Sparky help - 12V 3 pin flasher relay

[mercrocker]

Winkers stopped working on the Minor.   I put a new relay in and they work.  Ish.  What's happening now is that the green warning light in the end of the stalk is constantly illuminated when in the Off position.   Is that likely to be a relay fault? 

 

According to wiring diagram, current should flow to the warning light and then to earth, obviously its getting up there.... 

 

I haven't any spare relays until the shop opens tomorrow so just wondering if something else is wrong?

[Noel Tidybeard]

shirley a morry thou is too old for a 3 pin flasher- my '73 mini 1000 had a 2 pin 3 pin was from '76ish when you had hazards i think

[mercrocker]

Its in the wiring diagram so assume it - or one like it -  was always there....Possibly the actual wiring was different for hazards?

[Tickman]

3 pin on mine also.

I assume that the old relay just failed and the 'new' one is one you had in stock?

Is it the same type of relay as I discovered there were loads that look the same but would not work when I had to change mine.

Realistically though getting a permanent feed to the lamp on the stalk just sounds like a faulty relay.

 

Basically I am no help at all!

[Noel Tidybeard]

is it not similar to what is on the soxford?

[Station]

Hazard switch (if this has one).

[michael1703]

What's written on the relay?

 

21w x2 etc?

[mercrocker]

Gonna have to see in the morning what it says....Empty packet no help just says 47W max.   It looks pretty shit quality - Guardian Automotive?  Probably got it at a tat sale somewhere and chucked it in the boot as a spare.   Got me home on a wet day with at least working indicators I suppose!     

 

Cowley has a complex twin-relay system to enable simultaneous flasher/trafficator operation from the same switch - I am not going to cock with that in trial and error mode!  

 

As the car was working normally before the old relay failed I feel inclined to think that this another example of shitty parts.....

[AMC Rebel]

On old chod the difference between 2 and 3 pin flasher units is how many tell tale lights. For single tell tale, you need 3 pin, cos you can't feed the tell tale from both sides, so stuff like old minis with the single little green light on the end of the stalk has a 3 pin unit. Stuff like my old Maxi runs the tell tales off each side, so only needs a 2 pin flasher.

 

Sounds like the new one is faulty or for another application.

 

Early chod to have hazards eg Triumph had a multi way switch that disconnected the normal flasher and indicator switches and used a separate flasher unit - in those days they were bimetallic strips to interrupt the circuit, so trying to run twice the current through the regular unit would have affected the flash rate (frequency) too much.

[mercrocker]

Thanks for help....Tried in vain to get a three pin relay locally but it seems they, along with  A series bypass hoses and proper jubilee clips, are not standard motor factor fodder any more.   I did pull the feed from the relay that lights up the warning light so at least I can drive the car without frazzling the little green lamp.   Indicators work fine and relay ticks loud enough to not forget to cancel (the self-cancelling gave up a long time ago).    Relay on order so will try again!    

[lisbon_road]

I have a load of flasher relays in a box somewhere, all years old but some should be ok.  Let me know if you need any as I think I am not far from you.

[mercrocker]

Thanks L-R, much appreciated....If they are years old they are probably loads more reliable than the pressed bean cans you get now!    Been promised delivery tomoz so let's see.   

[Squire_Dawson]

Is it not just a Lucas FL5 flasher can? I can't remember there being relays as such, just the can.

[AMC Rebel]

They aren't strictly relays - at least not at this age - they are just a bimetal strip between two contacts. As current passes it heats the bimetal strip, which bends and breaks the circuit, then cools, remakes the circuit - and so on to give the flashing action. Later ones went all electonic.

[AMC Rebel]

Thinking about it, I bet the one you have could be repaired, they are pretty simple - bet the warning light contact is stuck on.

[Tickman]

......... (the self-cancelling gave up a long time ago)......

I discovered when I had to change the top bush (felt) for the new one (plastic) that the self cancle is triggered by a screw in the steering column which has a locking nut on it.

I gave mine a little more distance and mine self cancels now where before it was very hit and mostly miss. Just have to to the same in the Toledo as it is doing the same.

[mercrocker]

Looks like I can prise the can off the unit so that might be worth a look once I have installed the new one, it will still do as a toolbox spare without connecting up the warning light bit.   I hate not having indicators!    As to the self-cancel, this is the only time I might have found it handy.   Still worth looking at the column screw, although I have done without it so long,  I actually quite like not having to re-set the indicators on tight roundabouts.....I also use the flasher as impromptu reverse lights!