My indicators are far too quiet, this has resulted in me indicators being on when I am not turning a couple of times now. I am worried this could cause an accident.
It tends to happen at busy junctions where is there is a lot of traffic noise.
Is it as simple as just choosing a new relay with the same properties and fitting it?
Over the 1000 (almost) I have had it this has been the biggest personal issue for me, as my hearing is not that great anyway. I have the hearing of a typical 60 year old, not a 28 year old.
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I fitted a small sounder on a car after SWMBO had written off the previous one due to leaving a left indicator flashing as she approached a junction.
It was quite easy as it had only one indicator warning light so there was no problems with polarity. If you've got two warning lights, you could fit two sounders or rig up something with diodes. I bought a sounder for less than a quid.
I'd be wary about doing this now on a modern CANBUS equipped car.
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This is the problem. I don't even know if it is a relay or just the ECU which creates the switching signal.
I had two warning lights (for each direction) but it will be too much of a big job and will void the warranty if I start hacking the back of the dash. It will all be CAMBUS controlled anyway so I doubt its even possible.
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The previous owner fitted the Beast with a horrible beeper for the indicator relay because he couldn't hear it clicking and it gets on my nerves.
Maybe, R, your hearing isn't quite what it was due to a - very common - build up of wax and you should consider a brief visit to the doctor to get your ears syringed? It always used to work for me. At one time I wouldn't have my ears syringed until I had a car where the tappets didn't rattle...
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I have high frequency hearing loss, for 90% of things it causes no issues. Wearing my hearing aids could solve this issue but I haven't used them for about ten years so I doubt they even still work.
I recently had all the wax emptied :).
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>> I have high frequency hearing loss,
And there was you telling me you could hear the diference in speaker wire.
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Indeed I can, 70w per channel into an 8ohm load in a tiny room is a hell of a lot of power :p I can hear any frequencies providing the volume is high enough! It just means I have to listen to my music slightly louder to get the same enjoyment.
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suggest you buy some quality cans instead then
my favourites are still koss pro4aa
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Yeah am a big fan of headphones (I know its counter productive!). I use Grado SR60is at the moment, I've bought cars for not much more than they cost!
I use Senny PX100s when I am out and about :).
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>>>suggest you buy some quality cans instead then my favourites are still koss pro4aa.
I've fancied trying these but they always go to good money on ebay.... often £35+ with shipping. I've a fair old headphone collection (mostly Sennheiser and AKG) but only usually pounce on the £10 bargains when no-one else has noticed them.
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Get a cheap electronic buzzer and a couple of diodes. I hope I do not have to explain further.
Installed in my convertable as it has lazy cancelling on lhs.
BT - similar mind set?
I would not worry about Canbus, we are only talking mA. But make sure you wire from lamp connections, not the indicator switch.
Last edited by: pmh on Fri 17 Sep 10 at 20:33
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That would be very easy to do on an older car when hacking the wire dosn't matter but this is a brand new car, so I hoped I could simply change a relay on the sligh and put the originals back in case of a warranty claim on the electrics.
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even canbus needs a relay to click the hindies
i have noisy maplin exciters on all my commercials so i know they are on
suggest you check the wiring diagram on your fiat and fit some before you have an accident or cause one
ps if it catches fire be sure to remove them before the assessor arrives as claims are up 30% this year and fires are now toothcombed for self igniting issues
seems the liquid gold bottle is alive and kicking in a dashboard near you
goodus lookiusk..............l
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I am wondering if its now easier to sort out the cause of the issue, my hearing. Mike's comment about wax reminded of me the issue. The problem if I wear hearing aids does that mean its a DVLA/insurance issue?
I didn't even tell the examiner about my hearing loss when I took my test as it wasn't at all important, I didn't even tell my college or university about it. I can hear perfectly without them but my hearing problem does mean I can't hear always hear quiet relays in busy places.
I never had this issue at all in the Fiestas or my Corsa so its just two that don't mix :(>
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I think treating the problem not the symptom would be better. Learn to concentrate on what you're doing. You can't have a buzzer for everything.
I followed a young guy in a Ka this morning for about 5 miles down the A41. Left indicator on (at least it wasn't the right one) and rear wiper scratching the dry back window. I'm sure your case isn't so bad ;-)
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Indeed its only ever a few seconds as I always glance at the speedo etc and see the warning light. But today the 3 seconds I was signalling left over 6 lanes of traffic so it could have caused an accident although in this case the worst I could have done is annoyed the person behind.
I was too busy concentrating on getting passed the bus and making sure there was no pedistrians about to step out in front of it so I forgot to cancel. Maybe in time it becomes easier. The fact is if I heared it I would have canceled straight away.
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Just cancel it when you've finished with it???? I learnt to drive in a car wih non-self cancelling indicators (a favourite of Citroen in the late 70s) which makes you much more aware of turning it off. Still find SC indicators a pain as they cancel when you don't want them too, and don't when you do. And as for those abominations fitted to modern Vauxhaulls.....
