Older cars and slow turn signals

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I see a lot of older cars & trucks (80s/90s) with slow blinkers. Instead of the regular BLINK-BLINK-BLINK, it's BLINK----BLINK----BLINK. Is it just tired wiring?
 
I've noticed this too. My 1986 Ford Ranger was slow, and my brother's 1991 Jeep Cherokee is really slow, but my grandpa's 96' Cherokee is normal speed.
 
Originally Posted By: clinebarger
Worn mechanical flasher


This. On most models it's a 3-prong plug under the dash. Inexpensive and easy to replace.
 
It's an indication of something needing replacement ... the flasher, maybe a bulb is starting to or has already failed, etc. I've even seen it where selecting one turn signal (left, for example) works as expected and the other (in my example, right) flashes noticeably slower.

Not as common these days as LED lamps need a different type of flasher, but there is nothing wrong with the old and inexpensive mechanical flashers, and the rate of flashing changes can be seen as a feature, not a bug.
 
Originally Posted By: Inspecktor
Mechanical flashers, in particular heavy duty models for use with trailers, can flash a lot slower if running only the car lights.


Right. Put a non heavy duty flasher in to increase rate. Or use an electronic one with a timer that is independent of load. Mechanical flashers use a thermal element that heats to interrupt.
 
When I was young, we used to tell those who were less car savvy to add, "Blinker Fluid" to the car. "Oh yeah, just go to the parts store and buy some. It's not on the shelves, you have to get it behind the counter!"
laugh.gif
 
Check out this video from ChrisFix. The video is about ETCHING TOOLS however, near the end of the video(~ 8:25), there on Chris' workbench, sit a bottle of...you guessed it, "BLINKER FLUID"!

How funny is this?
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Check out this video from ChrisFix. The video is about ETCHING TOOLS however, near the end of the video(~ 8:25), there on Chris' workbench, sit a bottle of...you guessed it, "BLINKER FLUID"!

How funny is this?
laugh.gif



Have you seen his video on changing blinker fluid? Hilarious!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GsXhBb10k
 
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
When I was young, we used to tell those who were less car savvy to add, "Blinker Fluid" to the car. "Oh yeah, just go to the parts store and buy some. It's not on the shelves, you have to get it behind the counter!"
laugh.gif

I worked at a small airport in the early 80's, we had a new line guy our mechanic gave a 5 gallon bucket to and asked him to go next door and ask their mechanics for some prop wash. They sent him to a seaplane base a mile away because they "were out". Took the young fellow about 3 hours to figure out he was the butt of a pretty good joke.
 
Prop wash works on young aspiring boat mechanics too
laugh.gif


The blinker thing - look to see if the ones you notice have a trailer hitch too. If so, it's a HD Flasher...

If not, it may be bad or corroding grounds between body and engine block/battery ... I always install new parallel grounds between body and bat before diagnosing most anything. Anything over ten years old are pretty much guaranteed to be corroded ...
 
Originally Posted By: Kuato
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
Check out this video from ChrisFix. The video is about ETCHING TOOLS however, near the end of the video(~ 8:25), there on Chris' workbench, sit a bottle of...you guessed it, "BLINKER FLUID"!

How funny is this?
laugh.gif



Have you seen his video on changing blinker fluid? Hilarious!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E6GsXhBb10k


I have not seen this!
smile.gif


Originally Posted By: Inspecktor
Originally Posted By: Char Baby
When I was young, we used to tell those who were less car savvy to add, "Blinker Fluid" to the car. "Oh yeah, just go to the parts store and buy some. It's not on the shelves, you have to get it behind the counter!"
laugh.gif

I worked at a small airport in the early 80's, we had a new line guy our mechanic gave a 5 gallon bucket to and asked him to go next door and ask their mechanics for some prop wash. They sent him to a seaplane base a mile away because they "were out". Took the young fellow about 3 hours to figure out he was the butt of a pretty good joke.


Yeah, we had fun with the new guys as well!
smile.gif
 
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