Yet another electrical problem, erratic flashers, with a twist Options

[scottz0369]

Here's one I couldn't find with a search---

I think I have a flasher relay problem, but I'm not positive--My blinkers/brake warning light flash extremely rapidly and erratically--sounds like a relay issue except for this--they work just fine when I have jumper cables attached. The battery was completely dead yesterday (one minute after starting normally). One minute the car turned over fine, the next there wasn't even a click. After I jumped it is when I got the flashing problem.

I'm not sure if this is one problem, or many. My battery reads 10.6 volts at the terminals--driving it for a half-hour at speed didn't do a darn thing for it. It has been sitting since February, so it may well be a bad battery. The auto shop on base here will have a new battery tomorrow for me, and with luck, the local auto shop (there's not much out here--29 palms is the end of the road) will have a relay.

I hope the battery/relay are two seperate problems that happened to come up at the same time, but I'm suspicious of the timing......

ah, the adventure of having a 34 year old car. There's never a dull moment!

Scott

[jk76.914]

Hi Scott,

I'd fix the voltage problem first, and see if the flasher doesn't clear itself up. There may not be enough voltage for the timing circuit to operate properly, I don't know. I'd think 10.6 would be OK, but anyway, the low voltage, not holding a charge is your bigger issue.

Is the 10.6 volts while the engine is running? If so, it's also possible there's an alternator problem now. Anyway, the battery is certainly the first step- easiest, cheapest, most likely the root cause.

Good luck!
Jim

[Spoke]

10.6V is very low. Was this during running or before/after running? During running, you should see 13-15V on the battery even if the battery is shot. Batteries normally go open circuit more than short but shorting is always possible in a dying battery.

Spoke

[Dr Evil]

Clean, clean, clean your connections. Sounds like you have intermittant grounds all over. Check the tranny ground strap and its connections, engine connections, etc.

[So.Cal.914]

Your voltage is to low, one thing you can do to check your alt is jump the car,

and then disconnect the pos (+) side of the battery. If it continues to run it is

working, change battery and test again. Should show between 13 & 15 volts.

Then try your flashers, My guess is they will work as normal.

[Dr Evil]

Your voltage is to low, one thing you can do to check your alt is jump the car,

and then disconnect the pos (+) side of the battery. If it continues to run it is

working, change battery and test again. Should show between 13 & 15 volts.

Then try your flashers, My guess is they will work as normal.

Good concept, but BAD idea according to all the other published sources.

Doing so will cause your VR to go to max draw from your alt and will subsequently fry your diodes. If you do not see a spike in voltage across the battery terminals to at least 13v when it is running, either the VR or the alt is dead. Try the VR first as it is plug and play. It senses the voltage drop on the battery and feeds more juice to it so if yo are maintaining lower than 13v the VR should be pushing in a lot of juice if the alt is supplying it.

[So.Cal.914]

You are right Evil and I should have said put it right back on.

[Dr Evil]

You are right Evil and I should have said put it right back on.

Paul, IIRC your average for correct answers is like .9999 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)