Toyota Flasher Relay (1 Viewer)

[Honger]

I'm hoping some of you all can help me... I'm tagging @Coolerman as he seems to be in the know on this stuff.

My truck had the following signal flasher installed when I bought it... and it remains in place right now.

But I want something Toyota under there. The OEM part was still installed in the truck and the wiring harness had simply been diverted to the replacement flasher. My OEM flasher relay is this one...

I don't think it's broken, it just a resistance issue that keeps it from working. I bought a new one (still available in region) and it didn't work either.

In any case, somewhere on the forum I'd read about replacing the old ground-based unit with 81980-12H04...

So I popped it in and it didn't work.

The B and L connections seem to line up... from my original flasher:

...to the right ones per the instructions...

Any pointers? Anything I'm missing?

 

[Indygbd]

Buy a new old stock flasher relay

 

[Honger]

Buy a new old stock flasher relay

I did, it didn’t work either. I think because of resistance in the grounding.

 

[pb4ugo]

Are you still running the proper incandescent light bulbs? Have you checked the grounds on each of turn signals? Clean the sockets? Once I swapped out the frt stk turn signal assemblies on my trail rig, to smaller motorcycle lights and relocated them so they wouldnt get knocked off the vehicle. The rear lights were essentially stk. I found the slightly smaller bulbs didn't create enuff resistance to trip the stk flasher. It is a mid 70's 40. I went to an electronic flasher, and all is good.

 

[1969FJ]

What year are you talking about. My 1969 has 2 flashers, one for the turn signals and one for hazards. All bulbs MUST be operable, even the small ones in the indicator positions. All grounds cleaned, and all connectors clean as well. Your problem is not the flashers you are buying.

 

[Honger]

Mine is a 1977, General Market spec... it has no hazards, so only one flasher relay.

Agree the problem isn't the flashers.

The US-made Wagner unit works... my flashers work with that unit.

Just unsure why the new solid state flasher from Toyota doesn't work. I know the older flasher relays require good clean grounds... that they are sensitive to high resistance. But the new solid state isn't supposed to be... I thought.

 

[1969FJ]

I looked up the Wagner unit you have and it is a heavy duty unit. I will attach a PDF of it. It says a 14 amp fuse is required. Now, the way a flasher works is DEPENDANT on the load. That is why some modifications are sometimes required for LED, because they have no filament resistance. Anyway, there is something in your load system that is not accepted by any other unit. It is relatively simple to trouble shoot. What happens with the new Flasher ? Do the lights illuminate and not flash ? Do they do nothing ? Also, a 1977 should have hazards, even if not on this circuit ? And, do they work ?

 

[1969FJ]

Here is an example of what you have. Simple design.

 

[Coolerman]

Your general spec FJ40 has no Hazard lights at all? Are they not required in the Middle East?

When you tried the new, non original, Toyota flasher, did you ground the black wire with the ring terminal? Won't work at all without that ground.

Another thing to be aware of. The OEM and the Wagner flasher both require a certain amount of current to flow in the circuit before the flasher will actually flash. If you hit the turn switch to the left do BOTH the front and rear lights light up, but not flashing, or do they not come on at all?

If they come on but don't flash then several things could be wrong:
Wrong bulbs for the Toyota flasher. This one can get weird. Some bulbs that will fit the socket are still not the correct bulbs. They may be lower current bulbs with the same socket base. Again the Toyota OEM flasher MUST have the right current flow before the flasher will flash.
I would pull all 4 bulbs, get new OEM bulbs, clean up the bulb sockets AND the housing grounds, clean the battery terminals and finally clean the fuse block contacts.

If they don't come on at all then defective flasher, or flasher not grounded (OEM can flasher does NOT require the case to be grounded. The REPLACEMENT Toyota flasher DOES require it to be grounded through the black wire.)

If there are LED bulbs in the turn signals, or the dash light indicators, that will also cause a no flash or a very fast flash condition unless you have a flasher that is made to flash LED lights.

One last cause could be that someone (whoever put the Wagner flasher in) may have swapped the B and L wires in the two pin flasher connector to make it work. The Green/White wire should go to the B terminal and the Green/Blue to the L terminal.

 

[Honger]

I looked up the Wagner unit you have and it is a heavy duty unit. I will attach a PDF of it. It says a 14 amp fuse is required. Now, the way a flasher works is DEPENDANT on the load. That is why some modifications are sometimes required for LED, because they have no filament resistance. Anyway, there is something in your load system that is not accepted by any other unit. It is relatively simple to trouble shoot. What happens with the new Flasher ? Do the lights illuminate and not flash ? Do they do nothing ? Also, a 1977 should have hazards, even if not on this circuit ? And, do they work ?

How did I not think to look that up!?! Thanks for this bro. Very helpful.

Your general spec FJ40 has no Hazard lights at all? Are they not required in the Middle East?

Pre 79/80 the general specs had no hazards. I can find no accommodation for it in my harness. It isn't that it was "deleted" it just wasn't there. They are required in the Middle East now... not sure when that became a formal requirement. Post 79/80 trucks in the region DO have them.

When you tried the new, non original, Toyota flasher, did you ground the black wire with the ring terminal? Won't work at all without that ground.

Another thing to be aware of. The OEM and the Wagner flasher both require a certain amount of current to flow in the circuit before the flasher will actually flash. If you hit the turn switch to the left do BOTH the front and rear lights light up, but not flashing, or do they not come on at all?

If they come on but don't flash then several things could be wrong:
Wrong bulbs for the Toyota flasher. This one can get weird. Some bulbs that will fit the socket are still not the correct bulbs. They may be lower current bulbs with the same socket base. Again the Toyota OEM flasher MUST have the right current flow before the flasher will flash.
I would pull all 4 bulbs, get new OEM bulbs, clean up the bulb sockets AND the housing grounds, clean the battery terminals and finally clean the fuse block contacts.

If they don't come on at all then defective flasher, or flasher not grounded (OEM can flasher does NOT require the case to be grounded. The REPLACEMENT Toyota flasher DOES require it to be grounded through the black wire.)

If there are LED bulbs in the turn signals, or the dash light indicators, that will also cause a no flash or a very fast flash condition unless you have a flasher that is made to flash LED lights.

One last cause could be that someone (whoever put the Wagner flasher in) may have swapped the B and L wires in the two pin flasher connector to make it work. The Green/White wire should go to the B terminal and the Green/Blue to the L terminal.

So... I'll spare you the test and whatnot that I did in terms of what worked, didn't work, etc. I know my lamps were all OEM as all the light housings were replaced with brand new OEM units including lamps upon the rebuild. When I finally tested for your final comment (someone swapped the B and L wires) everything worked out. Ha! Sure enough I found the splice were they'd done this.

So with some quick work of my plug/pin tool...

...I had the problem corrected.

Flashers work much more consistently now. A nice even flash regardless of engine rev. And the "clicker" in this unit is a bit louder than the Wagner. And most importantly, another non-OEM part replaced with Toyota goodness.

 

[Coolerman]

Good work and thanks for following up!