kitfoxdave

I have a 72 cutlass convertible. The directional were working 3 weeks ago, neither direction works today! Digitails tail lights, standard bulbs up front (cant find LED's that actually fit) The flasher relays are changed out for the the LEDS to work with the new special ones. all lights work with the main headlight switch in both positions, the lights flash properly with the emergency flasher. I am thinking it might be the new flasher relay assembly for the directional... Any other ideas?

joe_padavano

Did the turn signals work three weeks ago with the LEDs? Was that with the old or new flasher? And you did replace the turn signal flasher, not the one for the four-ways, right?

onetogofast

Can you swap the relays and see what changes in order to test the relay?

joe_padavano

There are no relays in the turn signal circuit, just the flasher module and the switch.

kitfoxdave

sorry for calling it a relay instead of a module... I will try to get some time to swap the modules and see if that works. I bought all of the stuff from digitals so it should keep working together. The directional signals have worked correctly for nearly a year, car sat for a couple of weeks untouched, and voila... no directional. Do the new flasher modules for the LED's go tango uniform in a short span of time? the old units lasted for over 20 years....

therobski

Not trying to steal your thread kitfoxdave, but I may have learned something-if you change your 1157's over to LED's you need to change the flasher to a LED flasher, Is this correct?

joe_padavano

Typically, yes, but it depends. The normal thermal flasher modules require a certain amount of current to pass through the bimetallic strip in the flasher to heat it up. LED lights take much less current so usually they do not heat the strip, or if they do, it takes a lot longer so the flash rate gets much slower. This is what happened on my 62. I replaced the rear lights with LEDs but so far have kept the 1157s in the front. The stock flasher still works, but the turn signals are slow to flash. I'm planning on getting the front LEDs and a new flasher at Carlisle.

The LED flashers are all electronic and use a timer circuit instead of a bimetallic strip. The timer circuit frequency is not dependent on current, so the flash rate remains the same.

therobski

Joe I looked up a flasher that seems compatable from a mfr. called CEC. Its a 2-prong compatable LED flasher with a ground wire for a 62 part number EF32RL. That may do the trick for $12.00 dollars. I bought some relays for the headlights too. I will get to that when it cools off.

kitfoxdave

OK, folks, between working 60 hour weeks since August and working on the house in my "spare time"... I swapped the flasher modules around. They both seem to work fine. the Directional signals still do not work. I still need to get into it with a multimeter and sort out what power is going where.... if any.

joe_padavano

Be sure the four way flasher button is all the way out. It can cause weird things to happen if it is part way in.

young olds

I've always heard that led's made your turn signals flash faster, which is what happened to my 66 when I changed all my bulbs to led's. I did notice that they sell in line resisters you can use to increase the load after changing to led

Fun71

Instead of installing resistors that will increase the current load you can install an electronic flasher. The LEDs reduce the current load and installing resistors increases the current load, thereby negating one of the main benefits of LEDs.