Hi Phil
This definitely sounds like the flasher relay is at fault, unless where you
say "the indicators glowed continuously" did they glow or did they light up
bright? And when you operate the hazards do they work properly i.e. bright?
The reason I ask this is that the relays for these cars earth through the
light units therefore if there is a bad earth the relay will not be earthed.
I have just had a similar problem with one of my cars, the indicators slowed
right down and despite checking the live feeds and all the earths I could
not cure the problem. also at my local Lucas they were out of stock of the
original relay (FL8?) but they offered as a solution that I fit an
electronic relay from a modern car, all that is needed is the addition of an
earth for the relay. I have tried this fix and have a nice steady indication
system, it makes a slightly different noise from the original but I can live
with this and the cost was only a couple of pounds extra.
This would also cure another problem I once had this being that the lights
on one side of my Herald flashed faster than the other, after several days
of fiddling I replaced all the indicator bulbs with new and this cured the
problem. One of the bulbs was a new one that I had fitted the day the
problem started and obviously had a different resistance to the others.
Hopefully Helpful,
Graham.
----- Original Message -----
From: Phil Johnson <spitfire.man@virgin.net>
To: Spitfire List <spitfires@autox.team.net>
Sent: Monday, February 21, 2000 7:48 PM
Subject: Fw: electrical spitfire advice
>
> Owning an early spitfire without such luxuries as hazard lights and
heaters
> with more controls than 'on' and 'off', I wonder what the collective can
> come up with for this problem that I had sent to me. My diagnosis is the
> flasher unit...
> ==
> Phil Johnson
> Coventry UK
> Club Triumph (UK) Spitfire/GT6 Secretary
> http://www.club.triumph.org.uk/
>
> 66 Spitfire4 Mk2 FC73949
> 77 TR7 ACG15216
> 77 TR7 ACG10378A Ongoing Sprint Conversion
>
> > I own a 1979 (T-reg), original condition Spitfire 1500. 45000 miles
> > on the clock, well looked after, with no bodges as yet
> > detected...until this weekend.
> >
> > Having driven from London to Suffolk, my indicators stopped working
> > during the journey...as did my hazard lights. Up to this point they
> > both worked fine (and have done for the year I have owned the car,
> > during which time it has has covered 6000+ miles).
> >
> > On inspection:
> >
> > 1) I found that the six-lead pug that comes off the back of the
> > mounted hazard warning light switch was empty. Its corresponding
> > socket in the main wiring harness was plugged into a separate hazard
> > light switch assembly, taped up and hanging loose behind the
> > dashboard. When the tape was taken off, I found the switch in the
> > "off" position, and could operate the hazards from this switch.
> >
> > 2) When removing the taped up plug from the socket in the main
> > wiring harness, and reconnecting the wiring harness into the back of
> > the mounted hazard switch, the hazard lamps work, but the indicators
> > still do not flash.
> >
> > 3) The indicators do not flash. When bypassing the flasher unit,
> > , when operating indicator lever
> > up/down. However, I did not drive like this in case of overloading
> > the circuit.
> >
> > 4) I checked the continuity across each of the indicator lights
> > witha multimeter, and confirmed that power was getting to the flasher
> > unit.
> >
> > My questions?!
> >
> > i) Is this a common fault? Reading the (less than useful) Haines
> > manual suggests that indicators can stop working if there is a bulb
> > blown. All bulbs OK.
> >
> > ii) Looking at the wiring diagram in the Haines manual, it seems
> > that there are two separate flasher units, and so if one had broken
> > for the indicators, the hazards would independently work. Is this
> > correct?
> >
> > iii) It would seem that the component at fault is the indicator
> > flasher...but why then has someone inserted an alternative plug into
> > the wiring harness?
> >
> > iv) When symptoms suggest two seperate component failures I get
> > suspicious. Could it be something simple like a dodgy earth
> > somewhere?
> >
> > If you are able to shed ANY light on this problem I would be very
> > grateful!
> >
> > Incidentally, I am also just about to replace my (old) vinyl hood
> > with a double-duck one. I have bought the hood etc, and would very
> > much appreciate any advice/suggestions of articles etc on "how to
> > replace a hood"
>
>
>
>
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