Indicator is lazy?

[Hodgo]

Hi guys,

My left hand indicator works for a little while then just simply decides to quit. Sometimes it doesn't work at all? Another forum recommended cleaning the earth can someone point me in the right direction, under dash or behind light before i get into it? does anyone else have an idea?

Thanks, Hodge.

[MeFB]

Do the parking lights all work OK?

[Hodgo]

Yep everything works, its just the indicator.

[fingers]

Yep everything works, its just the indicator.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
do the easy stuff first mate ,............try a new flasher can .......Fingers


PS .........does this affect both front and rear indicators ............

[MeFB]

Yep everything works, its just the indicator.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
do the easy stuff first mate ,............try a new flasher can .......Fingers


PS .........does this affect both front and rear indicators ............

Yup, if the parkers work OK then it isn't the earth. It's either a short or a poor +'ve connection.

Flasher can.

[Trev]

Must be an FB vacuum operated indicator .

[MeFB]

Yep everything works, its just the indicator.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
do the easy stuff first mate ,............try a new flasher can .......Fingers


PS .........does this affect both front and rear indicators ............

Yup, if the parkers work OK then it isn't the earth. It's either a short or a poor +'ve connection.

Flasher can.

Cancel that

The flasher can is common to both sides.

The flasher can just supplies the 'flash' to the switch, which then sends it either left or right, so a problem with the can would effect both sides equally. For the dash indicator light and the front and rear indicators to fail, then it must be either a short (anywhere on the LHS wiring), or a bad connection before the wire splits to go to the front / rear / dash.

Try turning on the indicators and turning the steering wheel side to side and jiggling the indicator stalk. If this make a difference then it has to be the indicator switch itself.

It won't be the earth as the front and rear indicators are earthed separately, and the ones on the dash are insulated and earthed back through the flasher can.

[Harv]

Key question:

Can you hear the flasher can going clickety click and one bulb (i.e. either the front or rear) on that side is flashing? That would indicate a crook earth, most likely dirt or rust under the offending bulb. When that happens, the bulb that is still working normally flashes twice as fast.

If the flasher doesn't go clickety click, try the switch (Alans suggestion to wiggle the indicator stalk).

If it's not the switch, replace the flasher can.

If that fails, top-up the blinker fluid.

Cheers,
Harv.

[MeFB]

Pretty sure it wouldn't be the flasher can Harv, because the RHS works normally, and the flasher can doesn't know the difference if it's left or right; it just supplies the power (in pulses) to the indicator switch which then completes the circuit to either the left or right hand side.

I guess there's only one sure way to rule it out though...

[Hodgo]

Ok, When its working, everything is perfect. then when the left hand side goes (sometimes halfway through using it) every thing goes. By that I mean there is no click, no interior light flashing, and no indicator lights at all. Its almost as if the stalk is not sending the message at all. wiggling and jiggling the stalk has no affect.and the fact that it can stop at any time even when using it is unusual.

[leinamoon]

Don't know really but thought I'd throw this in ... when I was sussing the wiring leading to the rear lights, discovered this hiding under electrical tape in the wire leading to the brake/indicator terminals...

.. could it be? The vibrations from engine road at times upsetting the current?? Something similar in the wire leading to left indicator...