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Where do I find a flasher unit for a '75 Delta 88?
I'm replacing the flasher unit in a '75 Delta 88 Convertible (the blinkers are slow and sometimes stop working altogether) and it turns out that neither Advance or Auto Zone carry the flasher. In fact, nobody at either store had ever seen one like mine. It's a 3 prong unit with a sort off odd configuration where all three prongs are at right angles and sort of close to each other. The outside is a plain metal colored cylinder. I (foolishly) thought it would be a common part.
Anyone have a clue where to get one of these? Any help is much appreciated.
This is the turn signal flasher I'm talking about. I'll post a pic tomorrow AM so you guys can see what it looks like. It's attached to a plug that sort of hangs down in the space just above the fuse box. It's not the unit that's plugged into the fuse box itself.
No, I'm not sure it wasn't just something rigged by a previous owner. Stay tuned tomorrow...
The only plugs I have seen for these have only two terminals (except in European cars).
I suppose it is posible that in later years, or maybe in cars with cornering lights, they used a different flasher, but I've been messing with GM cars for over 30 years and haven't seen one.
Here's what they show at Autozone for 1975 Delta 88. $6.99. The show two more at bit higher price. Should be in stock at your local store, and likely at most any other auto parts store.
Are all three prongs actually plugged into something?
As a flasher gets old or weak, it will often slow or stop flashing.
The T/S flasher mounts in a clip at the bottom edge of the dash to left of the steering column. That clip is a fingertip slasher.
Look at the plug and see if it is in fact configured for three wires. All I've ever seen are two-wire. A 1975 B/C/E car should have a purple wire and a green/double white stripe wire going to that plug and the plug configuration is a right angle.
My guess is someone in the past has put the wrong flasher in it. Go ahead and put a heavy duty flasher in while you're at it.
OK, so now I'm confused... and probably an idiot. I just took the flasher unit in question out to take pictures (see below) and when I put it back in I noticed a beeping sound (seat belt warning?) and the red warning lights on the dash all came on. And, with this unit unplugged, the turn signals still worked (they went on and off and made the clicking sound). SO, looks like the 2 prong flasher unit in the fuse box that everyone is referring to is the one I should change.
Now, what is the unit I pulled out? Rockerraider, since it doesn't seem to be for the turn signals, could it be for the warning lights? And is it just hanging there under the dash because maybe it came unattached to the underside of the dash where you descirbe it being?
UPDATE: I found it! Up under the dash where rocketraider described it. Man, that is hidden and what a PITA to get at. Thanks, guys. More genius from the engineers at Olds.
Now, back to the unit I found. Here's the plug that it plugs into:
Does this car have Headlamps On warning lamp? That is the only thing I can find in the 75 book that comes close to this, but the illustration shows the relay is rectangular and mounts behind dash to left of the park brake release handle.
What color are the wires on the plug? If there are: a pair of BLACK/double PURPLE stripe wires going to the same cavity on the plug, a BROWN wire, and a PINK/double BLACK stripe wire, this thing should be the headlamps on relay.
Does this car have Headlamps On warning lamp? That is the only thing I can find in the 75 book that comes close to this, but the illustration shows the relay is rectangular and mounts behind dash to left of the park brake release handle.
What color are the wires on the plug? If there are: a pair of BLACK/double PURPLE stripe wires going to the same cavity on the plug, a BROWN wire, and a PINK/double BLACK stripe wire, this thing should be the headlamps on relay.
Past that, will require more digging.
Hey everybody, I'm at a loss here and needed to dredge up this old post.
What is this 3 pin can in post #9 that looks like a flasher can? The original poster never seemed to learn what this part was on his 1975 Delta 88. I have a 1976 with the same silver can pictured in post #9 and in my photo below (the connector has a black wire in one slot, pink in the second, and TWO pink with white stripe wires in the third.)
The the turn signal flasher can and hazard lights flasher can were replaced recently and this 3rd can is a mystery. The odd pin arrangement makes me think it was chosen to make it not interchangeable with standard flasher cans -> and it may not be a flasher can at all.
The can has no part number and nothing seems to stop working when I take it out -> so maybe it's bad? Something is ratting around inside it but I can find no reference to what it is, what it does, or why the engineers decided to just let it dangle out of the main bundle of wires exiting the fuse box -> seems like something an assembler might do when installing something optional that uses a lot of power (or perhaps needs to blink?)
There are several other pink wires under the dash probably unrelated but maybe not -> the gas pedal position sensor wire is pink, and the rectangular anti-theft relay does have a single pink with white stripe wire as one of it's 3 wires -> but it appears to be of a heavier gauge than the ones at the can connector.
Removing the mystery can has no effect on the headlights, ignition, power windows, power bench seat, instruments, buzzers, and so on. I temporarily removed the heavy gauge orange/black stripe and pink wire that tap directly into the fusebox and this also did nothing -> the car started and ran normally.
Any help? What is this, and what does it do, and WHERE CAN I GET A NEW ONE IF NEEDED?
Mystery can- just Made in USA
Can connector with black and pink wires, and two pink with white stripe wires in a single slot.
Fuse box photo is showing upside down. The mystery can connector and it's pink wires are just visible at the center bottom.
Last edited by 1976-88; July 23rd, 2019 at 09:34 PM.
Reason: clarity
that looks to be a timer relay, possibly for a seat belt or courtesy light. Mopar used them for years for their ignition key lamps and Ford used them for the dash mounted seat belt lamps. Activates a lamp for a few seconds when key is turned to the ON position and/or ignition is started.
that looks to be a timer relay, possibly for a seat belt or courtesy light. Mopar used them for years for their ignition key lamps and Ford used them for the dash mounted seat belt lamps. Activates a lamp for a few seconds when key is turned to the ON position and/or ignition is started.
Thanks! I just searched hundreds of images for "seat belt warning buzzer timer relay 1975 gm" and that's what it is.
I used to get a 3 second buzz (considerably louder than the ignition key buzzer) and warning light upon the ignition key turning forward to the on position when the seatbelt is off, but now it's intermittent.
I can hear something rattling around inside so I'll open it today and take a look. Maybe I can fix rather than pay big bucks for a rough original that's probably ready to fail.
This part is incredibly hard to reference but it GOES A LONG WAY in keeping the car original. People who have never been in a car more than 5 or 10 years old are routinely interested, perplexed, alarmed, or amused by the antique seatbelt warning system. I was a child in the 1970s and the GM seatbelt buzzer is front and center in my memories of when cars were cool and Oldsmobile "ruled the roost" in the mid to late 1970s.
Last edited by 1976-88; July 24th, 2019 at 07:32 AM.
Reason: added info
August 11th, 2012, 08:37 PM
