The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 6 Volt flasher

I replaced the complete wiring harness last winter.

I am having issues with my signal flasher since then. If I get one to work when freshly installed, they fail shortly after.

My problem when it happens, is the turn signal light on dash, only has one, will stay on all the time, does not blink, just stays on. When I turn the directionals on it will blink on the outside, front and rear, but does not blink on dash the light just stays on.

I believe the truck has the factory turn signal system.

The harness in that area is not complex. I don't think I could have made a mistake it that area.

In an attempt to make the blink louder, I have not, since rewire, installed flasher into the "C" clip that holds it under the dash. Just let it hang. Does the flasher ground thru that clip? I am burning them out by not mounting it in the clip?

Thinking it might just be a cheap flasher from wherever, I have used some from a few of the different typical old truck venders as well as a NOS one. Same problem.

I look forward to suggestions

Thanks

The flasher itself does not need a ground source. It only helps complete the circuit connection on the hot side. When you use the turn switch, the switch itself completes the left or right light circuit, flowing voltage thru the flasher. The ground side of the exterior bulb is what fully completes the circuit on each side. Hence when a bulb is burned out, it rapid flashes being it sees half the load. On 55s, do they have a turn signal indicator on the dash? And is it a three leg flasher? Only reason I ask is that the 51 I'm working on doesn't have factory blinkers, and the aftermarket NAPA switch strapping to the stock column used a three leg flasher. One side goes to batt+, one leg goes to turn switch which will then go to exterior bulbs and third leg connects to an internal indicator bulb in the turn switch housing. Between the 2 out flasher legs, one is for the exterior bulbs, and the other is an isolated output to the indicator, but it does not help complete the circuit to the exterior bulbs.
I'm installing a complete new modern wiring harness that uses two separate 2 leg flashers. One for turn, one for hazard. The NAPA switch has a built in action to use the only one flasher to do both turn and hazard, so I've wired in the switch indicator bulb to get a signal thru a dual diode isolator from left and right signals from the exterior bulbs. The diodes keep the left signal from connecting to the right and making all the bulbs flash when just left turn on. It's kinda complicated, but a simple circuit used on single dash indicator lights such as motorcycles.
Now I think you can't mix up the two outs from a 3 leg flasher without consequences. If you do, the dash indicator light will try to complete the circuit without the turn switch used, but it won't go to the exterior bulbs.
Hopefully this is clear enough to not confuse you.

Oh, and in any scenario, voltage doesn't matter as long as you are using equlivant bulbs and flashers. 6v bulbs to 6v flasher.

Chip is correct about needing a 3 terminal flasher if you have a pilot light in the dash. I have an aftermarket turn signal switch that came on my truck when I got it and when doing some testing on the bench, I discovered that the flasher didn't work at all. Being the engineer that I am, I pulled the cover off the flasher to see what was wrong, and saw that the internal workings use extremely small gauge wire. So it's entirely possible that the wire to the pilot bulb has broken inside the flasher. A replacement 6V flasher should fix you up for not a lot of money. I got mine from NAPA.

Back when my '48 was at 6-volts, I needed another flasher. Neither of the 2 I bought at a parts store worked right. So I went to our serve-yourself junk yard and took a flasher off one of their ADs. It worked fine for years until I went to 12-volts. I think the guy gave it to me free.

Great suggestions

I am on my 3rd or 4th flasher since the rewire.

I beleive my 55.1 has factory turn signals. The switch itself is apart of the column and the indicator light is in the speedo gauge cluster.

I am going to try another "new flasher" and keep fingers crossed.

At least when the dash light comes on I still have turn signals outside and they flash.

When you put in the new harness, did you stay with 6V?

What bulbs are you using? My first thought would be that you are burning them out from too much current. Flashers are rated for different loads and you might need a heavy duty one.

Stayed with 6 volt system.

Have a heavy duty one coming now. if that doesn't work, I am going to start digging around under the dash.

My turn signals flashed like a strobe light. I changed out the original 6v 3 prong flasher with a 6v 3 prong 535 heavy duty flasher problem solved. Had the same problem on my 29 F*** Model A. Installed a 535 HD in it too. Solved that problem also.

Rick G.

Thanks for your reply.

Are all 535s HD? Thats what I have been using are 535s, don't know if there are the HD type or not.

One that was marked 535 did not work properly in the A. Changed to 535 HD and worked properly.

Rick G.