Indicator warning lamp

[brixtonmorris]

Why is my indicator warning lamp on the end of the stork always on?
The stark is in the off position, but the lamp is always on.
It does not flash.

[svenedin]

If your car uses a single flasher relay on the bulkhead (Lucas FL5) then there are a number of different possibilities. The flasher relay may be faulty, the wiring could be connected incorrectly or perhaps it is an incorrect replacement relay. The modern Lucas FL5 "equivalent" flasher relays are often not equivalent because they are electronic inside and not thermally operated.

Wiring of an original FL5:

B (battery): power in (later units X) GREEN wire
P (pilot): to pilot (tell-tale) bulb (later units P) LIGHT GREEN wire
L (lamps): flashed output to indicator bulbs (later units L) GREEN/BROWN wire

Things get more complicated if your car has been adapted for flashing indicators and had semaphore indicators or runs both.....

Inside an original thermal FL5 there are 2x bimetallic strip circuits that open and close to flash the indicator bulbs on 1 circuit and the tell-tale bulb at the end of the indicator stalk on the other circuit. So the indicators can function normally but the tell-tale circuit can be faulty. If the tell-tale light is always on then it suggest the circuit inside the flasher relay has failed with the bimetallic switch closed.

This manual explains the internal circuitry of a Lucas FL5: https://forum.lrsoc.com/forum_files/Luc ... al%20K.pdf

What year is your car? Is it an original relay, a modern copy or something else entirely? Some of the modern non-FL5 type electronic relays have a 4th connection fly-lead that must be connected to earth.

Stephen

[geoberni]

Stephen has given you quite a bit of valuable info there.

What year is your car?
Original indicators or modified from trafficators?
Has it only recently gone wrong or has it failed after being worked on?

[mike1864]

If you unplug the lead off the flasher's P connector, doe the stalk bulb go out?
If it does, then the flasher must be faulty.
If not, it points to a wiring/switch fault between that connector and the bulb.

[brixtonmorris]

Thanks for all of your help.
It is probably the flasher unit.
It still flashes when operated.
It's been fitted for many years.

The reason I ask this question is that my engine will back fire and I can't drive it when I accelerate.
It is perfect on tick over.

I have changed the usual suspects.

dash pot oil is full.

The minor was working fine.

Now this has popped up.

When it back fires the lights slightly dim.

So I think I have some nutcase electrical problem.

[simmitc]

Backfiring is unlikely to be connected to the indicator issue, so can you open a separate topic to discuss the backfire. Thanks.