Indicator Flasher Unit

[mojobaby]

I'm completely brain dead when it comes to the electrics of a car.

For example, I only have one indicator bulb in my car, it was a spare and I have to still buy the rest.

When I turn on the indicator, the bulb doesn't light up. I checked with a multimeter (on 20Volt setting) and don't get any reading.

so I thought it might be the flasher relay and took it out but don't quite know how to test if its faulty or not.

In the photo below, the + sign is positive, the "R" is apparently the indicator light on the dashboard and the "C" is the connection to the front and back indicator.

If I put my multimeter on "continuity" and touch + and "C" it makes a buzz sound.

So thats it, I still don't know where the fault is. Help please

 

[mr-reno-139]

Presuming you have checked the fuse if you haven't currently got a hazard switch connected in the dashboard the flasher unit won't operate at all have you checked for power at the flasher unit you may have also a problem with the Earth on the bulb in the bulb holder think you need to put the car back together further before you can test properly

 

[mojobaby]

Yes thank you, the fuse was broken but I replaced it and there is a hazard switch which I presume is connected but it didn't work.

There doesn't seem to be a problem with the bulb holder, there is continuity when I checked it with a multimeter. i connected the positive and negative of the bulb holder and it's fine.

If you look at the below photo you can see how I connected it up this afternoon.
The brown + went directly to the positive on the battery
The blue "R" went to the side of a bulb and I touched the bottom of the bulb to the negative p[ole on the battery.
The green "C" went through the bulb holder (positive to negative) and then got attached to the negative pole with a clamp.

According to me, this should have caused the flasher unit to work, but that didn't happen, so I think it's broken.
Have I wired it up correctly?

 

[André4Renaults]

The blue wire runs from the flasher to the bulb, but there doesn't appear to be a return to earth, so that bulb in the holder won't light anyway. Try this.......

A flasher unit like this only produces a pulsing signal if the loaded side (that's the amber indicator lights on the outside of the car) are connected in parallel, thus producing a load of 42 (2x21 watt) across the flasher unit. In addition, the dashboard light is only 2 watts, and the one you have is a sight higher than that. You have also to remember that the unit itself may well need to be earthed, and that appears not to be the case in your picture.

I suggest you wire it in the following manner:
1/ put a wire on the "+" terminal of the flasher unit and a crocodile clip to the other end, but don't connect it to the battery at the moment.
2/ wire "R" to a low wattage (about 2 watts) 12 volt bulb and the earth return from the bulb to the negative terminal of the battery.
3/ wire the "C" to TWO 21 watt bulbs, in parallel (this means the power reaches both 21 watt bulbs together, not one after the other) and wire the earth return from both bulbs to the negative terminal of the battery.
4/ fix a wire from the flasher's bracket to the battery negative terminal.
5/ now, connect the crocodile clip to the positive side of the battery. It should work........

More advice? PM me! Happy to help!

 

[mojobaby]

Thanks so much Andrew, I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

Re the blue wire to the bulb, I just held the bulb in my hand and touched the base to the negative pole of the battery, but I'll make a better connection tomorrow