Y Sheet 4

FITTING FLASHING INDICATORS

By Neil Cairns Fitting Flashing Indicators to a Y Type.

By Neil Cairns

Fitting Flashing Semaphore-Trafficators.

1. Until the recent availability of LED technology, it was impossible to get your trafficators to flash, simply because the power needs to be turned on and off to flash, and this meant the arm would try to drop and rise as well. The law says flashing indicators must flash between 60 to 120 times a minute. Today, trafficators are not where the modern motorist expects to see your turn-signal, up on the 's 'B' post; and from the opposite side of the car, the car itself masks the signal. They can be excellent relaying signals, like those seen today in some car's door mirrors.

2. To make your trafficators flash means simply swapping its old festoon bulb for a modern, self-contained' LED bulb which has a built-in flashing sequence. The diagram shows you how to remove and fit the bulb/LED. These flashing LED 'festoons' can be had from 01522 730193. The firm Classic Dynamo & Regulator Conversions sepecialise in the older car/motorcycle. What could be simpler? If your trafficators are a bit slow, check the connection to the main wiring loom under the driver's seat, underneath the car. On the inside of the rail you will find the loom running back to the rear of the car. Level with the 'B' post are three wires joined to it by bullet connectors. These get very corroded and often stop transmitting power. Clean them and dose in WD40.

Fitting Flashing Indicators.

3. Only the 'export' Y Types had flashing indicators, and these were of the type that interrupted the front sidelight and rear brake light. Your average UK market 'Y' had semaphoretrafficators. These are operated by a clockwork rotary switch in the centre of the , along with the horn. To get the signal from the rotating steering wheel shaft there is a set of brass brushes in a Bakelite switch, called a 'slip-ring’ around the column under the bonnet. This has four wire emanating from it, one for the horn relay's earth (the full power the horn requires is too much for the tiny brass contacts inside the steering wheel, so a relay is used), one for each trafficator, and a feed for the trafficators. Whilst the wiring can withstand the power drawn for the trafficators, it IS NOT SUITABLE for the 42w that modern flashing indicators need (a 21w bulb each side). So if you want to fit tungsten filament 21w bulbs you need to obtain a dash-mounted selector switch with bigger brass contacts. You can then wire in a totally separate flashing indicator system using just one flasher unit, or you can use two flasher units, one for each side wiring in that sides trafficator BEFORE the flasher unit (see diagrams). You will then have to wire in the trafficators (if you still need them) from each sides power delivery to the flasher unit for that side, but before the flasher itself or the arm will try to rise and fall 60 to 120 times a minute! The 42w flasher units are becoming hard to source as virtually all modern use LEDs.

4. THE EASIER OPTION....However, you can also now get LED flashing indicators that take a tiny amount of power which can be worked from the original steering wheel centre selector switch. But you will need TWO flasher units, one for each side's flashers (see diagram). This way you can still operate the trafficators fitted with the flashing LEDs above. These LED flasher units are of a much lower power and totally unsuitable for the older 21w tungsten filament bulbs (often found in motorcycle-type, small flashing indicators). Classic Dynamo and Regulator Conversions sell the LED flasher units and LED lights as a kit. Again you will need to wire in the trafficator BEFORE the flasher unit so it gets a continuous supply (see diagram). If you do not want the trafficators to work, then just one flasher unit is required to operate both sides fitted BEFORE the selector switch.

5. The LED lights can be had to fit into the 'D' type rear lights of the Y Type (along with an LED rear and brake light, all needing much less power than the original bulbs did). That for the front can be fitted inside the wing-mounted side-light, or you can drill holes in the wing's front face and screw one on, or put it on a bracket mounted on the front . There are regulations about height and distances from the edge of the car.

Flashers should be between 17” and 90” from the ground and not more than 16” from the edge of the car. You will note that the Regulations quoted above say that sidelights may have the flasher incorporated, but must be separate - those early 'interrupters' that used the brake lights and side lights (mainly for the USA market) - were BEFORE this regulation came out so are not illegal. You - alas - must abide by them as you are fitting them AFTER the 1956 Regulation came into force.

6. Wire can be bought from Halfords, their labels say for what use the various sizes of cable are suitable for (the LED system needs only light cable), choose your own colour system. It is very wise to run an earth-return wire to a point on the chassis, or even all the way to the engine bay. Old cars are notorious for poor earthing points. You can get the dash-mounted switch from most classic car electrical suppliers, it was a standard Lucas component. Solder all joints, dry joints soon corrode and cause problems with high resistances. Run your wires along with the car's loom to make things tidy. If (like many) your steering wheel switch does not work and you fit an LED system, then just use the dash switch. Steering-column mounted, finger-tip arms as seen on Morris Minors, Austin Cambridges and early Minis are now hard to find (the ones with the green light on the end) but they do turn up at autojumbles. Note that LEDs are POLARITY SENSITIVE so only work with the power feed at the right end, most are mounted in plastic anyway so this will not cause problems with earthing.

7. If you use this system, or one that does not use the steering wheel slip-ring, you need to run a wire from the 'A1' terminal on the control box under the bonnet to power the flashers. The selector switch must have a visible indication light in view of the driver (most have a bulb in the middle) but if you use the clockwork steering switch you need to add a light on the dash OR be able to see the sidelight-mounted flasher each side (I can see mine from the driver's seat easily). The 'A1' terminal is fused to safeguard the system. If you use your front sidelights you might need to DIY the central metal mounting to take the flasher one side of it and the sidelight the other side. Run this mount right up to the glass/plastic lens so as not to drown the sidelight in amber light reflected from the flasher's bulb/LEDs.

NC.