Signal flasher upgrade easy to do & what a difference

[02hobiedave]

I read the FAQ article in the electrical section and than I got the parts and went to work. I did get tired of not hearing the turn signal or seeing the light on the dash and the fast signal rate. I tried to repair the old one with no luck, so the electronic one was the best way to go.

- NAPA EL-13 Electronic flasher $10.00

- Three male spades $00.30

- Relay harness plug on e-bay $02.00 http://cgi.ebay.com/Relay-Socket-Harness-12-Volt-30-40-Amp-5-PACK_W0QQitemZ350230717177QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item518b60a2f9&_trksid=p4634.c0.m14.l1262

Pulled out the old flasher and check the wire colors against the FAQ article http://www.bmw2002faq.com/content/view/41/32/

I bought a pack of 5 relays with wire harnesses and it just so happens the pattern matched up great for the NEW flasher or a plastic headlight plug.

So I took out the two wires i did not need and cut down the length.

Then I put on the spades to plug into the original flasher.

Making sure that the corresponding plug lined up with the correct location on the flasher X,P & L

Get a 3 prong flasher unit with terminals marked "X," "P" and "L." There are different spec units available. Little fuse makes a unit designated "EFL 300" that is appropriate- if you cross reference to that, you will get the right part. The X terminal is the +12V input, the P terminal output drives the flasher indicator in the instrument panel, and the L terminal drives the load (bulbs).

In the '02, the typical flasher wiring is comprised of a 4-wire circuit, including the following: brown (ground, of course), black/white (instrument panel flash indicator), green/violet (+12V) and green/yellow (load- bulbs). The brown ground wire is not used with the electronic flasher. The configuration of the male spade connectors on the flasher unit is very similar to a headlight connector.

I attached the wires according to the FAQ write up and wow, I now have a dash light that blinks and normal speed flasher and the whole world just seems a little brighter

Simple cheap and took about 15 min I just wire tied it to where the old one went and Bam Done!

[mpap89]

is there any way to hook this up so that you can control a hazard flasher? i have the old style 7 wire hazard switch and the hazard part of it doesn't work anymore. Thanks

MIchael

[Stacey]

I noticed you only had three wires. Does your dash indicator light still work?

Very interesting. The BMW airhead motorcycles of same vintage use the same flasher assembly, which run about $85, so I'm sure there will be lots of interested folks.

[mtriple]

is there any way to hook this up so that you can control a hazard flasher? i have the old style 7 wire hazard switch and the hazard part of it doesn't work anymore. Thanks

MIchael

Nice DIY and yes I am interested to know the answer to Michael's Q

hamada

[02hobiedave]

I noticed you only had three wires. Does your dash indicator light still work?

Very interesting. The BMW airhead motorcycles of same vintage use the same flasher assembly, which run about $85, so I'm sure there will be lots of interested folks.

The only wire I did not connect was the ground wire (brown) The flasher works great on the dash (bright) and on the car also. The brown is just not needed on the conversion.

As far as the emergency flasher switch you are talking about a switch. Both systems us the same relay for the flash to happen. Hazard flasher makes all the signals flash while the turn signal is routed to right or left. I have the six wire flasherrh on mine and just popped it apart and bent the arm inside. It started working again. I have three that have been repaired and ready to go in just in case. If you are having trouble with your turn signal lights then this might help.

I went through a long process before starting this. I improved all my grounds and extra ground wires to the instrument cluster. I added some new Euro turn signals with extra running lights with individual grounds. I ran them from the housing to the body not just the screw holding in the turn signal. Cleaned all my bulb sockets front and rear and bought nickel bulbs for less chance of corrosion. After all the work and doing the DIY on the original flasher rehab still no indicator on the cluster. So that’s why I did this. The new flasher is electronic so it can make up for some of the excess impedence in our system according to the FAQ in the electrical section look under Retrofitting an Electronic Flasher Relay

[austinc]

hi- on my 76 I just tried this upgrade and must have something wrong. As a starting point- my signals work with the original relay but the dash light wasn't blinking, so thought I'd try the 3-prong Napa el13 upgrade.

