Indicators blinking fast

[li21]

Hi all,


Just noticed that my left turn indicator blinks at a normal speed, but my right turn blink is about 3 times faster.

Its not a big issue, but a little annoying.. any ideas how to fix it?
Cheers:)

[SuperMazdaKart]

usually a sign that the bulb is busted i think. have you actually gotten out of the car to make sure the indicators do flash?

[kula]

one of your globes is most likely blown.

thats the cars way of telling you.

[li21]

hehhe acutally.. I havent checked..

I just assumed it was a fault as i've seen alot of cars on the road with \"fast flashing\" indicators... just never knew it was a sign.

Will check it out though, was going to change my parker and low beam bulbs anyway.

Does anyone have a link to a bulb changing guide for NA's? I dont have a manual for my car

[Juffa]

hehhe acutally.. I havent checked..

I just assumed it was a fault as i've seen alot of cars on the road with "fast flashing" indicators... just never knew it was a sign.

Will check it out though, was going to change my parker and low beam bulbs anyway.

Does anyone have a link to a bulb changing guide for NA's? I dont have a manual for my car

Assuming you have an Aussie delivered MX-5 the headlights should have H4 bulbs which combine the high/low into the one bulb, eg you cannot just replace the low beam. When getting the new bulbs make sure they are identical in configuration to what is already in the car. This is especially important when replacing the combination brake/tail light. Some bulbs have the locking pins in the wrong place and can lead to weird electrical issues as they don't align correctly in the bulb holder. If you do a search (use the google search bar at the bottom) on changing the bulbs you should find at least one other thread on the subject.

Enjoy getting to know your MX-5 better.

J

[Juffa]

To save you some time here is a link to the miata.net garage.

http://www.miata.net/garage/garagelighting.html

Heaps of info there. Just remember that in the US of A their Miatas came standard with sealed headlights so they have to replace the whole headlight when a bulb fails, or they upgrade to a headlight like ours with the replaceable H4 bulbs.

J

[Mr Morlock]

I agree with the likely cause. Juffa is right about H4 ( high low) but the remark about globes with pins in the wrong place I think needs a little more clarification . Bulb base configurations have pins and shapes which are designed to fit specific bulbholders and to stop people from fitting the wrong bulb. If you have to force or alter in anyway you have the wrong product- hence the advice to use the specified bulb type is correct. Rear combo light's often have the bulbtype moulded into the housing as a guide for replacement. Have fun

[li21]

Thanks guys.. seems easy enough, but I never heard of the pin design issue. Would have thought all H4's have the same pins and will fit any H4 fitting.
Well thats what it seems like:) I'll see how i go on the weekend:)

[bensale]

Good luck changing the bulbs, I did this a few weekends ago. Its a fairly easy job, and makes a massive difference to the quality of the light if you buy some good quality bulbs (Hella, Phillip, PIAA etc). Just make sure you allign them properly when you're done. The instructions on miata.net are probebly all you'll need.

Although if you want i'm more than happy to scan the relevant pages from either my owners manual or workshop manual for you.

Ben,

[Mr Morlock]

li21 - I may not have described that well enough.Base shape is defined by use of pins ,tabs and shapes that match to a bulbholder or aperture. The H4 -most commonly used has a P43t base- it has 3 tabs on the bottom in specific positions and specific widths. For the common and garden type 15mm bulbs they have in the case of single contact clear parallel pins BA15S, the stop tail has bayonet fitting ( ie both opposite each other) but staggered BAY15D and the amber t/sig bulb has pins at 150 deg (if I remember rightly)- the base is BAU15S. If the single filament clear and amber bulbs had the same base then people could interchange them and that is why the bases are different- by intent. Bensale's advice about checking your alignment is a good one

[li21]

thanks all , managed to change all the bulbs. easy as.. if only all cars were as easy as the mx5 to work on:)
(tho definately more time consuming)

[RaYmO]

My car has the same issue...

The thing is... The when the RHS indicator is activated, you can hear the "clicking" but it is 3 times faster than usual and there's no "arrow" on the dash that coincides with the blink.

For the past few days, the indicators have worked on/off... but has since stopped working all together.

I hope it's just replacement of the bulbs and has nothing to do with the wiring

[Mr Morlock]

Check the bulbs ( turn sig) and replace as necessary and try again and the fuse. Other possibility is relay or wire with bad contact but go thru a process first- check the bulbs and take it from there.It will not be anything major.

[RaYmO]

None of the bulbs are busted, my mechanic believes it's the lil unit that controls the blinkers (if a bulb was blown, then there's no way it would work again)

All the RHS blinkers work every now and then so it's definitely either the blinker control unit or the fuse... (however if the fuse was gone, wouldn't the lights stop working permanently?)

Mazda genuine replacement will cost an arm/leg/left nut... Trying to contact Mania for a 2nd hand jobbie...

[Benny]

I think what you need is a new flasher can.
You should be able to pick them up from Super Cheap for a few dollars.