testing trafficators

Post by **FrankM83** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 2:49 pm

Hi all I'm rubbish when it comes to electrics and I just found that my ex traveller pick-up has two traffictors minus arms and lens hidden behind the plates covering the holes, I was thinking of taking them out and testing but there is no wires coming out of them anyone has an idea how to test these? Thanks

Post by **AndrewSkinner** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:42 pm

Yeah they run off 12v so you need a plug in power supply or car battery.

Ok if it is out of the car:
At the bottom of the traficator (Just under the coil) there is a round cylinder. into this you need to plug one wire (doesnt matter which polarity). I found that the small round crimp pieces fit a charm! Make sure that this wire doesnt touch anything else!

The second wire then needs to be connected to anywhere on the rest of the trafficator (as it earths thought the cars body) Just twist the wire though one of the mounting holes.

If it is in the car then you simply need to complete the circuit. It will already be grounded through the cars body and so all you need to do is take a wire from the round clip at the bottom and touch it against the battery terminal which DOESNT bolt directly to the car bodywork!

Sorry bit hard to explain! if you get stuck just ask and I will take some photos! I have a pair right infront of me!

As you probably already know these are worth something! and are becoming rarer. Do not worry if they do not work at first. I recently purchased a pair from ebay as not working and once I had simply given them a very good clean in hot soapy water and a nail brush then oiled them up they worked like a charm! they are tempermental and so dont be put off if they dont work straight away! they could have been sitting there for years and therefore slightly siezed.

Good luck!
Andy

Post by **AndrewSkinner** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 7:56 pm

Hey FrankM83 any luck with the trafficators?

Post by **FrankM83** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:24 pm

not yet haven't got the time to do what you advised to me which by the way thanks for it! one question does soap damage the trafficator? the trafficators I got have been standing for the best ten years now so they might be jammed also with what did u oil them?

Post by **AndrewSkinner** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:35 pm

no soap wont damage them aslong as you let them dry out. If you think about how they are positioned they are likely to get splashed with water anyway!

Take them out off the car and remove the lense. This is held in by one bolt at the end of the chrome peice and one at the base of the arm. Once you have carefuly slid out the arm i filled a tub full of warm soapy water and used a nail brush to give it a good scrub! lots and lots of gunky grime came off them and before I knew it they were looking like new!

I let them dry totaly overnight in a warm place and then in the morning gave them a good oil and worked it into all the moving parts including the armature that moves up and down inside the electromagnet.

They are now ready to be tested! beware mine are so powerful they take you by suprise! it realy does fling up and out of your hands!! When I get time I will add some pics for you.

Regards Andy

Post by **FrankM83** » Mon Feb 11, 2008 8:37 pm

Thanks a lot Anrew will start working tomorrow well the lenses are msising on my trafficators but these are still available fortuntly

Post by **FrankM83** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:05 pm

Andrew I tested the trafficators this morning without cleaning first just to check I had a pair which were reconditioned the arm of one went up but needed help up the other didn't do any movement at all and then I have a pair of trafficators removed from a car which was off the road for over 10 year one of them showed signs it wanted to move the other one no sign of anything could the fact that the arms needed help up be poor connection? I still gave them some oil and see what happens tomorrow

Post by **AndrewSkinner** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 12:55 pm

hey FrankM83

Focus on the two that just about move. This is what mine was like when I got them. Over the years gunk fills up in the electromagnet and between all the links. There is also a big chance of a possible bad connection. If you run a very small round file or some sandpaper rolled up inside the round connection and clean off and area where you connect the other wire then this will first simply illiminate the first problem.

Then If you clean them in the way suggested, I realy havent tried many other ways but using something like a bath ot petrol or engine de-greasnt first may help with the removal of the realy gunky stuff. one cleaned and totaly dried then you can go round using some very thin oil e.g. WD40 or bike chain oil something like that. Work this into all the moving parts by spraying/pouring it on and then moving the arm up and down manualy.

beware to open the arm you need to push down on the link connected to the armature from the top! There is a type of 'locking' mechanism to stop the traficators flying out round corners!

I am now going to take some pics and put them up on my flickr account! When they are up I will add the link and put a description under each photo for you.

Hope this helps

Andy

Post by **AndrewSkinner** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 1:58 pm

OK, here we are. look through the latest pics, sorry about the quality but I am at uni and so only have my camera phone

hope it helps.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/22759412@N07/?saved=1

here is also a video on them. This is a trafficator in 'good' condition e.g. moves quickly up illuminates without any flickering and then falls smoothly and closes totaly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkA_9TnIIeo

Post by **FrankM83** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 2:25 pm

OK thanks andrew for the pics, need to clean the old ones! what's worrying me is the refurbished pair as the arm of one tries to get up but needs a little push to come up, the other one shows no movement at all!

Post by **AndrewSkinner** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:19 pm

If they are factory reconditioned ones then I would send them straight back.

For one not to work it either has to be really gunged up, bad connections on the power or a damaged coil.

The first step like you said would be to clean them and clean the contacts. Then you can tell which ones are broken and which ones are working.

Unfortunatley, this is the 'way they go'. The coils become less effective and they slow down. Sometimes its just the case that they are duff.

I'm not sure if you can get new coils or not, or you could do the painstaking task of recoiling them yourself.

Post by **FrankM83** » Tue Feb 12, 2008 6:39 pm

Thanks andrew u've been a great help I'll ask my electrician regarding new coils