How do I quicken the blinker relay?
 

I have a '70 914 and it has always blinked (turn signal, hazards) at a slow pace. Maybe 2 seconds to cylcle through an on/off state. Is there a way to change the resistance or something to make this rate increase, or is this indicating a problem with one of my relays? I think it would be safer if it blinked at a rate similar to modern cars, say double what I have now. Thanks!

Sounds like you have a heavy duty blinker that is made for vehicles with a trailer. Find out if the one you have is right for your application. You may be able to try other part #s to suit your taste.

Dirty contacts at the bulbs will affect the blinker speed... but usually makes it faster. I don't know if it could make it slower, but it sure wouldn't hurt to clean them anyway and make sure all the bulbs are good.

Re: How do I quicken the blinker relay?
 

most likely, you got the wrong bulbs in there. i forget what the correct wattage is, but if you use "american" bulbs, they will either blink too fast or too slow, depending on the current they draw ...

I am with Randy, you bulbs are too clean.


M

Haha. :D

I think the consensus is though... The problem is more likely related to the bulbs (where the resistance is) than the relay.

Nope, new bulbs didn't make a difference. Just FYI, american bulbs from the FLAPS are identical to Osram bulbs from Pelican.

So maybe my circuits just have too much resistance/voltage drop? That sucks, I cleaned the contacts very well when I rebuilt the car so i guess there's nothing I can do short of replacing parts/wiring. Oh well, hope peopke see my sloooooow hazards next time I'm broken down on the side of the road!

Why do you want to make them blink faster?

I like mine slow and steady.

If they blink fast, at least in L.A. the cops think there is a bulb out and will pull you over....

Take the relay apart and clean the contacts in the relay (I believe it's a mechanical relay) The magnet may be having a hard time pulling in the contact.

Lower the resistance in the circuit.

Why not just replace the relay? They are less than $10 if you use the VW one, try look here
Relay thread

I'm a bit new to this, however it seems to be possible that the wiring is mixed up between the front signal light and the side marker. If I am wrong I stand corrected, but I don't think that the side marker is supposed to blink.....it only functions with the headlights. I've been working on a restore and noticed the same SLOW blinking when both the signal and side marker were hooked up to the indicator circuit....

You are correct...the side marker is wired to be ON when parking or headlights are on, and to not blink.

Thanks for all the tips. I tried cleaning the relay...no dice. Replaced the bulbs...no better. I think it just might be that my 37 year old wiring/light socket contacts have increased the resistance a bit. Oh well...

I used a pencil eraser to clean the contacts, stuck it in there a spun it. Worked, sort of, so I took some fine steel wool to clean the contacts, helped make tail lights brighter, which is good

To clean contacts you can wire a dremmel that uses DC current directly to the battery. This also works great to remove small surface rust or any old paint that isn't where you want it to be.