Indicator cancellation question.

[Uncle Jimmy]

My Toyota's indicators don't self cancel- ever. Before I start taking stuff apart is this actually a prehistoric feature of some Japmobiles? Any other motors that don't feature them?

[HH-R]

The only motah I've been in that didn't was my Dad's 1983 Orion but I suspect it didn't come out of the factory like that.

 

I'd see it as a + point personally, they always seem to cancel when you don't want them to and stay on when they shouldn't.

[richardmorris]

Citroen up to the zx and xantia.

[Matt]

I'd see it as a + point personally, they always seem to cancel when you don't want them to and stay on when they shouldn't.

 

THIS.

[gordonbennet]

I'd like the self canceller to break on my MAN lorry, approaching a turn i sometimes have to indicate again (or hold the indicator on) up to half a dozen times so sensitive is the bastarding thing that it clicks off with the slightest movement of the worlds biggest steering wheel.

 

Dare say the Yota indicators should cancel, its probably the little tab broken off in the column, be thankful.

[martybabes]

I seem to remember my Singer Chamois had indicators you had to cancel manually.

[mercrocker]

I tend to agree with gordonbennet in that the Toyota (probably any Toyota come to that) should self cancel. My Minor should, but doesn't and I am extremely happy with that arrangement. As stated above, most seem to be far too sensitive and I found it a nice change when I had my Citroen GSA not to have to re-indicate on every roundabout. The Morris also has a nice bright green indicator on the end of the stalk so no chance of leaving them on either. Its not a broken thing I would ever fix....

[saucedoctor]

My red Samba was mega early production, and didn't have self-cancelling indicators. The two other ones I had were 83 and 84, and both did have the self canceller. The early car had different stalks from those two.

[DSdriver]

The best ever non-cancelling indicators were those on the early Citroen CX. A nice rocker switch ergonomically positioned just behind the steering wheel. Unfortunately it was far too sensible so was canned to make the cars more germanic.

[skattrd]

If the steering wheel & boss is non-standard then there may not be a self cancelling thing on the boss.

 

On quite a few motors the indicator cancelling switch is on a ring on the steering below the steering wheel and there is a lump of metal/plastic at the bottom of the boss that turns the indicators off depending on how far round the steering wheel is turned.

 

As said though I think it's better without the self cancelling feature, on more than one car I have chopped the cancelling thing off the steering boss.

[Andrew353w]

Daf 33 indicators don't self-cancel either (but you didn't really need to know that!)

[cros]

Daf 33 indicators don't self-cancel either (but you didn't really need to know that!)

Very pleased to be reminded of it. I just bought a motorbiker's device which buzzes after 20 winks to tell me that I've left them on. The warning light on my 50's landrover doesn't show up in daylight and I hope this will stop me leaving them on. I fitted a brighter warning lamp in another vehicle, but it then blinds you at night.

[tooSavvy]

The Morris also has a nice bright green indicator on the end of the stalk so no chance of leaving them on either. Its not a broken thing I would ever fix....

When I got my exP.O. MM1000 van I rewired the orange light in the cluster (oil bypass = change the filter time) to flash with the indicators. Well cool

 

Just left the stalk without a bulb.

 

 

TS

[danthecapriman]

My mk2 Capri doesn't self cancel either, never has so don't know if they are meant to or not?

Either way I much prefer it without, the self cancellers are a right pain in the arse!

[richardmorris]

Actually I am wrong! The phase one bx had the side pods likes the visa and cx, but the phase 2 had column stalks which did cancel.

[DSdriver]

Very pleased to be reminded of it. I just bought a motorbiker's device which buzzes after 20 winks to tell me that I've left them on. The warning light on my 50's landrover doesn't show up in daylight and I hope this will stop me leaving them on. I fitted a brighter warning lamp in another vehicle, but it then blinds you at night.

what is this device of which you speak? I could do with one in each of the DS because I am forgetful and the DS clicker is too quiet for me to hear.

[cros]

what is this device of which you speak? I could do with one in each of the DS because I am forgetful and the DS clicker is too quiet for me to hear.

It goes by the catchy name of 'Motorbike Indicator Warning Buzzer adjustable delay@ and cost me 12.50 inc postage. There are lots of them for sale, mine came from S D Comps on ebay. Actually I was pleasantly surprised what you get in the kit- even a tube of superglue to seal the box up after you've set the timer.

[DSdriver]

Ace, thanks. I will invest immediately.

[martc]

Don't BMW's have the opposite problem? The indicators cancel before the first flash.

[Uncle Jimmy]

It goes by the catchy name of 'Motorbike Indicator Warning Buzzer adjustable delay@ and cost me 12.50 inc postage. There are lots of them for sale, mine came from S D Comps on ebay. Actually I was pleasantly surprised what you get in the kit- even a tube of superglue to seal the box up after you've set the timer.

