The turn signals on my '01 Ranger have started blinking really fast. I did some towing this weekend and everything was fine. When I got in the truck Monday morning to go to work, I noticed the signals were blinking fast. At first I thought I had a burned out bulb, but both sides did it. I checked all the lights. They all work, just blink real fast. I checked the hazzard flashers and they flash normally.

My guess is that the flasher fried because of the extra load. Only problem is that I can't seem to find the flasher. I followed the clicking sound only to find what looks like a relay. This also clicks when I put the hazzards on.

Am I wrong to be looking for a standard 222 round silver flasher?

BTW , The trailer wiring is factory installed.

 

My guess is the 'relay' you found is the flasher.

Go to the auto parts store and let them pull it for you to
be sure.

kpg

 

you'll need a new relay/fuse..some are round and silver or round and blue..or in some cases black. When you purchase a new on at the auto parts store..it should specify on it "for towing" or possibly say that somewhere.

 

Take a look at the fuse page in your owners manual. Does it show that you have a single electronic flasher that operates both the turn signals & emergency flashers (like my 95 Taurus)or does it show a turn signal flasher AND a seperate emergency lights flasher?
I dont have a wiring diagram for yours, but if you only have one flasher, you probably have a bad multifunction switch. Take a look at the wiring diagram & you will understand why I say this.

 

The fuse page in the manual only shows fuses. It the manual showed the flasher, I'd be able to figure it out. The problem is I can't find the flasher. I looked at the fuse panel (found on the driver's side end of the dashboard) and there is no flasher on the fuse panel.

The only thing I could find was what looks like a relay in a square black case. It's mounted with other similar looking "relays" (some smaller) on the steering column just behind the dashboard. This "relay" makes a clicking sound when either the turn siganls or the hazzard lights are turned on. I pulled it out of its socket and there are maybe five or six contacts on it.

Is this the flasher?

 

Yeah that is the flasher. The turn signal lever is attached to the multifunction switch. Look in your Haynes manual, it will tell you how to remove the shroud from around the steering column. Remove the electrical connecter from the switch & reinstall it to clean the contacts. If you are lucky that will fix this, if not the switch is bad.

 

i dont know my trucks' blinkers started blinking real fast and one of my friends said my back right blinker was blown so i pick up a new bulb and that fixed it

 

The difference here is that the emergency flashers (same bulbs as turn signals) are working normally.
If Louie had a wiring diagram he would see in a couple of seconds that the only difference between his E-flashers & his turn signals are the electrical paths thru the multifunction switch.
If I had an 01 Ranger I would also have the electrical trouble shooting manual for it & I would very simply test the multifunction switch with an ohm meter.

 

Well, like 87XLT suggested, I took the shroud off the steering column and checked out the multi function switch. After about 30 minutes of pulling it all apart, I found nothing wrong with the switch. I ohmed it out. I cleaned it. Everything was fine. It still blinked fast.

After another 15 minutes putting it all back together, I turned my attention to the relay/flasher that I first suspected. I pulled it out and popped it open. There's a relay and a circuit board with a timer circuit on it. I cleaned the contacts on the relay and the socket, looked over the circuit board, put it back together, and re-installed it. It works fine now.

 

Congrats on a job very well done. After reading your last post I took a look at the wiring diagram for a 97 Explorer (closest I have to yours)& I see that there are 2 seperate circuits thru the flasher, one for turn & one for E-flashers. I thought the switching between the 2 circuits took place only in the multifunction switch like on my 95 Taurus. You learn something new every day.
Nice to know that the flasher can be taken apart & cleaned up.
Glad to hear it's fixed & my apoligies for the bad info I gave you.

 

No apologies necessary.

I understand your reasoning for thinking it was the multi function switch. The thing that puzzled me was why it started doing this right after I towed with the truck. I figured the two had to be related. That's why I was leaning toward the flasher.

Being that there were 5 or 6 pins on the relay/flasher, it didn't make any sense to me that it was a "dumb" flasher. It apparently knows which function you are asking it to do and there is a separate circuit (to some extent) for each.

I'm thinking the added load of the trailer lighting scorched the contacts on the relay part a little bit. It can be taken apart, although it's not meant to be taken apart.

I'll probably pick up a spare anyway. Seems like the kind of part that goes bad on a Sunday afternoon at 5PM.

 

I just went fishing for threads on blinkers, and I'm guessing that my problem is the same as yours, though the symptoms are different. Since I probably won't get time to look at it for a couple of days, i thought i'd post the symptom and see if anyone thought i was barking up the wrong tree.

When I turn the right blinker on, it doesn't blink. The left worked fine. I'm not sure what made me do this, but i tried turning my headlights off, and the blinker started to work fine (headlights off or parking lights on, and the blinker blinks). As soon as i turn the headlights on, no right blinker. Hazards worked fine. No more right turns at night.

99' ranger.

thanks,
steve

 

i have a 2008 f 250 i have no turn signal lights from the trailer connector, i went to the dealer and they told me to check the fuse`s now my signal lights are blinking fast and i have no signal lights at all i changed all the bulbs and nothing changed

 

[quote=jerry1943;9116459]i have a 2008 f 250 i have no turn signal lights from the trailer connector, i went to the dealer and they told me to check the fuse`s now my signal lights are blinking fast and i have no signal lights at all i changed all the bulbs and nothing changed, is there a flasher or something different i need to check.