indicator or blinker speed

[dgym]

Hi all,
Im having difficulty finding the reason my indicators flash very slowly at idle and faster at higher revs. It's the same for both sides, I've checked connections and earths, replaced some, and still have the same problem. The wiring when revealed does look very old (that tired dull look that overused wires get)

I've noticed that the car has no voltage stabilizer, should it? it's in the schematic.

The car has been converted to an alternator by someone before me. can the alternator regulator cause this problem?
I'm on the verge of buying a new loom and alternator and re making some nice fat battery/earth leads just to blow this problem to smitherines!

thanks in advance,
-Jim

[vxah]

Jim, have you checked the voltage at idle? Might be that it drops low due to old style alternator with quite a large pulley? The twink has quite a small crankshaft pulley so that makes it difficult to get a high enough alternator rpm for a good output at idle.
Unless it's a very early type alternator the regulator will be built into the unit and the dynamo regulator should have been bypassed..

[dgym]

I have checked the voltage and it was good. The alternator is from a Kubota I think. It looks very well used.
you have got me thinking about belt tightness though too...

[wotsisname]

You also mention the voltage stabiliser. [I assume you mean the one behind the dash, on a +2 at least] I believe this is just to regulate the voltage to the fuel guage & Tacho to keep them reading steady (& possibly correct]... but am happy to be corrected !

[dgym]

yes the voltage stabilizer popped in to my head as something that could cause this (from previous triumph/mg forums read?) but i can't seem to find that being said anymore on the internet. maybe I dreamt it.

the fact that a stabilizer is in the schematic and not in my car seemed odd.

the car has never had steady indicators since I've had it.

[TroonSprint]

Wotsisname is correct. The voltage stabiliser is for the tacho and fuel gauge. It has nothing to do with the indicators. Both tacho and fuel gauge work without the stabiliser but may not be entirely accurate - but then they aren't anyway even with it!

You say the idling voltage is OK but what is it? The fact that the indicators slow down when idling is a sure sign of a voltage drop. With an alternator you should get around 13 volts even at idle speed. One way to fix the indicator blink rate permanently is to swap the flasher unit for an electronic one. This type isn't bothered about voltage changes and will give a regular output even when the voltage is lower.

Mike

[dgym]

voltage was 12 point something consistently at Idle and higher revs. It was the same as whatever youtube video I was watching suggested.

I will investigate this electronic flasher thanks mike.

I've just been looking up wiring loom supplies and considering an epic build!

[RogerFrench]

The stabiliser is not for the tach, only electric fuel, pressure, and temperature gauges.
The fact that it may, for convenience, be fitted on the tach is irrelevant.

[vxah]

!2 point something volts is not enough! you should be getting about 14v at anything above idle with a good battery, if you have a sorted alternator system it will be 14v even at idle with the lights on!
As said also, you could easily fit an electronic flasher unit to the car to give a regular flash rate, I think you will only need to fit an earth wire to it..

[billwill]

You also mention the voltage stabiliser. [I assume you mean the one behind the dash, on a +2 at least] I believe this is just to regulate the voltage to the fuel guage & Tacho to keep them reading steady (& possibly correct]... but am happy to be corrected !

fuel gauge yes, tacho no

tacho has its own internal stabalizer.

[EPA]

If when the car was converted to to an alternator the original pulley was retained the alternator may not be spinning fast enough at idle speeds to produce the required voltage. The alternator pulley should be much smaller than the one on the original generator.
This is easy to check by monitoring the voltage though.
Ed