Could make driving very interesting if positioned in the right place.

[Junkman]

Daf 33 indicators don't self-cancel either (but you didn't really need to know that!)

 

So don't pre-1974 Renault 4L indicators (I bet this bit of trivia doesn't help anybody either).

[Noel Tidybeard]

afaik bmws have the stalk "for appearance sake" but there are no innards to make lights flash

[New POD]

During my 9 year work experience, at Lucas Industries, I did a stint at Lucas Automotive Electrical in Burnley, where I was a Manufacturing Engineer on the  Introduction of the 1995 RenaulT Clio switch assembly.  I got to understand that the self cancelling bit of any switch (Not just the Renault, but anything they made, is the most complicated bit of mechanical black magic, which is sensitive to component tolerance build up, spring rates, grease viscousity, surface finish, and in the Renaults case, torque settings on the little screws that hold it together.

 

If it was me, and it still worked electrically, and still held itself in position, I'd just ignore it.

 

If I was OCD, I'd probably try and obtain another second hand, if it was cheap enough, and if that worked, take the original apart and clean it and reassemble, but don't expect it to ever work again. Remember the pertang factor on disassembly. "Pertang"......"What was that?, Where did that spring go?"

[cros]

When I got my exP.O. MM1000 van I rewired the orange light in the cluster (oil bypass = change the filter time) to flash with the indicators. Well cool

 

Just left the stalk without a bulb.

 

 

TS

 A temp gauge would have been much more useful than that warning light- they did some strange things at BMC.

[cros]

During my 9 year work experience, at Lucas Industries, I did a stint at Lucas Automotive Electrical in Burnley, where I was a Manufacturing Engineer on the  Introduction of the 1995 RenaulT Clio switch assembly.  I got to understand that the self cancelling bit of any switch (Not just the Renault, but anything they made, is the most complicated bit of mechanical black magic, which is sensitive to component tolerance build up, spring rates, grease viscousity, surface finish, and in the Renaults case, torque settings on the little screws that hold it together.

 

If it was me, and it still worked electrically, and still held itself in position, I'd just ignore it.

 

If I was OCD, I'd probably try and obtain another second hand, if it was cheap enough, and if that worked, take the original apart and clean it and reassemble, but don't expect it to ever work again. Remember the pertang factor on disassembly. "Pertang"......"What was that?, Where did that spring go?"

Sounds like more trouble than was taken over the rest of the car.

[cros]

I've just realised that I possess the finest collection of indicators that are easy to leave on. Coming in at number 5 is the Austin Peanut, might have been OK in 1958 but red lens has turned black over the years so not the best colour.

 

 

Rover 75 could have been OK if they'd have used the big amber lamp, but unfortunately that was for the choke warning light and the minute green one at the bottom is for winkers. I swapped them over and was promptly drummed out of the Rover P4 Guild.

 

 

At number three with a bullet connector is another Rover, this one makes so much racket that I just hope the motorbike warning thing can keep up. A nice little green warning lamp for trailer, more of a stealth light.

 

 

At two, Mr Sunbeam felt that a very small lamp would suffice because your face is only 3 inches from the windscreen.

 

 

At number one this week, the 1938 Morris 10 cos it has no warning lamp at all.

 

 

But wait! Instead of a warning lamp you get a tiny mirror each side so you can see when the semaphore has popped out. Beyond useless.

 

 

 

[mat_the_cat]

I fitted a brighter warning lamp in another vehicle, but it then blinds you at night.

 

It would be a simple job to add a relay and a resistor so that it would be bright in daylight, but dim when you turn on the sidelights/headlights. If you want I could sketch out the circuit?

[cros]

It would be a simple job to add a relay and a resistor so that it would be bright in daylight, but dim when you turn on the sidelights/headlights. If you want I could sketch out the circuit?

Sketch away please. I need resister values as I'm more comfortable with paraffin lighting than this new fangled electricity. Hardest bit would be to find a screw in 12v bulb that can go brighter than a Big Brother housemate.

[cros]

Have just fitted the buzzer device and its not loud enough. I think you'd struggle to hear it on a bike although in a car it would be fine as long as you don't have a diesel under the bonnet and no soundproofing. The two speed bulb is looking like a better option.

[mat_the_cat]

I'll sketch something up tonight - the resistor value will depend on the bulb so if you give me details of the fitting I'll check that out; I have a slight obsession with things that light up...

 

 

Probably the best option would be to raid a rheostat from a scrapyard instead of a fixed resistor, as that will be of the right sort of resistance range and can be tailored to suit the right low brightness level.