electrical challenge - flasher issues?

nakman · #1 09-03-2008, 08:02 AM

3 years ago I "upgraded" my stock flasher, details here: http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...r-upgrade.html

issue: too many lights for stock setup. ARB in front, Kaymar in rear, also trailer wiring. So that's 2 sets of blinkers in front, 1 set in the dash, 2 sets on the back of the 80, 1 set on the trailer.. total of 6 pairs of turn signals. The stock flasher, from what I've gathered in the thread referenced above, is only good for about half of that. Also the stock 7.5 amp fuse was blowing fairly regularly, so I "upgraded" that to a 10 amp a couple years ago with no issues since

.

Anyway on the way to Ouray everything was working fine, other than the connector to the trailer wiring jiggling free a little bit because the latching lid was ground off somewhere on the Rubicon trail

. But if I shoved it in real well, all trailer lights worked (and truck, but I didn't check the bumper). But on the way back, signaling left had a really fast blink rate.. now home I realize that I've got no left turn signals in the tail light, or down in the bumper.

I tried new bulbs, also tested voltage with a volt meter (and hazards on), nada. I'm going to buy a new flasher and see if that corrects anything. I seem to remember someone telling me that my turn signal in the bumper was not working before though, I hadn't messed with it since those are just "extra."

Any thoughts?

Uncle Ben · #2 09-03-2008, 08:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nakman

3 years ago I "upgraded" my stock flasher, details here: http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...r-upgrade.html

issue: too many lights for stock setup. ARB in front, Kaymar in rear, also trailer wiring. So that's 2 sets of blinkers in front, 1 set in the dash, 2 sets on the back of the 80, 1 set on the trailer.. total of 6 pairs of turn signals. The stock flasher, from what I've gathered in the thread referenced above, is only good for about half of that. Also the stock 7.5 amp fuse was blowing fairly regularly, so I "upgraded" that to a 10 amp a couple years ago with no issues since

.

Anyway on the way to Ouray everything was working fine, other than the connector to the trailer wiring jiggling free a little bit because the latching lid was ground off somewhere on the Rubicon trail

. But if I shoved it in real well, all trailer lights worked (and truck, but I didn't check the bumper). But on the way back, signaling left had a really fast blink rate.. now home I realize that I've got no left turn signals in the tail light, or down in the bumper.

I tried new bulbs, also tested voltage with a volt meter (and hazards on), nada. I'm going to buy a new flasher and see if that corrects anything. I seem to remember someone telling me that my turn signal in the bumper was not working before though, I hadn't messed with it since those are just "extra."

Any thoughts?

Rapid blinking is a rear light out indicator. Your problem will be between the steering column and tail light. Most likely the tail light.

nuclearlemon · #3 09-03-2008, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nakman

I'm going to buy a new flasher and see if that corrects anything.

If your lights turn out to be good and you determine it's the flasher, see if napa can cross a grote number.

44530 is a two terminal 12 lamp flasher, 44540 is the three terminal version
44690 is two prong 160 lamp, 44700 is three prong
44710 is two terminal 20 lamp, 44720 is three prong.
if you run leds, 44891 is a two terminal variable load led flasher and 44890 is the three terminal version.

these might help ya out.

nakman · #4 09-03-2008, 02:37 PM

thanks Ige... what's a grote?

the stock replacement flasher is EP25. The upgraded one is EP36. According to Rick,

Quote:

Our stock unit is a 3 prong ISO configuration however it is not compatable with the heavy duty 3 prong flasher commonly available. The reason is that our configuration is a B-battery, E-Ground and L-load configuration and the heavy duty is a X-battery, P-pilot (panel) and L-Load configuration. Plugging in the heavy duty flasher will result in shorting the 12v line to ground and blowing the fuse.

So the obvious upgrade is to a 2 pin ISO flasher which is X- 12v and L- Load. However the wiring at the socket is 180 deg out from that of the heavy duty flasher. So you'll need to swap the E- Gropund wire with that of the B- 12v one.

I'm pretty sure I did that, swap the wire around, but I could easily undo that if so and there are pictures in the thread. So do you think my best course of action is revert the wiring back to stock, swap in all LED's, then get one of those grote 44890 jobbies?

nuclearlemon · #5 09-03-2008, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nakman

thanks Ige... what's a grote?
:

Grote is actually a brand name, but not that you posted somebody else's comment on being iso, scrap all that info. the only iso that grote makes is a pin out flasher (g=ground, x=input, l=load). it's a three terminal, part number 44893. it works for anywhere from 1-10 lamps, so go for that number instead.

nakman · #6 09-03-2008, 03:54 PM

Ok, go to NAPA, buy a Grote 44893. got it.

nakman · #7 09-05-2008, 01:36 PM

So NAPA's cross reference to a Grote 44893 is EP-35. They researched the difference between EP35 and EP36, and said they're identical except 36 is for "two turn" and 35 is for "three turns," but no one really knew what that meant. Also they said the 35 is rated for 600 life hours, compared to the 36 which is rated at 400 life hours. Both were rated for 6 bulbs. So I bought a EP-35 and will see what that does.. probably tomorrow.

nakman · #8 09-06-2008, 07:26 PM

Well the EP35 seems to have me back in business. I don't really understand it, but it's all working now.