W126 : blinkers gone bonkers !
 

Hi folks,

Returned from a trip with my Euro (german) '84 280S and my turn signals started acting up. The LH signals started bliking some what faster and suddenly started blinking so fast that the relay BUZZES :eek: with an almost steady indicator lamp. The RH side is (almost) OK: it is a wee bit slow in blinking IMHO :rolleyes:

Bulbs are OK and grounds look OK too.

Is this likely to be the flasher unit itself ? I understand it lives behind the instrument cluster :mad:

Any tips ?

I have never seen a blinker go bonkers and actually oscillate so fast that the indicator becomes a (quasi) steady lamp. Any theories ?

Merci for the help.

Denis
France

It does sound like the flasher unit, though I've never heard of one doing that Based on how they're constructed it's entirely possible. It's basically a relay with a thermal element and a bi-metallic reed. I could see one of those going bonkers.

I don't know offhand if it's behind the instrument cluster, but no worries because the instrument cluster is very easy to remove. You can make yourself the tools to remove it from a coathanger, just search here on the forum.

Good luck.

A fast turn signal on one side is usually a failed bulb or socket. The 4 way flasher can get dirty and cause problems but usually to both sides. A flasher does not know which side is blinking so a flasher or relay is unlikely. Put on the 4 ways and walk around the car, a bulb, front or rear is most likely the culprit. All bulbs should be the same brightness and blink at the same rate.

still bonkers !
 

Hey carnut,

That was too simple and (almost) worked :P
Everything works/flashes but about twice as fast as normal :eek:

A ground problem ? If so WHERE is the ground connection point ?

Almost there...almost there :D

Denis
Lion sur Mer
France

One possibility is a bulb that has shorted one filament to another.

Perhaps the easiest and cheapest way to check this is to get a nice new bulb or two and swap the bulbs one by one and see if the problem departs.