Why do turn signals blink faster when cold?
 

This is one of those questions that I have been meaning to ask for about 8 months now and just now remembered to ask while I am on line.

When it is cold(er) outside my turn signals flash much faster than normal.

This isn't too huge of a problem but whenever I sit at a red light and some dude is in front of me and his signal is flickering more rapidly than most others it kinda bugs me a bit.
Why would turn signals flash, flicker, pulse, whatever faster?
Any ideas? anyone elses do this?

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Leland Pate

___79 SC Targa

Superconductivity!

(someone had to say it--now back to your regularly scheduled post)

Just speculation, but could it be the switch? If I don't engage my signal lever fully into the detent, my turn signal flashes faster. Perhaps the cold causes plastic in the switch to shrink, and as a result the contact in the switch is a bit iffy. Well, that's my guess, anyway.

What's the frequency difference between "cold signalling" and "warm signalling"? Does it change as the car warms up?

bleeeyoo

The signal blinker is a bi-metal switch
When dc current passes thru it the two pieces
of metal heat and seperate causing an open lamp circuit.When the metal cools the switch closes causing a closed circuit and your lamp turns on again.Cold weather accelerates this
process.

Most electronic components have less resistance when cold, so operation is faster because the RC time constant is lower when the resistance is lower. I believe the newer Porsche flasher relays have not used the bi-metallic elements in about 30 years.

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Warren Hall
1973 911S Targa

Superconductivity. (I wanted to say this too).

Actually electricity does travel better along a colder conductor than a warm one. Probably not enough to make much difference.

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'83 SC

Well thank christ it wasn't an easy question to answer anyway.
Oh well as long as no one writes back and says that fast turn signals are a bad sign of complete Porsche meltdown: (where the car literally melts into goop"

I guess I'll just live with it. Thanks,

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Leland Pate

___79 SC Targa