Cold indicators

[bucklandswifty]

Hi All - I have an annoying problem with my indicators, when the weather is cold ( <5 deg C ) when selected, either left or right, they take around 6 to 8 seconds to start. The colder it is the longer they take. Once started they flash at the correct speed. The delay is directly proportional to the ambient temperature. I have cleaned the switch gear with Electrolube switch cleaner, made no difference. I changed the relay, same result. I am wary of stripping down the switch assembly, but my guess is there the problem lies, maybe the metallic switch components contracting in the cold? Has anyone else had this problem and solved it?

Cheers - Chris

[Wicky]

http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&newwindo ... 89&bih=901

[bucklandswifty]

Not sure what I am to get from the link, other than I have mentioned this before. I have the correct wattage bulbs in the indicators, the problem is lag time before they flash as apposed to flashing too fast. I will practice the old method of arm extension to get round the problem!

[Wicky]

It's a link courtesy of google's site search to previous posts and threads on the forum through the years and many winters where the keywords 'cold + indicators' feature. Click em as suggestions have been made on what to tinker with in the indictor/leccy dept.

[tony.mon]

I think that this problem is caused where there is a poor connection somewhere in the circuit, often at the base of the bulb, where it sits in the contacts in the holder. There is normally some white corrosion on the little pips at the end where the contact is made, or on the switch contacts. This corrosion is often a poor conductor of electricity.

The indicator relay work using a bimetal strip, which bends one way under load and makes a circuit, then is allowed to cool and unflex, breaking the circuit.
This happens about once a second, and the indicators go on and go off in sequence, making them flash.

But the bimetal strip needs to have the right amount of current draw in order to get hot enough to start to bend. If there is a poor connection, not enough current flows through the strip and so it will not make contact, allowing the indicators to come on.
But after a short while, the poor connection heats up, as all of the current tries to go through a connection that although it's allowing voltage across it, isn't good enough to allow all of the current 9amps) to flow. This acts as a resistor, and produces heat.
The heat starts to melt the poor connection, and the connection once more allows enough current to flow across it, meaning that the indicators start to operate normally.

To fix the fault:
If the problem occurs on one side only, then the fault will be in the circuitry for that side, from the relay on through the bulb holders and bulbs themselves, or through the return (earth) side of the circuit. Check and clean all of these connections, and the problem will disappear.
If, however, it doesn't matter which side you put on, it still happens, the the fault will be on the wiring leading to the relay, or it's return (earth) leads.

When you leave for work earl;y on a cold morning, chances are that you'll take the same route to work, and so will usually switch on the indicators at the same junction, turning in the same direction every day.
So try instead checking whether the other side indicators work normally before you get to the junction where you usually notice the fault.

Lastly, it can be a loose connection in the base cap of a bulb, so try new bulbs, if you have spares.

[bucklandswifty]

Thanks Wicky & Tony - I will check the wiring and lamp holders as suggested and report my findings. I did look through many of the filtered entries regarding indicators, whilst some had similar problems there were no definitive solutions.

Cheers - Chris

[chi kung]

I had this on mine but only on the left hand side? anyway i flooded the switch with wd40 and now sorted.