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Thread: Very fast blinking turn signals?

  1. #26
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Houston, Tx
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    1,978
    My Cars
    '78 320i
    The ground is sparkling clean and snug there. Perhaps I can assume there is still corrosion in the plug/connectors? They work otherwise, it's just the light on the dash

  2. #27
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    District Nine
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    17,984
    My Cars
    sold 78 BMW 320i
    Sometimes gotta just loosen, giggle and re-snug while t-shooting pesky electrical. especially grounds.
    * jiggle
    Last edited by epmedia; 02-07-2019 at 07:08 PM.
    Tbd

  3. #28
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NSW,Australia
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    797
    My Cars
    1981 E21 318i
    Well .. for a '78 it should have a 4 terminal flasher relay ... and the C terminal is a dedicated output to the flasher warning light.

    So if the flasher warning light is on all the time, the probability is high that there is either a short/fault inside the relay or a short to +ve 12 volts somewhere in the wiring to the flasher warning light.

    Does the green light come on with the flasher relay unplugged and the ignition on?
    If yes .. then you have a wiring short in the wiring to the green light.

    If you pop the connector on the BLACK/White white out of the plug to the flasher relay and put the plug back on, then test for voltage on the C terminal of the relay to see if it's there all the time while the ignition is on ... the the fault is probably in the relay.


    Cheers
    hmm .. Wonder what happens if I do this ...

  4. #29
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Houston, Tx
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    '78 320i
    Thanks, very clear. Pays to know how to properly read an ETM. Light is off when the relay is unplugged and ignition off. However I do see a voltage at C when I remove the b/w wire.

    I suppose my flash relay is bad at post C, which means I have 2 bad relays. The 'replacement' relay was stamped '97 so its not too surprising.

    Its funny opening the relays and comparing the OE Hella relay to the replacement relay. Replacement is much more crude than the OE.
    Last edited by jaredmac11; 02-07-2019 at 06:44 PM.

  5. #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    NSW,Australia
    Posts
    797
    My Cars
    1981 E21 318i
    Quote Originally Posted by jaredmac11 View Post
    Thanks, very clear. Pays to know how to properly read an ETM. Light is off when the relay is unplugged and ignition off. However I do see a voltage at C when I remove the b/w wire.

    I suppose my flash relay is bad at post C, which means I have 2 bad relays. The 'replacement' relay was stamped '97 so its not too surprising.

    Its funny opening the relays and comparing the OE Hella relay to the replacement relay. Replacement is much more crude than the OE.
    Oh .. what a bummer, new part and it's defective. Seems to be happening more and more often these days.

    But if you have opened up both relays .. if you can take some close up photos of the the solder side of the circuit board and around the relays .. I might be able to identify a problem with the soldering or a manufacturing defect that might be repairable.

    Cheers
    hmm .. Wonder what happens if I do this ...

  6. #31
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Houston, Tx
    Posts
    1,978
    My Cars
    '78 320i
    I will do that! I plan to work with my OE first. I have a few ideas but I'm not certain if they are issues or not. And this relay isn't new, it was a spare but it was new-er..

    I'll crack em both open again and grab some pics. I'm hoping I can fix the OE hella relay since my replacement is at least 75% working. I'd hate to break it and be at square 1

  7. #32
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Houston, Tx
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    1,978
    My Cars
    '78 320i
    OK so I think it was a mix of a few issues. My original relay is bad, no way around that. It looks like it overheated in a few spots but Im really not sure.

    However, for the replacement relay, I noticed the light in the dash would go away if I wiggled the connection. The b/w wire and it seemed to be the culprit. I tried to solder the copper wire to the connector just in case it was a bad connection there but that wasnt it. It seemed to be due to how taut the wire was. I carefully re-routed the wire, gave ample room so the wire wasnt taut, made sure it wasnt pinched, and zip tied it to the other wires to keep it secure.

    Something tells me the wire is a bit worn from contortion down the steering column to the harness.

    Anyways, short of replacing the entire wire, this will have to do. Thanks for all the help. Didnt expect this to be the issue. Couldnt imagine snaking down issues like this, it would literally be the last thing on my mind.
    Last edited by jaredmac11; 02-08-2019 at 07:34 PM.

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