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electrical issue -rt turn signal fast, all other blinking normal
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b15605
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:00 pm    Post subject: electrical issue -rt turn signal fast, all other blinking normal Reply with quote

Got a weird one I am not sure of. My right turn signals blink really quickly. Left turn signals are normal and the emergency flashers are normal. This would indicate the usual suspects of flasher relay and emergency light switch are good I would think? Any other ideas?
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halfassleatherworks
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 12:39 pm    Post subject: Re: electrical issue -rt turn signal fast, all other blinking normal Reply with quote

bad bulb, shorting internally to park light
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ashman40
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 1:11 pm    Post subject: Re: electrical issue -rt turn signal fast, all other blinking normal Reply with quote

Stock 3-prong flasher relay will "quick flash" as an indicator that one of the corner bulbs have burnt out. Wattage for two bulbs is 42W+ (normal flash). When one bulb blows wattage drops to 21W and flasher relay will quick flash. This is all based on the load the bulbs have on the flasher relay. Four corner lamps (E-Flashers ON) is 84W. Even with one of the corner lamps burnt out (21W x3 = 63W) you are well above the 42W needed to get normal flashing.

If the wrong bulb (5W parking lamp) is installed or installed backwards so the turn signal circuit powers the parking light filament, the load drops and the flasher relay thinks a bulb has burnt out, so it quick flashes.

This is the same reason stock VW flasher relays don't like LED bulbs (2.5W /bulb). The 5W load is too low for the relay.

Easy way to check this is look at how bright the front and rear turn signal bulbs are. Both should be 21W or 25W bulbs and be noticeably brighter than the 5W parking light filaments.


Interesting side note... I just recently discovered that the stock VW 4-prong flasher relays will stop flashing the speedometer indicator lamp to tell the driver a bulb has burnt out (load is too low).
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road Sad }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}
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b15605
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 4:55 pm    Post subject: Re: electrical issue -rt turn signal fast, all other blinking normal Reply with quote

None of the bulbs were out, but I was thinking along the same lines as not enough load as well. My front right light fixture seems a little different than what I think a stock one would be (my left looks stock) so I swapped them from side to side. When I did this, the fast blinking followed the 'aftermarket' fixture, so this has narrowed down the issue. Here a few pics of the fixture:

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


I assume my best best is to get on the classifieds and purchase an OEM one and go on with life? This aftermarket one doesn't even have a bulb socket for the marker light on the side like my other one does.
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halfassleatherworks
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 5:29 pm    Post subject: Re: electrical issue -rt turn signal fast, all other blinking normal Reply with quote

were is your ground wire
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jhicken
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:22 pm    Post subject: Re: electrical issue -rt turn signal fast, all other blinking normal Reply with quote

halfassleatherworks wrote:
were is your ground wire


It's normally ground through the mounting bolts...
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ashman40
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PostPosted: Wed Sep 23, 2020 8:45 pm    Post subject: Re: electrical issue -rt turn signal fast, all other blinking normal Reply with quote

That looks like a non-stock bulb socket shoved into the base. The bulb installed looks like a dual filament bulb (1157?). Have you removed the bulb and confirmed there are two contacts at the bottom to work with the dual filament bulb? I wonder if the two wires coming out the bottom are power and ground and the socket is a single filament socket with a dual filament bulb forced into it?

Even if it is a dual-filament socket with a dual filament bulb, check that the socket is not wired backwards. First make sure the bulb is installed correctly. The little studs on the side of the bulb are offset. This means the bulb should only be inserted one way. Look at the offset studs and the slots they slide into. Make sure they match. Next, test which wire powers the bright filament and which powers the dimmer one. Connect the turn signal wire to the brighter filament wire.

For best performance, add a ground wire to that assembly. Just tap a screw hole and connect a new wire to the base. Run this wire into the trunk along with the turnsignal and parking light wires. Depending on your model year (did you confirm which model year your Beetle is??)... there may be a grounding point just on the inside of the trunk where the wires come thru the fender well. Ground the wire there along with the headlight wire (if there is one). This ground point is protected from the elements and will provide a better electrical ground for your lights.
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AshMan40
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'67 Beetle #1 {project car that never made it to the road Sad }
'75 Beetle 1200LS (RHD Japan model) {junked due to frame rot}
'67 Beetle #2 {2019 project car - Wish me luck!}
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