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I always do but in this istance as I had a lot of other things to concentrate on (the 6 lanes of traffic coming across me etc) I had just forgot I had even signalled. I suppose canceling a signal is something I rarely have to do.
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Treat the indicators control as a manual one as opposed to an automatic one. If you can't discipline yourself to do this I would suggest that you should maybe reconsider whether you should be driving at all.
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cant go with that one
as i said my indoocater cancellers dont work in my commercials so i put bleepers in them
its safer than causing an accident
saying you shouldnt be driving is plain silly
i often take cars for the test where the canceller (a bit of plastic) has failed and have failed to realise my indicator is still flashing
i am sorry maybe i should go out and shoot myself?
if you havent heard from me in the next 7 days maybe i have
remember blame scousehonda
you heard it first here
ok i might have overeacted but still a silly thing to say
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Jeez, don't you have any imagination? You've told us you can use a soldering iron!
An easy solution which wouldn't invalidate the warranty would be to stick a couple of 10p ldrs above the warning lights, a 10p 741 driving a couple of 50p 3055s powering longthrow solenoids attached to sex aids in the headrest and seat cushion.
Kevin...
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Sorry guys, but whilst scousehonda's sentiments might be harsh I'm tempted to agree with the principle of what he's saying.
Rattle, have you ever noticed the flashing lights on your dashboard which accompany the distant clicking of your indicator relay? They're put there to remind you that your indicators are on.... bikers call them "idiot lights" BTW. ;-)
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>> Sorry guys, but whilst scousehonda's sentiments might be harsh I'm tempted to agree with the
>> principle of what he's saying.
>>
>> Rattle, have you ever noticed the flashing lights on your dashboard which accompany the distant
>> clicking of your indicator relay? They're put there to remind you that your indicators are
>> on.... bikers call them "idiot lights" BTW. ;-)
>>
Don't forget that Rattle is paranoid about getting points on his licence, he will be looking for speed traps, cameras, and police cars, while leaving a trail of disaster behind him, dashboard lights, no chance. :)
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...have you ever noticed the flashing lights on your dashboard which accompany the distant clicking of your indicator relay?...
It's easy to leave the indicators flashing on the CC3 when the roof's down and the sun's out
You can't hear the beeper because of the noise, and you can't see the (small and dim anyway) dash light because of the sun.
And you can't see the stalk because it's behind one of the steering wheel spokes.
In those circumstances I don't think leaving the indicators on now and again makes me a bad driver.
Incidentally, I tend to spot it sooner when it's the right indicator because the repeater on the door mirror catches my eye.
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I don't like the quiet indicators of new cars, and the repeater light is a silly little thing barely visible when the sun shines and often placed where the steering wheel obstructs the view.
As mentioned above about Vauxhalls hash up, i could not buy a car with indicators like that.
A good old fashioned clicker and a bold light would be far better, not as it will ever happen seeing as you can barely see the indicators on the outside of many new designs, still they look pretty till that huge truck obliterates them.
Scammells had a good indicator flasher unit loud too, it would probably cause cars to rock as the contacts moved.
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One of my early cars, I think it was my old Land Rover had an indicator switch which didn't self cancel. I think it was supposed to but it just didn't. Anyone who has ever run an old Landy will know that was a minor problem in the scheme of things and wasn't a priority fix. I just got used to leaving one of my fingers sticking out like Hyacinth Bucket at tea time so it caught the stalk on the way back to getting the wheel to the straight ahead position. Worked fine and to this day I still do it for no particular reason I can think of.
The silly things that annoy include the position of the blue main beam indicator light on a Xantia I had years ago. From where I sat I simply couldn't see it as it was obscured by the steering wheel. However, other oncoming drivers were usually helpful and public spirited enough to let me know if I had forgotten to dip....
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Three Colts ago, my dealer suggested fitting a towing indicator set-up as the sound was louder than the ordinary one. I didn't try it though.
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I fitted a towbar and electrics to my Focus a few years ago but because the number plate and lights could be seen over the trailers I had never used a lighting board.
Well last weekend I was carrying something larger and fitted a lighting board. I couldn't believe how loud and piercing the sound was. I was even avoiding indicating so I didn't have to put up with it.
So if you want to swap Rattle you will be doing me a favour. :-)
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On our 'lingo the indicator operates near silently; the driver alert is an artificial click from the same sounder that pings or bongs for low fuel, door open or master STOP etc.
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Why not try using hand signals instead?
Not easy to leave them 'on' - particularly when it's raining..... :-)
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>> Why not try using hand signals instead?
>>
The 'i am turning left' signal might mean anything these days, could find some extremely friendly fellows following.
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I believe the left-turn signal is correctly made with a rigid - as opposed to a limp - wrist.
Should avoid any confusion :-)
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FIAT Panda - Changing an indicator relay - worth bothering? - bathtub tom
