Blinker / Hazard Issue 1973 Fj40 (1 Viewer)

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Jul 22, 2021
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Location
North Georgia
Hi FJ40's been sitting for 6 months or so and today I noticed an issue with my hazards/ blinkers.

1st Hazards worked No blinkers
Then both started working while driving
Then both stopped working while still driving
Got home and parked and hazards worked No blinkers.

I had installed a relay a while back in place of the original flasher and it worked great.

Do you think it's a ground issue? The relay has a pigtail ground wire. Thinking I might need to run that ground straight to battery

TIA
 
Hi FJ40's been sitting for 6 months or so and today I noticed an issue with my hazards/ blinkers.

1st Hazards worked No blinkers
Then both started working while driving
Then both stopped working while still driving
Got home and parked and hazards worked No blinkers.

I had installed a relay a while back in place of the original flasher and it worked great.

Do you think it's a ground issue? The relay has a pigtail ground wire. Thinking I might need to run that ground straight to battery

TIA


- what sort of relay have you simply substituted for the OEM Hazard Flasher metal Genuine NipponDenso CAN / BOX ?

- photos here posted on your replacement relay would be helpful , otherwise we are in the dark 🤔




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- where have you secured the black wire / w the ring terminal to currently ?

- where do the TEq included installation instructions papers in the photo above say to and how to affix the ring terminal black wire ?

-
 
No need to run the ground on the flasher all the way to the battery. Just make sure the black wire with the ring terminal is well grounded under a close by screw.

Your intermittent problem could also be dirty switch contacts in the Hazard switch. In a 1973, the flasher signal is fed through the Hazard switch contacts when it is in the off position, then on to the Turn signal switch. If the contacts are dirty you will get the turn lights to light up but not flash.

Take the Hazard switch apart being careful not to lose the spring loaded contacts or the tiny springs. Clean ALL the contacts until they shine, coat them with a light coat of dielectic grease, lube the shaft and the bottom of the switch contact holder where the BB is, reassemble and firmly clamp it back together. Should work like a new one.
 
I have found that bad connections on the power supply and/or at the fuse leads to a voltage drop and the relays/flashers do not like low voltage, they exhibit the symptoms you describe. the voltage drop could be in the hazard switch as said above. I had same issue and deleted hazard all together before I knew what to attack.
 
- where have you secured the black wire / w the ring terminal to currently ?

- where do the TEq included installation instructions papers in the photo above say to and how to affix the ring terminal black wire ?

-its screwed to the firewall

I have found that bad connections on the power supply and/or at the fuse leads to a voltage drop and the relays/flashers do not like low voltage, they exhibit the symptoms you describe. the voltage drop could be in the hazard switch as said above. I had same issue and deleted hazard all together before I knew what to attack.
SOLVED!
It is something in the hazard switch if you turn the hazard knob slightly to the right, Everything works
Thanks for all your help!
 
I went through this recently. Cleaned up the hazard switch and all was normal again.
 
SOLVED!
It is something in the hazard switch if you turn the hazard knob slightly to the right, Everything works
Thanks for all your help!


not so fast sassafras ......... 🤔


- if you can turn or rotate or twist the knob sideways , the fixed mount pull-stalk itself made out of aluminum is ANCHORED in a composite / lets call it a sliding little brittle box plastic after 40+ years ,

- there is a small tiny white U shape plastic locking retainer TAB that was pressed in at the Factory PLANT A-11 when your 1973 FJ40 was built ....

- it , the tiny white U shape TAB has cracked , or fractured into 2 or more pieces form age time and regular use etc .......

- its not a repairable part in any way , nor have i ever been able to successfully shop-make this little
B#STERD either .......:confused:

- in 1978 Toyota wised up and updated it to a form of spring loaded stainless steel in ALL oem pull stalk switch platforms globally ........

- so ...........

- all this being said you have 3 options

-
1 : take it all apart and find out all this for your self ........:meh:

-
2 : find a used switch that's also 40+ years old and hope for the best there with all that topic .......:rolleyes:

-
3 : source a professionally restored 1973 HAZZARD switch , that will function normally and correctly without a broken pull-stalk locking retainer tab such as the
Technical Example below ...:idea:


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Especially if your 40 is getting a little long in the tooth and has a couple of drips now and then... Be sure to face the flasher upwards so that water can't get inside. Shortly after installing an electronic flasher, like the one pictured, I had to open it up and dump the water out of it. Once I dumped the water out and blew it dry, it worked fine again.


Come to think of it, the Toyota engineers pointed the original flasher relay upwards... and knowing Toyota, they never do anything without a good reason... probably to keep the water out also.
 
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No need to run the ground on the flasher all the way to the battery. Just make sure the black wire with the ring terminal is well grounded under a close by screw.

Your intermittent problem could also be dirty switch contacts in the Hazard switch. In a 1973, the flasher signal is fed through the Hazard switch contacts when it is in the off position, then on to the Turn signal switch. If the contacts are dirty you will get the turn lights to light up but not flash.

Take the Hazard switch apart being careful not to lose the spring loaded contacts or the tiny springs. Clean ALL the contacts until they shine, coat them with a light coat of dielectic grease, lube the shaft and the bottom of the switch contact holder where the BB is, reassemble and firmly clamp it back together. Should work like a new one.
So that makes sense. I have the switch removed from the dash to clean it. I guess the question is how do you separate wiring connection to the harness? I have been trying pull it apart for an hour and it’s not budging. It’s not helping that I’m working under the dash, but there must be a trick to getting it apart?
 
So that makes sense. I have the switch removed from the dash to clean it. I guess the question is how do you separate wiring connection to the harness? I have been trying pull it apart for an hour and it’s not budging. It’s not helping that I’m working under the dash, but there must be a trick to getting it apart?


it's not budging because there has been a short circuit inside the 2 connector housings and the white plastic and metal terminals are all fused together in one monolithic

ball now .... :confused:
 
i hope i am too ,

but why else would they not separate ?

i have seen this many many time sadly ....
 
i hope i am too ,

but why else would they not separate ?

i have seen this many many time sadly ....
So is there a technique to separating them? They have likely been together for 50 years.

Let’s say your right, next step is to cut it out? Not looking forward repairing wires under the dash.
 
examine closer to see any melting plastic on all 6 sides before cutting for sure


wiggle back and forth these WAFFLE style connectors you must ......
 

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