Rapid flashing indicator - then normal again - then rapid flash once more???

deaglan1

Hi all, can anyone tell me what is the cause of the following. Indicating left results in rapid flashing of back left indicator bulb and no flashing of front left indicator bulb. Took front left indicator bulb out of housing - looks intact. Put it back into housing and indication returned to normal. Drove around for about twenty minutes with front left bulb making ten or so normal indications when turning left - then rapid flashing again with front left bulb not functioning again. Retook left bulb out of housing, repeated process, with same result - normal for a few left turns, then back to rapid flashing of rear indicator and no functioning of front left indicator. bulb. Then I exchanged right and left front indicator bulbs. Right indicaiton behaves normally. Left indication worked normally again for about ten left turns and then returned to rapid flashing of back left bulb and nothing for front left bulb. So it obviously is not a bulb problem - anyone got any ideas what might be causing this.

VERYinterested

Did you try front and rear bulbs? I can't make out from your post if you did both. Sorry you tried both, I read your post too quickly. Stumped if I know!

Dublinvillian

could be a bad earth

cython

deaglan1 wrote: »

Hi all, can anyone tell me what is the cause of the following. Indicating left results in rapid flashing of back left indicator bulb and no flashing of front left indicator bulb. Took front left indicator bulb out of housing - looks intact. Put it back into housing and indication returned to normal. Drove around for about twenty minutes with front left bulb making ten or so normal indications when turning left - then rapid flashing again with front left bulb not functioning again. Retook left bulb out of housing, repeated process, with same result - normal for a few left turns, then back to rapid flashing of rear indicator and no functioning of front left indicator. bulb. Then I exchanged right and left front indicator bulbs. Right indicaiton behaves normally. Left indication worked normally again for about ten left turns and then returned to rapid flashing of back left bulb and nothing for front left bulb. So it obviously is not a bulb problem - anyone got any ideas what might be causing this.

Dodgy connection somewhere in the indicator housing? As you seem to be aware, the rapid flashing usually indicates a bulb on that side being blown, and presumably this is determined by some resistance/conductance test on each bulb (blown bulb would have infinite resistance, or appear to be an open circuit, but so would, for example, a broken/cut wire on the same circuit). Perhaps either there is a wire with a bad connection/contact, or the bulb holder itself is not securely holding the bulb, and while this is corrected when you reseat the bulb, it works itself loose again in the course of normal driving due to bumps/vibrations?

Avns1s

As cython said, its a bad connection or earth.

TheBody

My wifes car had EXACTLY the same problem. The problem was that the bulb wasn't making a good connection with the contacts in the holder. I just stretched the contacts out in the holder and it was good as new.

muckwarrior

Same thing happened on my girlfriend's Corsa. Turned out the contact had been making a bad connection with the bulb, had obviously started arcing and then burnt a hole in the contact. Used solder to fill the hole and it's been fine since.

It's more likely that the contacts are just dirty or loose though.

TheBody

muckwarrior wrote: »

Same thing happened on my girlfriend's Corsa. Turned out the contact had been making a bad connection with the bulb, had obviously started arcing and then burnt a hole in the contact. Used solder to fill the hole and it's been fine since.

It's more likely that the contacts are just dirty or loose though.

Funny, my wifes car is a corsa too!!!