R20 blinkers hot and bothered

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leithant

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hi

Was wondering if anyone else has had this problem or can offer an explanation.
When the weather is warmer, say 25 degrees and up, my blinkers slow down or cease to blink at all ie they stay on. Have tried 2 different brand flashers, no change. :confused:

leith
 
leithant said:
hi

Was wondering if anyone else has had this problem or can offer an explanation.
When the weather is warmer, say 25 degrees and up, my blinkers slow down or cease to blink at all ie they stay on. Have tried 2 different brand flashers, no change. :confused:

leith
Click to expand...
leithant
I have had a few R20ts, series 2 over the years. The later model had a specific flasher relay,and may-be the earlier ones did too.it is a genuine Renault part. The 505 pug has similar type, and innour 505 the previous owner replaced it with a common garden variety flasher, hence we had a similar problem. Try the original, either by getting one from a wreck or new(may-be $$$++)is worth the try. The hazard lights shouldn't work properly with the cheap unit in place. I am not 100% sure :confused: if this is the case with r20 flasher units, but the wiper relays i have along with a few other extra bits I still have are not shop type relays.
Cheers and I hope my ramblings help?? :
Chris.
 
Thanks for the response.

Mine is an '82 Series 2, and I've tried a Bosch and something else which were both electronic. I might try the idea of looking for an original part, as it sounds like a possibility, but the hazards DO work however.

Anyone else with a solution????

It just seems weird why they usually work fine except when they get too hot!
 
leithant said:
Thanks for the response.

Mine is an '82 Series 2, and I've tried a Bosch and something else which were both electronic. I might try the idea of looking for an original part, as it sounds like a possibility, but the hazards DO work however.

Anyone else with a solution????

It just seems weird why they usually work fine except when they get too hot!
Click to expand...

Just had a look, the flasher unit is a ducillier part, rectangular, about 2 times the length of a bosch shop variety, and has 4 connections. Two parrallel with one in the centre and one to the side, and then the other two at right angles to them, almost level with the center of the other two.(cant take pic, flat didi cam battery.).....hope this helps. ...Yes the shop flasher will perfrom that way if tis the bosch 3 pin type
Chris
 
thanks for going to the trouble of looking,Chris, I'm persuaded that that's the problem, but why temperature affects it???? Any electronics guys out there??????????

BTW I've had to give the fuse box a thump to get it going, which isn't great while your'e driving..........!
 
The hazards are working so the odds are that the flasher is a goer. What about the actual blinker switch itself? The column and dash get pretty hot and I know that some of the column mounted switch gear on series ones was prone to failure with age.

You could test this possibility easily on the next warm day by removing the plastic shroud, un plugging the switch and bridging the circuit. If the blinkers work then you will have found the problem.

You could also try checking the fuses themselves and the connections to the fusebox assembly, then cleaning the contacts with something like Dick Smith electrical contact cleaner.

My guess is that something in the blinker circuitry is dodgy enough to reduce the voltage to the flasher. The switch and the fuse box are reasonable places to start looking.

:dance:
 
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BogMaster said:
The hazards are working so the odds are that the flasher is a goer. What about the actual blinker switch itself? The column and dash get pretty hot and I know that some of the column mounted switch gear on series ones was prone to failure with age.

You could test this possibility easily on the next warm day by removing the plastic shroud, un plugging the switch and bridging the circuit. If the blinkers work then you will have found the problem.

You could also try checking the fuses themselves and the connections to the fusebox assembly, then cleaning the contacts with something like Dick Smith electrical contact cleaner.

My guess is that something in the blinker circuitry is dodgy enough to reduce the voltage to the flasher. The switch and the fuse box are reasonable places to start looking.

:dance:
Click to expand...
Bogmaster,
When the flasher in the 505 died, it had all the symptoms leithant is describing. I am not sure if they are exactly the same relays though,
Leithant needs to check just what contacts are there for the flasher unit. If there are 4 active ones, the bosch relay won't be right for the job as it will fail eventually
Chris
 
thanks again guys,

Will endeavor to have alook this weekend with the multimeter.
Looks like we've had our last warm weather down here, so mightn't be able to reproduce the problem though - I repeat they seem to work fine when the weather's mild.
 
leithant said:
thanks again guys,

Will endeavor to have alook this weekend with the multimeter.
Looks like we've had our last warm weather down here, so mightn't be able to reproduce the problem though - I repeat they seem to work fine when the weather's mild.
Click to expand...
leithant
Thats great. One more thing, our hassle with the 505 flasher was worst after the car had been driven for a while, mostly in traffic when the indicators were used more often. I have had a further look, the ducillier flasher i have is most certainly an R20 unit
Good luck
Chris
 
orange17 said:
Bogmaster,
When the flasher in the 505 died, it had all the symptoms leithant is describing. I am not sure if they are exactly the same relays though,
Leithant needs to check just what contacts are there for the flasher unit. If there are 4 active ones, the bosch relay won't be right for the job as it will fail eventually
Chris
Click to expand...

Hi Chris,

You could be 100% right, but what bothers me is that the hazards work. The electrical switchgear on the series 1 20's I owned was approaching it's use by date 10 years ago and I had a few problems with the blinker switch and the headlight switches. I also had issues with the fuse box on one of the vehicles.

I did instal a third part electronic type flasher (from K Mart) on one of the cars after the original gave up the ghost - with out a problem.

Either way it's a matter of deduction and elimination of the possibilities until the cause is found.

I have to say that for me it is usually the last possibility that proves to be the solution.....eg: Bog replaces the carb, then the dizzy and leads on his 18 before he finally realises that the coil is the culprit....Bog replaces the carb several times on his 20 only to discover that a cracked wire to the hot idle valve is causing the problem...I could go on but you should get the general idea.(Bog is an f'n idgit)


:mallet:
 
Thanks Bog

Last year when I had a go at finding the problem, I found that tightening up the the relevent electrical contacts improved the situation somewhat. Could it be that with the heat the contacts may open up causing a current loss?

Unfortunately I'm a bit house bound for a while due to tearing my knee ligaments on the weekend!!!! :disappr: :cry:

leith
 
Hi Leith,

I dunno, but it could just be heat causing tolerances to open up or maybe humidity causing resistance in one of the connections or earth...it's all speculation until you track it down.

I'd work from the blinker switch down the circuit and eliminate each possibility until you get it right. This can be a bugger of a convoluted process. Start with the simple and obvious.

Having a parts car to rip bits off would be a help as you wouldn't need to spend money on speculation.(that can get a bit expensive)

Good luck with it, that bung knee won't help a lot....inverting yourself under a 20 dash is an acrobatic achievement.

:cheers:
 
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