flasher relay bad? (1 Viewer)

[Mark7640]

I'll try to be brief
yes I have search and read many posts on this topic and I apologize in advance for posting yet another, but I have a pretty specific question I am hoping someone can offer guidance on.
1976 fj40, hazards work fine. All other lights work fine. As best I can tell grounding is not the issue, but I admittedly don't know what I am doing when it comes to electrical.
Turn signals flash one time when I hit the switch, both left and right. One flash only and the signal light on the instrument panel stays lit.
I noticed that when I tap on the flasher relay up under the dash, the signals start to work. If I keep tapping on it, they keep flashing. I suspected a bad connection, so I painfully removed the flasher and cleaned the terminals. (I even opened the back after reading coolermans post) but it looked so clean inside all I did was lightly clean the contacts and put it back in.
Same issue. One flash, tap on the flasher unit and it comes to life while I tap.

My question, is it a reasonable assumption that the flasher unit is bad and I should replace, or more likely I am still chasing some other gremlins.

Thank you for your patience and help.
Mark

 

[thebigredrocker]

The flasher relay is current driven. When you turn just one turn signal on you have dirty connections that aren’t allowing enough current to make the flasher relay repetedly do its thing. When you pull the hazard knob it allows all the lights to work together, summining enough current to make the relay blink. Turns go through the hazard switch, might need to pull the switch apart and clean it, I had to do that. I assume you’ve cleaned each bulb base, bulb socket, grounds at each light housing and terminals at each housing. Also make sure your front fenders have bare metal contact somewhere with the frame or slip a ground wire from frame under a fender mounting bolt(that’s what I did)


Here’s a good search for you. Coolerman posted a great explanation
In the 40 section:

Posted by member: coolerman
Keywords: current driven

 

[bwalker16527]

You can buy another one OEM ($45) or aftermarket ($20). Easy fix. I just went to led bulbs and mechanical flasher relay would not flash. Aftermarket electronic flasher relay fixed the problem.

 

[thebigredrocker]

Here’s a few threads with similar issues.

Turn Signals Work/Don't Work, But Hazards Always Do

Looking for a Turn Signal Christmas Miracle!

FJ40 Turn Signal Trouble shooting