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Turn signals flash only a couple of times

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Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#1
  This topic is about my 1971 MG MGB
Rwills Avatar
Rwills Richard Wills
Chico, CA, USA   USA
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1959 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite
1971 MG MGB
My turn signals will flash only a couple of times then they just stay on. I am wondering? Back in the old days one would just replace the flasher. My car has one but it has 4 terminals and I cannot seem to find a replacement. Any ideas?

Rich


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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#2
ingoldsb Avatar
ingoldsb Silver Member Terry Ingoldsby
Calgary, AB, Canada   CAN
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1971 MG MGB
The flasher is up under the dash, I believe on the right hand side (although it is possible it moved around in different years). IIRC, it is a two terminal unit. There is a second flasher for the hazard lights.


Terry Ingoldsby
terry.ingoldsby@DCExperts.com

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#3
jjonns74 Avatar
jjonns74 Gold Member John Dailey
Indianapolis, IN, USA   USA
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1974 MG MGB "Athena"
1974 MG MGB "Apollo"
Rich,

Your image looks like the 4-terminal Starter Relay - Not the 2-terminal Turn Signal Flasher (powered by White>Green fuse while Key<ON)

Starter Relay typically just aft the Fuse Box, under the hood >>> TS Flasher = under the glove box of dashboard.

Check wire colors at:

http://www.advanceautowire.com/mgb.pdf
perhaps Sheet #9 or 10

JohnD

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#4
Rick Fawthrop Avatar
Rick Fawthrop Gold Member Richard Fawthrop
Langley, WA, USA   USA
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1960 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite
1974 MG MGB
1994 Mazda Miata
Test the voltage under load.
I would suspect the voltage checks ok with no load, but falls off under load due to high resistance somewhere in the circuit.

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#5
BH Davis Avatar
BH Davis Gold Member
Grosvenordale, CT &, Warren, VT, USA   USA
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1968 MG MGB GT "Primrose"
1973 MG MGB
What happens when you rev the engine? Do they flash the same at idle as at 2500 rpm say?

Could be a weak/rusty ground at one of the bulbs.

There is a good chance that a replacement electronic flasher unit will solve the problem......as I believe you were thinking. As mentioned above look for a 2-prong metal can like the one you shop up behind the glove box near the wiper motor.

If this doesn't solve the problem remove and clean or replace the flasher switch. Turn signals go through that as well.

BH

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#6
RHJ Avatar
RHJ Rowan H-J
Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia   MYS
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1972 MG MGB MkII "Sophie"
In reply to # 4788519 by Rwills My turn signals will flash only a couple of times then they just stay on. I am wondering? Back in the old days one would just replace the flasher. My car has one but it has 4 terminals and I cannot seem to find a replacement. Any ideas?

Rich

Hi Rich,

I will begin first with an apology for using UK terminology. As Churchill said, we are two peoples divided by a common language!

My first port of call would be to check the indicator earths. Please note, any one of the lamps could have a faulty earth connection, which would cause all indicators not to flash.

My second port of call would be to replace the flasher unit. From bitter experience, the current flasher units are born to fail! As with most electrical components, the current crop are poorly manufactured and don't last 5 mins! I am confused by the number of wires connected to your flasher unit - there should only be two (green from the fuse box; light green to the switch). As John Dailey says, the flasher unit in a LHD MGB will be fixed to the bulkhead below the glove box (RHD next to the steering column).

Hope this helps,
Rowan.



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-24 04:15 AM by RHJ.

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#7
red68mgb Avatar
red68mgb Silver Member Jim Milavec
Murrells Inlet, SC, USA   USA
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1968 MG MGB "Redginald"
In reply to # 4788524 by ingoldsb The flasher is up under the dash, I believe on the right hand side (although it is possible it moved around in different years). IIRC, it is a two terminal unit. There is a second flasher for the hazard lights.

That's where mine is on the 68. I got a new one from Jeff at LBC as part of the transition to LEDs.


I'd rather wear out than rust out.

"If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking." General George Smith Patton

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#8
philpan4 Avatar
philpan4 phil Panici
Paducah, KY, USA   USA
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1976 MG MGB "Dinsdale "Old Dinsy"
check behind glove box

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#9
TikiCricket Auggie A
Cambridge, MD, USA   USA
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Get one of the electronic flashers from Amazon and be done with all the drama. You can even do LED conversion to all your lamps afterward.

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#10
Rick Fawthrop Avatar
Rick Fawthrop Gold Member Richard Fawthrop
Langley, WA, USA   USA
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1960 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite
1974 MG MGB
1994 Mazda Miata
Auggie makes a good point. I am overthinking this. Find the flasher and replace it with one marked heavy duty.
I use the extra loud electronic ones because I am old and somewhat deaf.

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#11
BH Davis Avatar
BH Davis Gold Member
Grosvenordale, CT &, Warren, VT, USA   USA
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1968 MG MGB GT "Primrose"
1973 MG MGB
In reply to # 4788683 by Rick Fawthrop Auggie makes a good point. I am overthinking this. Find the flasher and replace it with one marked heavy duty.
I use the extra loud electronic ones because I am old and somewhat deaf.

Richard,

I've tried extra loud ones that weren't really extra loud. Can you point me to the ones you purchased?

Thanks,
BH

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#12
Rick Fawthrop Avatar
Rick Fawthrop Gold Member Richard Fawthrop
Langley, WA, USA   USA
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1960 Austin-Healey Bugeye Sprite
1974 MG MGB
1994 Mazda Miata
I believe it was a Triton. My supplier at the time was Carquest.

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#13
rthuck Art Huckins
Deerfield, NH, USA   USA
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I just replaced the flasher on my 72B, I had to remove the glove box and it was attached to the firewall. The old flasher was a Lucas with a part number of 35048. Some of the parts places thought very highly of their products so I did an ebay search using the part number. I bought one from S&M Motor in Tampa. The flasher is also used in Norton motorcycles and cost roughly $12 with free shipping. Perfect fit.

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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#14
Watauga Avatar
Watauga William B
Richmond, IN, USA   USA
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1974 MG MGB
Richard, That old flasher is probably just worn out after 50+ years, I had an issue with a slow flasher, in the old days that used to be caused by low voltage but the alternator was charging and the flasher had 14.2 volts so I replaced it with a electronic flasher from Advance Auto Parts, a Grote #44891 it will work for LED's and conventional automotive bulbs and it immediately cured the problem. PS. Your Turn signal flasher should be beside the wiper motor on the firewall behind the glove box, and the Hazard light flasher should be behind the radio console.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-24 11:45 AM by Watauga.


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Re: Turn signals flash only a couple of times
#15
Arizona Shorty Avatar
Arizona Shorty Greg McC
Prescott, AZ, USA   USA
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1968 Jeep CJ-5
1975 Yamaha MC RD350
1977 MG MGB
1985 Jeep CJ-7
All the discussion about flasher cubes is exciting, but not the central problem for the OP. What he has in his hand is a starter relay, not a flasher cube. Until we hear back from Rich, we don't know if he has found and resolved his issue.


GMc


Wait for me at the gate Tuffy, because without you they're never gonna let me in.

SDCH WTCH-X Twin Oaks Tuff Nutt
2008 - 2022


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