for the emergency.

Also did you go around and verify that the light bulbs are o.k? The combine resistance in all the light will cause them to flash, if you have a burn out bulb that bulb is not contributing to the resistance so the flasher does not work. The emrgency light use both front anf rear andf left and right lights so there is plenty of resistance.

[farleyd]

I am the thread starter. Let me clarify.

The emergency switch lights up (red) and activates the 4 corner bulbs, so the bulbs are ok.

ruf-porsche --> are talking about a different relay/flasher for emergency and normal use?? If so, where to find it?

Thanks!

[Erakad]

Had this exact problem on my 83, after many months of trying to track it down, it turned out to be a bad connection at the fuse block.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally posted by farleyd
I am the thread starter. Let me clarify.

ruf-porsche --> are talking about a different relay/flasher for emergency and normal use?? If so, where to find it?

Thanks!

The emergency flasher is located in the dash next to the radio
and
the turn signal flasher is located in the trunk in the fuse box in front of the power window relay.

[farleyd]

The emergency flasher is located in the dash next to the radio and the turn signal flasher is located in the trunk in the fuse box in front of the power window relay.

Please excuse me to ask such dumb questions but... are relays and flashers the same thing? One more, what do they look like???? Oh boy...

[fintstone]

farley
I guess I was not clear. The resistor in you picture is connected between the headlight switch and the flasher. It causes the bulb to glow in the flasher switch when your lights are on. It is not as bright as when you actually turn on the flasher..thus the resistor to dim the light. One side of the resistor is soldered to flasher and the other side connects to a wire(red and black, I think) leading to the light switch. If you look, I belive the wire has pulled out of the connector.
You only have one flasher. It has 2 different outputs..one for flasher and one for turnsignals. It is a small rectangular black box with 4 connections located in you front trunk, behind the right hand blowervalves(near brake fluid reservoir) hidden behind the cardboard -like cover for the blower and backs of gauges.

[Erakad]

Long answer I'm sorry...do you have a Bentlys?

Remove the far left gauge (gas/oil level)..pulls out. The second square plastic box back is the turn signal relay (yu can hear it click when the turnsignal is active). Can also approach it from the trunk. Don't know about his emergency flasher, mine is located to the left of the ignition switch. Maybe there's something next to the radio I don't know about...go figure. The flasher next to the ignition switch comes in 2 pieces, top half is the switch, bottom half is a plug...about 8 wires connecting. You can bypass the ignition switch and make it hot all the time by patching it...to the (I think...but check) red wire. Check your Bentlys for the wiring diagram. Useful in dx'ing to see if it's the flasher or a bad connection. Check your fusebox connection...actually take the wire out and reseat it.

[fintstone]

No a flasher and a relay are different....but both are easy to check with a meter.

[fintstone]

Oh, the resistor/wire you pictured only affects the hazard button light with the headlights and does not affect the turn signals. If you have a voltmeter or test light you should test the flasher. First, find the flasher relay. Unplug it from it's socket. There should be 4 pins C, 31 49,49a. put a small piece of masking tape on the top of the relay and mark on it where each pin is...C,31,49,49a. Plug the relay back in about half way so you can stll see each contact. turn on your emergency flasher button and you should observe 49-12v(or test light on), 31 ground (or test light off), C switching between 0 and 12v (or test light flashing, 49a flashing between 0 and 12v (or test light flashing). If this is correct, your flasher relay is good. Next, turn off the emergency flasher, turn your key to accessory and turn on either turn signal. You should get exactly the same.

[ruf-porsche]

Originally posted by Erakad
Long answer I'm sorry...do you have a Bentlys?

Don't know about his emergency flasher, mine is located to the left of the ignition switch. Maybe there's something next to the radio I don't know about...go figure. The flasher next to the ignition switch comes in 2 pieces, top half is the switch, bottom half is a plug...about 8 wires connecting. You can bypass the ignition switch and make it hot all the time by patching it...to the (I think...but check) red wire. Check your Bentlys for the wiring diagram.

If you have a Bentley Manual for your SC check pages 971-6 and 971-8. It list the locations of the various flashers for SC from 78 to 83. The location that I gave you earlier is the same that are listed in the manual.

Don't know about the flasher(?) next to the ignition switch. Perhaps a PO rewired his flashers or maybe he has a Euro car.

[Craig Stevens]

Fuses #9 & # 10 located in the front fuse box control the right & left turn signals. you might want to check them too. Good luck, Craig

[farleyd]

Craig --> fuses are OK
ruf-porsche and flinstone --> where is the damn flasher relay??? Ive seen nothing in the fuse/relay department. But ive seen two square device behind the barke reservoir? Is that it?

Then, if it is, and if the test is conluant - means if i get no signal to the relay when using turn signal switch, does it mean that teh relay or switch is faulty?

Swapping a relay is easy, replacing a steering column switch isnt...

Thanks!

[ruf-porsche]

Just what is wrong with the signal flasher?

Do the lights come on but they don't flash or do the lights never come on?

No lights could mean a lot of thing including a bad switch. Lights coming on but not flashing could mean a bad bulb (I know you check the bulb) or a bad flasher.

[fintstone]

It is the smaller square device behind the brake reservoir. It is not really a just a relay, but has one in it You can probably hear it click when you turn on the flasher. It most likely says "blinkgeber" somewhere on it. If unsure, you can disconnect the power to it..see above..pin 49 and the flasher should cut out.
The unswitched power for it comes from the flasher button when the button is depressed (that is why you can turn on the flasher without the key). The switched power is available with the key to "on". That is why the turn signals need the key switched to on.

[farleyd]

Ok let me repeat. Maybe i wasnt clear enough.

When emergency switch is used --> all is fine, all lights are flashing, so the bulbs are OK.

When turn signal switch is used --> nada, not even a click!!! from the relay.

I remember fooling around with the turn signal as my high beam werent coming up. With a screwdriver, i plied the metal connectors back to proper position, and the high beams came back. MAy i have hurt something?

As i said, i DO have another turn signal switch. Just a PITA to replace if only a relay is defective....

Is there a wat to check if relay/fuse or else before swapping the switch?

Or maybe, just plugging (without mounting on the steering wheel) the new switch????

I am flasherless.... about this!

[fintstone]

Test the flasher (some call it the relay) as above. After visually looking for broken wires and a bad fuse, that is the first step in troubleshooting your problem. The results of that test will tell you the direction to go next. Open your front hood, turn on your emergency flasher and follow the clicking noise.

[farleyd]

Open your front hood, turn on your emergency flasher and follow the clicking noise.

Hi fintstone, is there ONe flasher relay? Or two? One for emergency and one for the turn signal switch? Unless i get it wrong, following the click from the emergency flasher wont help me, unless its the same relay.

By checking it, i could see if its getting a signal from the turn signal switch or not?