Turn signal indicator on dash blinks intermitten

[Grubby]

Guys,
My turn signal and brake lights work fine. However, when the car is running or driving without the signals on, the IP turn signal indicator intermittenly blinks. I am at a bit of a loss on what to even check. Do any of you have any thoughts?

John

[patrickt]

Are you sure that your turn signals are not also lighting as well? What I mean by that is that the diagnosis would be different if you could visually confirm that the dash light flickers and the signals stay off, or in the alternative, if someone instead said "You know I was following you in your Cobra and I could of sworn your turn signal lights were flickering at me."

[Grubby]

Patrick,
I can confirm that the turn signals do not flash when the IP light flickers. It flickers with the car idling or driving.

With the flasher removed the IP light does not flicker.

John

[patrickt]

I looked at the wiring diagram for your vintage car. It's a little different from mine, but not too much. I assume there is no flickering with the ignition switch on, but the car not running. So, turn the ignition switch on, have the car not running, and try jiggling the turn signal stalk to see if you can get the light to flicker. It not, move on to the "trailer" tail light relay that is fastened to the steering column just above your ankles. Wiggle it, rap it with your fingers, and wiggle the wires going to it to see if you can get a flicker. Then move up the column from there to the flasher relay and do the same there. The goal is to find something that you can wiggle to get the flicker.

[strictlypersonl]

The dash indicator gets its signal from the flasher only, so if the exterior lights are not blinking at the same time, it's likely that the flasher is defective.

[Ron61]

I agree with StrictlyPersonal that the flasher could be getting bad and the vibration is causing it to make and break momentarily. However I did have a similar experience once and it turned out that in running the power lead multiples to my gages, one of them was touching the back of the turn signal light and it had worn just enough insulation off by rubbing on the terminal that it would make it blink once in a while. I had unplugged the flasher and it kept happening so I knew it had to be something up behind everything naturally. I just moved that power lead off the terminal and taped the tiny spot it had worn through and never had a problem after that. Hope yours is as simple.

Ron

[patrickt]

Regardless of the problem, Bob know that I always recommend the "wiggle" and "jiggle" test first.

[Grubby]

Thanks guys. The flasher and wiggle/jiggle make sense.

I purchased a flasher at NAPA and it does not work at all. I put my Buss 180 back in and the signals do flash. The guys at NAPA have no idea where to get the Buss 180. I don't want to keep buying flashers to find one that works. Where can I get a Buss 180 or what is the equivelant?

No IP light flashing when driving the car without the flasher in place.


Bob,
This Cobra is going to make you some money. It is my first and I am sold. I am planning to order a new one in the next two years. The ERA Cobra is a joy to drive.

Thanks.
John

[Grubby]

It was the flasher....no text