turn signal goes from ludicrous speed straight to plaid.

sporqster · 12-12-2005, 06:15 AM

My wife Carrie bought this '79 911SC several months ago as a daily driver that sees occasional track duty. I somehow have gotten the duty of making the repairs. Now that we're on the 2nd transmission, I'm hoping this one will be an easy fix.

The turn signal was always a little faster than I was used to in this car (maybe 200 clicks per minute). But over time it has gone to ludicrous speed, and eventually plaid. You can't even distinguish the individual blinks anymore- it like it's on solid with a bit of a flicker to it.

Is this common with a common, easy, and hopefully cheap fix? The turning left signal also is very difficult to keep in position, and when it does stay in place, it doesn't cancel unless you do so manually. Unrelated issue?

911Atlanta · 12-12-2005, 06:30 AM

Usually the turn signals speed up when the bulb is burned out or some other simple problem like that exists in the bulb area. Yours sounds like it might be a bit more involved, though, but try the bulb. Also, check your fuse and see if your model has a relay (and check it). I know some cheap/bad relays will cause blinking irregularity sometimes. Also try the bulb, and if it's not that, check all the contacts in the harness and bulb receiver. The bulbs on mine are held in by the contact point pushing back -- simple tension. Sometimes the metal of the contact point fatigues and doesn't push back enough to make contact with the bulb, the bulb just rattles around in there and thus causing intermittent failure. I pulled out the whole big plasic turn signal receptacle and cleaned out, fixed and repaired everything back there (making sure the electricla connections were good/tight) and the problems were solved. Good luck !

Jim Garfield · 12-12-2005, 06:33 AM

Plaid?

sporqster · 12-12-2005, 06:36 AM

The bulbs are all lighting up- and blinking at the same crazy rate the clicking is going on the relay. Is this how a blinker relay fails? just keeps getting faster and faster until it's just on all the time? I've never had to replace one before. Would fast blinking be an indication of the lights pulling too much (short), or not enough (bad connection) current, or unrelated?

Oh, and the crazy fast blinking happens both right and left.

ErVikingo · 12-12-2005, 06:39 AM

Check out the Mr. Lightbulb; the Mr. Relay and if not ask Dark Helmet for help ....

We Brake for Nobody.....

sporqster · 12-12-2005, 06:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jim Garfield
Plaid?

Sorry- watched "Spaceballs" last week.
Light speed -> warp speed -> ludicrous speed -> plaid

cantdrv55 · 12-12-2005, 06:49 AM

If all your blinkers work but just going at ludicrous speed then your bulbs are OK. I had the same problem in my '79SC last month and ended up replacing the hazard flasher/blinker relay, p/n B-618-303-11, purchased from our host.

The relay's location is a b1tch to get to, by the way. You can get at it by removing the oil temp gauge or going from the front of the car, behind the driver's side hood strut. I went the strut route and removed it because I couldn't my oil gauge off. Let me know if you need more help. I couldn't put the relay back on it's rubber stand because of the restricted access so I taped it up and tie-wrpped it on to the bulkhead.

Jim Garfield · 12-12-2005, 06:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sporqster
Sorry- watched "Spaceballs" last week.
Light speed -> warp speed -> ludicrous speed -> plaid

Carl Bauer · Carl Bauer's Garage

It's going to be the relay. I replaced it with 914.618.303.11. Not the original # but all the specs were the same and the blinkers work perfectly now. They don't "click" exactly the same so I guess the relay is slightly different.

sporqster · 12-12-2005, 08:23 AM

Got one ordered from the host... should be a fun time replacing it. ;-)

strupgolf · 12-12-2005, 01:01 PM

I had a similiar problem. The right signal worked fine, and the left also. Then the left just started to BUZZ, not working at all. I changed the relay, pretty easy to get to from the front, but that didnt work. Checked all bulbs, etc, but still BUZZed. Then, after about a month, right ok, left blinked faster, but still not correct. Then, the last time I took it out, late nov., right ok, and now left ok.It sure is strange to me, and I dont know now what I fixed or changed to correct the problem. Sorry I cant help you with your's, but I'm still trying to figure out mine. Cheers