Irregular Signal Flashing

[shew01]

Originally Posted by Patrick L.

Let us know if the 6v electronic flasher works. I've not found one that does. So, I use what does.

Hmmm. What works for you?


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[shew01]

Rotorwrench,

The instrument panel light has two wires coming off of it. I (incorrectly) assumed that one wire was positive and the other negative. It turns out that the light is grounded by its mounting bracket, and one wire was connected to the left signal circuit, and the other wire was connected to the right signal circuit for the toggle signal switch.

Gotta love the custom wiring.


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[CarlG]

I have a Signal Stat 900 with all LED lights. I have a 3 prong electronic flasher unit that works everything just fine. The flasher makes no noise at all, I wish it would "click" like my moderns.

[Patrick L.]

Originally Posted by shew01

Hmmm. What works for you?


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What works ?

Signal-stat 900, LEDs rears, Higher CP cowls[turns] and front parks[ turns] and a 535 flasher. [I can't tell you what incandescent front bulbs I use, its been too long, at least 12yrs] The new flashers are pure junk, find an old one.

The most recent light addition was a 3rd stop light. I belted a tail light to the spare. It has nothing in common with the other lights.

[Badpuppy]

Originally Posted by shew01

Thanks for the tip. Does this look like the right part?


https://www.ledlight.com/flasher-6-v...e-chassis.aspx


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Exactly. I use it with all LEDs (except headlights) in my car, and it works great. They also sell ballast resistors to use LEDS with thermal flashers, but the e-flasher is less cost.

[katy]

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The 900 switch is made for three prong flashers. Will a two prong flasher work properly with it?

It will if put in properly. W/the 2 prong flasher the pilot light in the switch will not flash as the P terminal of the 3 prong flasher is what feeds it.

[shew01]

Yes, I'm still new to this... Until this thread, I didn't know that LED lights could cause erratic flasher blinking.

I purchased a load resistor (https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/...bx2/11137849-P) from Advance Auto. When I read the instructions, I was surprised to see that this particular hardware is required to be wired in parallel with the LED lights. I've already cut a bunch of wires to swap out the toggle switch with the Signal Stat 900. All of those cuts reside inside the car, and I don't anticipate problems there. However, I'm assuming that the parallel wiring would reside under the car near the tail lights and be exposed to the weather. So, I'm in the process of taking a different path.

I ordered a "Flasher LED 6 Volt Positive Ground 3 Terminal" at https://www.ledlight.com/flasher-6-v...e-chassis.aspx . Hopefully, this will resolve the issue.

Thanks, everyone for your help.

Oddly, today, the Signal Stat is blinking steadily, although rapidly. When I started this thread, it was blinking very erratically. I can't explain the variance.

Jonathan

[Patrick L.]

"I can't explain the variance."


Flasher ?

[shew01]

Originally Posted by Patrick L.

"I can't explain the variance."


Flasher ?

It’s the same flasher now as when I started this thread. The flasher is only a few weeks old. I wouldn’t think that would be enough time for the flasher to develop a variance. Maybe I’m missing something.


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[01A]

I hooked up the ledlight.com -6v electronic flasher and have the signaled 900 like mentioned above. The turn signals worked perfectly while car was not running. With the car running the turn signals would stay lit up solid and not flash. I heard these flashers are susceptible to RF coming from the spark plugs and coil. I have not resolved this yet.

[shew01]

Would a few layers of tin foil be enough to shield the flasher?


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[shew01]

01A,

Is your flasher close to the firewall? If so, would moving it farther away from the firewall help?


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[01A]

The flasher is on the steering column near the turn signal unit. I read about the RF interference that could occur but no resolution was ever mentioned. I'm not sure how far away the flasher would need to be to not pickup the interference. Being electronic and not thermal it could be susceptible . Maybe others that have them could post their experience of hookup/mount location.

[Patrick L.]

Originally Posted by shew01

It’s the same flasher now as when I started this thread. The flasher is only a few weeks old. I wouldn’t think that would be enough time for the flasher to develop a variance. Maybe I’m missing something.


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I think I've mentioned that the new flashers are junk.

[Badpuppy]

My flasher is strapped to the cowl support behind the left kick panel. No problems.

If you use foil, attach it somehow to ground.

[shew01]

The electronic flasher from LEDLight.com arrived today. It works rock solid with the engine off, but it goes nuts (very erratic) when I start the engine. I wrapped the flasher with foil, and that helped some, but the old, non-electronic flasher is more consistent, believe it or not.



The vendor is letting me return it.


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[Patrick L.]

I believe the 'it' part.

[rotorwrench]

Some companies likely manufacture units that will work well enough for 12-volt systems but with 6-volt, who knows. I can understand the attraction of LED type lights since they use less current to operate but in a system like turn signals, the LED becomes a problem. The only guaranteed way to make them function a standard flasher is to install load resistors for each bulb. This sort of takes away any advantage that LEDs have. A person can install incandescent bulbs and the problem goes away.

Years ago I purchased an electro-mechanical flasher unit that was very reliable. It had a solenoid inside that moved a rocker switch on and off at a set rate that was governed by how far the rocker had to move to open and close the circuit. It worked well for about four years before it finally died. I tried to find another one but they had quit manufacturing them. I think they were made for trucks with multiple lights in the circuit but it worked well for any system.

A person might be able to make a current based flasher unit work with a relay if the electrical relay will draw enough current to open and close the circuit but I've never tried it. The major hurdle on stuff like this is the 6-volt power source. Most stuff is for 12-volt systems. There are still electro-mechanical units available for 12-volt but not for 6-volt. A lot of this stuff comes from offshore sources that don't care if it works or not.

[shew01]

Originally Posted by Ray64

I had the same problem. Added a load to the system and all is well. I did mine by adding hidden bulbs.

I think I might try hiding a bulb next.

I’ve gone back to my “original” flasher (which is a few weeks old), and I still have the old dash light that the previous owner had wired into both rear LED signal lights. The blink rate was fine under that configuration with the old toggle signal switch. (I removed the dash light from the circuit when I replaced the toggle switch with the Signal Stat 900, and that is when the erratic blinking started.)

I may be able to paint the bulb to hide the flashing and tie it up under the dash somewhere.


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[Patrick L.]

I know I shouldn't respond. But, Why paint or hide a bulb when higher candle power bulbs can be used for the front turn lights as previously mentioned and you'll be more visible from the front to others too.
I'll recommend once more getting a NOS 535 flasher.