Twin Cam Special turn signals

[rjbaren]

Now that I have most electrical items working the turn signals have quit.  They used to work inside and outside.  If I manually move the stalk I can hear and feel the relay box under the dash clicking with the stalk movement.  Is this where the problem lies?  Can I fix the relay or does it have to be replaced?  Or could it be something else altogether?

[Sandyman]

With help from JB, I picked up an inexpensive Trico HD-13 flasher unit and it solved my turn signal issues. Worth a try as the original unit us getting old and probably tired.

[BDA]

I recently had trouble with my turn signals. Here's the thread on it: http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=3298.msg33932#msg33932

If you don't have the symptoms I had, it's probably something much simpler. Some of the steps I went through might be helpful. You can take the flashers from behind the dash and test them. By giving it 12 volts, connecting a light to the flasher and grounding it, it will blink if the flasher is good.

I assume you haven't changed anything since it last worked like adding LED lights. They don't draw enough current to trip the flasher. You would either need some resisters in line with your lights or an electronic flasher.

[Roger]

If you can hear the relay, the problem may well be with the flasher.
How about the hazard switch? Does it work? If so, I think you certainly have a flasher problem.

[rjbaren]

Hazards do not work with key on or key off.  Where is the flasher?  There is a cylinder with two wires behind the Tach.  I do not see a flasher in the wiring diagram.  Also, when I hear the relay the bulb does not flash.  The front turn signal bulbs light with the headlight switch, but nothing else about the turn signals work.

Last week the turn signals worked but not the instrument lamps.  I have bypassed the instrument panel lamp dimmer and the instrument lamps now work with the headlight switch.

[BDA]

There are two flashers that are attached to the back of the dash board at the bottom on the left side. They are attached with clips that are screwed into the back of the dash. You'll probably want to take the console cover off to get to them. The can you see behind the tach is one of those annoying beepers for the key or doors or something.

I've attached a snippet of the wiring diagram for TCs before 3924R. The entire diagram is here: http://lotus-europa.com/manuals/misc/electrical/tcsearly.gif. In the center of the snippet is the "IND FLASH" (indicator flasher) and the "HAZARD FLASHER" (hazard flasher!  ). The HAZARD SWITCH is the switch near the top of the dash for the flashers.

The yellow lamps for the turn signals are dual filament for night time running lights (e.g. with headlights on) and turn signals. It sounds like only the turn signal part is messing up. If you're unlucky like me, the purple wire might have come off the hazard switch which is difficult to get to without pulling the dash out a bit. Run through my list of symptoms in the thread I posted the link to in my previous post to see if that's your problem.

[jbcollier]

Can you give us a full description?

Engine running, turn signal right selected, what happens?  Any lights at all?  Same with the left.

[rjbaren]

Double OMG, and I don't text much, but this is funny.  I say double OMG because I had both the purple green and purple wires off my hazard switch.  I installed a radio where there never was one before and when I slowly pushed in the radio the two wires must have come off the hazard switch.

Everything is once again working the way it should.  And once I get the static out of the radio I will be golden.

[BDA]

 

[Roger]

Well done, glad you've sorted it. It's also reassuring that your problem wasn't a new one, it had happened before. That's what makes forums like this so valuable!

[rjbaren]

If it weren't for this forum I would be in trouble.

[Sandyman]

  I love this Forum. With out it you would only be able to drive in a straight line. No turns allowed. Great fix!