S4 Headlamp flasher

[triumphelan]

I found a blue/yellow wire off my light switch, whilst investigating an other problem.I thought I was lucky I found it ,I replaced the wire on the obvious terminal on the light switch and the headlamps started to blink just like indicators,when I switched the lights on they stopped.With the blue/yellow wire disconnected all the lighting functions worked as they should .Looking at the S4 wireing diagram it shows this wire going to "headlamp flasher relay" .I dont have this function ,should I ??How should this work ??

[MintSprint]

It sounds as though everything is functioning correctly when you reconnect the wire.

If you raise the headlamp pods with the lights switched off, they should automatically start flashing as you described, triggered by microswitches fitted to the headlamp. They should continue flashing until you either switch the lights on or lower the headlamp pods again.

Lots of people disable the flasher function, though, either because they prefer to be able to run with the lights raised, but off, or, more commonly, because of a fault with the microswitches.

[reb53]

Mine hasn't worked for years as I think I disconnected it.
As I recall the headlights would start to flash if they were raised without being turned on.
The moment the lights were turned on they worked normally. This, apparently, was a useful way of letting other traffic know you were overtaking. (!).
These days in this part of the world merely overtaking at legal speeds can get raised fingers and shaken fists from all the sheep crawling along 20k under the limit. Flashing lights as well would have them all reaching for their phones to dob you in to the local police.

Ralph.

[pereirac]

I have a feeling they were deemed illegal in partsof the world. Mine was disconnected when I bought the car..

[MintSprint]

I'm told that they are, in fact, illegal in the UK, strictly speaking.

Just remember not to raise your lights with a police car coming in the other direction unless you switch them on first!

[types26/36]

According to the late Graham Arnold the flasher system is illegal in the U.K.but mine work and I have had no problems with M.O.T's