Followed the instructions for the "X,P,L" wires, with key on the dash bulb now blinks brightly with the indicator switch in either Left or Right signal mode, but no signals. Using my test light, it looks like there is no corresponding power flow coming out of the "L" terminal which goes to the hazard switch. Could it be something to do with the ground wire?

Thanks for any help anyone can give me...I searched the forum but couldn't find much troubleshooting using the upgraded Napa flasher.

thanks!

[02hobiedave]

I would try and put the original back on and see if you have power at the signals. If so I think you might recheck your connections on the adaptor. If the old system was working before the switch then they shoud after. Its usually something we did to the car not to make it work. I had the problem of one of my pins pushing back into the plug and not making a good connection. not on the flasher but the adaptor I made. good luck sounds like you are half way there.

Dave

[TobyB]

awww, jeeze, you fancy kids, next you'll be telling me that you fixed

your heater fan and then that you replaced the door weatherstripping...

takes all the charm out of these old cars- makes 'em too modern!

hee

hee

t

[josh72ooh2]

I just bought a similar turn signal relay from Pep Boys.

It is an EL 13... I hooked it up in about 5 minutes and it works! I can't believe after all this time, with 2 BMW motorcycles and owning a 2002 years ago (and now again with another '72), that i never figured this out!

Thanks for posting this. this should be a permanent link in the FAQ section.

My only complaint.. (or maybe it is just my skewed sense from having a broken, fast turn signal in the 02)... is that the flashers seem to go too slow now.

But hey, all the appropriate lights finally WORK inside and out of the car. Whoo Hoo!

-Josh

[josh72ooh2]

OK... i spoke too soon...

Turns out, with the new EL 13 relay connected, that interior indicator light (on the dash) will not stop blinking when the car is on.

This is with the turn signal stalk reset and the hazard off.

The blinkers also turn on when i move the stalk in the appropriate position.

They also blink when i turn the hazzards on... but nothing stops the interior indicator from blinking....grrr...

any ideas?

Everything is back to normal when i use the old relay.

[jgerry2002]

I did this like 15 years ago thinking I "saved" myself some money.

Yeah, BMW got me on this one. The brown wire is a ground wire. The last thing a 2002 needs is FEWER grounds.

Dancing gauges and generally weird operation when I had the napa relay in there.

I dumped the generic crap and went back to a new stock one.

No problems since.

[02hobiedave]

Sorry if I lead you astray mine works great and with no problems. Also I did all my turn signals with extra grounds. it sure dosent sound right to me. I have since run a ground to the terminal that was empty that went to the flasher and just mounted it to the body.

I know you have heard it before but check all you bulbs and ground your signal housings real good. Check your hazard flasher switch that is the location that the signal comes through for the signals and the hazards. The old flasher relay might not have enough sensitivity to activate the dash switch but the new electronic one does. and it very sensitive to the impedence to keep the correct amount for the signals. even as the wires start to corrode it ramps up to maintain the flow. Check your connections to the signaal indicator and your emergency flasher unit. I would say disconnect the wires one at a time and see when it stops and then trace back the wires it might get you closer to finding the problem. maybe a meter to see if you have some kind of feed going on that is activating the relay.

Hope this helps

Dave

[josh72ooh2]

I returned the EL 13 turn signal relay that cost me about $10 at pep boys. I then figured, what the heck, and bought the Tridon brand $3, 3 prong relay. I threw it in an go figure, it works like a charm... so far...

-josh

[Lucian]

Hi, maybe you have idea for me .. my sig flasher was ok and then went out I checked the connections and came back to life for 3 months then just went out I connected the NAPA flasher up left brown wire to old and sig flasher did nto come alive ... my haz flasher is new nos I put in and works with new sig flasher so I think she is connected ok ..... any suggestions.... dbl cked the fuses all ok and former owner install a nos turn sig arm unit ..... Lucian

[02hobiedave]

I would try another brand of flasher it has worked for others. The post above said "tirdon" brand 3 prong worked after the other one did not. U can disconnect the grounds from the old flasher and just ground them to the frame. I just made a pigtail and then the other end was an eyelet to screw into the metal.

Good luck

Dave