Let's Talk Flashers...

---the turn signal type, not the overcoat-wearing and jump out at you type.

This is my first post - I bought a '68 cj5 with a Duntless V6 a few months ago. I've done a couple of things to it - new water pump, tires, lubes, etc, and it works for my needs at the moment- Mostly used to run around town when i have my kids, and for runs up to the San Gabriels (So Cal).

The one issue that I cannot figure out are the turn signals. I started reviewing here and per the advice of another post, pulled them apart, cleaned out the contacts and replaced the bulbs - they work. The problem is that I need to turn them on WAY early - almost as if the Flasher Relay needs to charge up. I've just spent time tightening loose connections, and sorting this out, but no change. The relays (blinker and hazard) are new - Novita 550 Heavy Duty.

What I know about electrics it so disconnect the battery and keep 9-volts off my tongue. My thoughts though, is that the problem has to do with the units being "Heavy Duty" - maybe there isn't enough load to activate them sooner (?) I'm guessing that's how a really functions, so could be totally wrong.

Any advice is appreciated.

BTW, love scrolling this site for inspiration and learning. I grew up around VW Baja Bugs and sand rails and love the smiles on my kids' faces tooling around.

 

Welcome. Interesting....

 

I like a nice trench coat...

 

I would get a standard duty flasher since you are using relays. Heavy duty flashers are for straight wired plus supporting trailer lights.

The jeeps came stock with the lights wired direct, no relays.

 

Use a standard or electronic flasher. The heavy duty means it takes more heat to trip ie more bulbs like a semi would have.
If you plan to get led bulbs get an electronic flasher since it does not rely on the load of the bulbs to work.

Edit: if you have relays between the turn signal lever and your lights they are the problem. No load no worky.

 

Thanks all. I may have misspoke- I called the blinkers “relays” but I don’t think that’s accurate. They are flashers. I don’t know that they’re relays.

I will try the standard flasher though and report back.

 

now if you have 4 way flasher switch on dash
your going to find two flashers under there
but I still use the old fashion metal ones ( junkyard trips )

 

The old-style flashers work by heat. There is a bi-metallic strip and a pair of contacts. The lamp current travels through the bi-metallic strip and heat it up by its resistance. The dissimilar metals expand at different rates. After some short time, the strip heats up enough that the expansion makes the strip bend. This pulls the contacts apart and turns off the lamps, and the strip cools. When it cools enough, the strip bends back, contacts reconnect and the lamps light. On-off-on-off etc.

When you connect a trailer, the extra load from the trailer lamps speeds up the process a lot, and the flashers go at warp speed. The heavy-duty flasher is calibrated to flash at a "regular" rate with more lamps connected. Typically they flash kinda slow when there's no trailer attached.

With LED lamps, they take a lot less current to light, so the mechanical switch in the flasher is replaced by a timer chip. These electronic flashers should flash regardless of the type of lamps and the number connected.

 

This makes sense and why it seemed like it needed to "load up" before the blinkers started.

 

The electric flashers also don't change speed if a bulb goes out. If you go that route check your lights regularly.

 

Thanks for the heads up.