Sloooooow turn signals

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shags72

shags72

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Have a 72 Dart that I have extremely slow turn signals. Nothing but factory stuff in it i.e. alternator, and regulator. Any ideas to look at?
 
Buy a new flasher. There are two, make sure you change the right one. You can find it when it is clicking.

Also, make sure all your bulbs are good.
 
IIRC a slow blink is due to to little current draw from the light bulbs ( burnt out light, LEDs, missing bulb)

Fast blink seems like it would be from the opposite, too much load (added bulbs, bulbs that draw more current than the factory spected, bad flasher unit?, Resistance in the wiring or terminals, wrong flasher unit)

The turn signal flasher should be to the pass side of the ashtray, the emergency flashers is near the e break lever (driver's side of steering column)

Edited to correct my faulty memory thanks Matt.:thumbsup:
 
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It's usually from low voltage caused by old wiring or a failing battery or alternator.

What's your battery voltage at idle and at 1500+ rpm? What's your battery voltage when the car is turned off?

It's possible for the flash rate to change with too much load (like trailer lights) but it usually changes the behavior too. Instead of the bulb being on/off 50/50 it can flash fast with a long pause or flash long with a short pause. By flash I mean the bulb turning on, and by pause I mean it turning off.

At any rate, I'd start with your voltage levels when off and when running.
 
If system voltage is low at curb idle, you may or may not notice the headlights dim a little but would notice signal flash slowing. Does alternator gauge needle twitch with signal flash?
 
A guy in the coffee thread had a slow turn signal and here's what he found:

My problem was slow turn signal only on one side the other side was fine . Problem was in the running light wiring .
 
Dana67Dart said:
IIRC a fast blink is due to to little current draw from the light bulbs ( burnt out light, LEDs, missing bulb)

Slow blink seems like it would be from the opposite, too much load (added bulbs, bulbs that draw more current than the factory spected, bad flasher unit?, Resistance in the wiring or terminals, wrong flasher unit)
Click to expand...
Should be the other way around. The more current the bulbs draw, the more current going through the flasher. The bimetal then heats up faster.

So if the lamps are drawing more current, the blinkers work quicker.

Another reason for drawing more or less current is the voltage across the lamps. Higher the voltage, the more current drawn, therefore quicker blinking.

RedFish said:
If system voltage is low at curb idle, you may or may not notice the headlights dim a little but would notice signal flash slowing. Does alternator gauge needle twitch with signal flash?
Click to expand...
This ^^^^^ is correct and worth repeating.
 
Mattax said:
Should be the other way around. The more current the bulbs draw, the more current going through the flasher. The bimetal then heats up faster.

So if the lamps are drawing more current, the blinkers work quicker
Click to expand...
Once again you have proved me an idiot.
:lol:

I just went out to prove my point, took out the front turn signal bulb and it took so long to flash that it never did!
:rofl:

I need to stop remembering things!:)
 
shags72 said:
Have a 72 Dart that I have extremely slow turn signals. Nothing but factory stuff in it i.e. alternator, and regulator. Any ideas to look at?
Click to expand...
We took the duster out last night and my friend who is an old Ford geared, suggested the flash words were maybe going bad I thought they worked or they didn't but I don't know a damn thing
 
Ironracer said:
We took the duster out last night and my friend who is an old Ford geared, suggested the flash words were maybe going bad I thought they worked or they didn't but I don't know a damn thing
Click to expand...
No. Old school mechanical flashers have bimetal contacts responding to heat. It will fail eventually and could slow to stopped.
 
from what I understand the heavy duty flashers flash independently of the current draw of the load themselves. Whereas the standard flashers blink faster under a heavy load and slower under a light load.
 
trapster said:
from what I understand the heavy duty flashers flash independently of the current draw of the load themselves. Whereas the standard flashers blink faster under a heavy load and slower under a light load.
Click to expand...
Yep, hazard flasher blinks all 4 corners so it is a different flasher from standard turn flasher. Heavy duty. If you should add something like a boat trailer with turn signals you will need the heavy duty/hazard type flasher. OEM turn signal flasher will not survive on a long trip. Example... I added a trailer hitch and light harness to our 1st 67 B'cuda to pull my brothers boat to a Crappie-thon event about 350 miles away. Turn signals flashed very fast on the trip down. Twitched the heck outa my amp gauge at a stop/off ramp (lower alternator output at lower RPM). That flasher died about half way home.
On the other hand... If you replaced OEM type bulbs with LEDs, they dont draw nearly enough current to cycle the OEM flasher. You would need a modern solid state type flasher module. Todays flasher modules operate off time via silicon chips instead of current flow and heat generated by heat.
 
So if you switched to LED tail lights you should use a heavy duty flasher. Not for the current draw but for the blink speed.

RedFish said:
Yep, hazard flasher blinks all 4 corners so it is a different flasher from standard turn flasher. Heavy duty. If you should add something like a boat trailer with turn signals you will need the heavy duty/hazard type flasher. OEM turn signal flasher will not survive on a long trip. Example... I added a trailer hitch and light harness to our 1st 67 B'cuda to pull my brothers boat to a Crappie-thon event about 350 miles away. Turn signals flashed very fast on the trip down. Twitched the heck outa my amp gauge at a stop/off ramp (lower alternator output at lower RPM). That flasher died about half way home.
On the other hand... If you replaced OEM type bulbs with LEDs, they dont draw nearly enough current to cycle the OEM flasher. You would need a modern solid state type flasher module. Todays flasher modules operate off time via silicon chips instead of current flow and heat generated by heat.
Click to expand...
 
trapster said:
So if you switched to LED tail lights you should use a heavy duty flasher. Not for the current draw but for the blink speed.
Click to expand...
No you got that backward. read it again. The heavy duty flasher is required for additional load/current draw on the circuit. LEDs draw less current. The signals would come on but not flash without a more modern/compatible flasher module.
 
I do believe you missed my point
RedFish said:
No you got that backward. read it again. The heavy duty flasher is required for additional load/current draw on the circuit. LEDs draw less current. The signals would come on but not flash without a more modern/compatible flasher module.
Click to expand...
 
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