74 CS .. 3.3L dual webers with later 4 speed tranny .. when I got car, turn signals worked but the dash light would flash feebly a couple times and then stop. I redid the instrument panel and in the process I replaced the lamps with higher wattage lamps. Now turn signals work but the dash light does not flash at all. And further, the turn signals do not cancel. Am I looking at a relay? And a new stalk/switch assy? Or is there a simpler solution? Thanks much
Turn Signal Woes
- Thread starter 2002turbo
- Start date
That flasher relay is funny. It’s comprised of two switches — one is the relay you’d expect in a turn signal and it’s powered on and off by a little capacitor timing circuit. It runs the lamps on the car just like you’d imagine. The stalk just closes the appropriate circuit to get it started. Either the left lamps or the right lamps blink. Ok.
Now: the second switch in there is a relay that is powered by induction from the main circuit described above. God knows why it isn’t just powered off the same timer but instead in requires a sizable amount of current to go through it in order to close. And when it closes the dash indicator lights up. This is why it’s possible for the indicator to just light sometimes while the turn signal lamps work every time — this second circuit depends on the first one.
I’m just guessing here but maybe the thinking was that the dash indicator would come on if all the lamps on the car were drawing the right amount of current and that it would fail to come on if one lamp burned out — how very helpful.
On my car it comes on for a few blinks and then I assume that the lamps and ancient wiring begin to heat up and the total current draw drops and that’s the end of the dash light until the next turn. Or until I get on the accelerator and the voltage in the car comes up a tiny bit.
You said you changed to brighter lamps. I assume you meant on the dashboard. Do the same thing on the outside of the car and see if that changes the situation. More current in the system.
But after all this I guess I should point out that a few enterprising souls figured out that there’s an aftermarket relay that you can use instead and it just blinks all the lights like it’s supposed to. I’ll look for the link in a minute or you can post it if you search it out before I do.
Oh, and the canceling is mechanical. If you take off your steering wheel and take a photo near the stalk switch you’ll get a bunch of good advice on how to adjust stuff so the things contact the things. Is it the original steering wheel?
Now: the second switch in there is a relay that is powered by induction from the main circuit described above. God knows why it isn’t just powered off the same timer but instead in requires a sizable amount of current to go through it in order to close. And when it closes the dash indicator lights up. This is why it’s possible for the indicator to just light sometimes while the turn signal lamps work every time — this second circuit depends on the first one.
I’m just guessing here but maybe the thinking was that the dash indicator would come on if all the lamps on the car were drawing the right amount of current and that it would fail to come on if one lamp burned out — how very helpful.
On my car it comes on for a few blinks and then I assume that the lamps and ancient wiring begin to heat up and the total current draw drops and that’s the end of the dash light until the next turn. Or until I get on the accelerator and the voltage in the car comes up a tiny bit.
You said you changed to brighter lamps. I assume you meant on the dashboard. Do the same thing on the outside of the car and see if that changes the situation. More current in the system.
But after all this I guess I should point out that a few enterprising souls figured out that there’s an aftermarket relay that you can use instead and it just blinks all the lights like it’s supposed to. I’ll look for the link in a minute or you can post it if you search it out before I do.
Oh, and the canceling is mechanical. If you take off your steering wheel and take a photo near the stalk switch you’ll get a bunch of good advice on how to adjust stuff so the things contact the things. Is it the original steering wheel?
jmackro
Well-Known Member
Yes. Simplest solution is just to install an electronic flasher. They'll make anything work: LED bulbs, poor ground connections, etc. Here is a link to two of the many threads on e9coupe.com and 2002faq.com that discuss this: https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/turn-signal-hazard-relay.34552/#post-287893 and https://www.bmw2002faq.com/forums/topic/85984-signal-flasher-upgrade-easy-to-do-what-a-difference/
Yes again. The lack of cancelling has nothing to do with the dash indicator not flashing.
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Check all bulbs, use silver base Phillips bulbs, clean the contacts in bulb housings, clean the grounds nearby as well. Original instrument bulbs were 2w, you can use 4w fine.
Ya, I did the el-12 electronic flasher relay fix for both my 2002 and two E9s. Worked brilliantly!
tmh
Well-Known Member
The dash flasher on my CS and Bavaria can be impacted by the idle speed of the engine. If I get the revs up a slight amount they work more consistently.
Yep! Your electrical system is probably sitting at around 12v at idle. Step on and it goes up to the regulated 14 or so; the lights come on brighter; more current is running through the flasher circuit; magnetic field gets stronger in the second relay; directional indicator functions.