Technical Indicator relay clicking fast but everything is fine?

[nigelvan]

So, weird issue that's popping up every time I use the left indicator now: The warning light telling me there's a problem with the lights goes on and the relay starts clicking really fast. So I got out and checked the indicators and they're all working fine and blinking at the right interval, while the relay in the dashboard goes crazy...
When I switch off the indicator and turn it back on it works as normal for a few seconds and the warning light goes off... only to come back again if I leave the indicator on for a longer time.
Where do I start looking to fix this issue? It's not really a big one, since it's all working fine. Just annoying...
Thanks again for helping me out!

 

[camionpilot]

Have you changed the repeater bulbs in the mirrors recently , these can throw up your problem if the wrong wattage or out of spec .

 

[cris1117]

Had this on a Fiat car it was a faulty bulb but you had to look very carefully to see it slightly flickering, changed bulb all good.

 

[Anthony489]

Hi

Old fashioned thermal flashers ("relays") used to naturally click faster due to the reduced current through them when a bulb had blown, which was a useful reminder.

These days, everything is done by electronics, but the useful clicking noise has been kept, replicated by a dedicated sounder in the dash. I imagine the designers have also programmed in a rapid click mode if a bulb fault is detected, even though the flash rate of the bulbs themselves is unaffected by bulb failure or incorrect wattage.

 

[nigelvan]

Thanks for the replies. I did not change any of the bulbs since I bought the van. The problem occurred before as well but only 1 out of 20 times I used the indicator. Now it's there every time I use it more than a few seconds.
The indicator bulb at the back seemed to be a bit dim, so maybe it's on its way out and the electronics notice something is off?
I'll start there. I'm glad you didn't point me into the direction of bad wiring because that would be tricky to debug.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Thanks for the replies. I did not change any of the bulbs since I bought the van. The problem occurred before as well but only 1 out of 20 times I used the indicator. Now it's there every time I use it more than a few seconds.
The indicator bulb at the back seemed to be a bit dim, so maybe it's on its way out and the electronics notice something is off?
I'll start there. I'm glad you didn't point me into the direction of bad wiring because that would be tricky to debug.

Intermittent earth fault then. Check and clean all the bulb holders and connections is probably the way to go. Stop and check bulbs when it occurs.

 

[mikefitz406]

The connector to the rear light cluster is not making a good contact. Its usually the earth/negative thicker (black wire?). You should see signs of overheating. Ideally the connector needs replacement, however cleaning and bending the contact pin slightly may cure the problem.

 

[nigelvan]

The connector to the rear light cluster is not making a good contact. Its usually the earth/negative thicker (black wire?). You should see signs of overheating. Ideally the connector needs replacement, however cleaning and bending the contact pin slightly may cure the problem.

I already started checking at the rear light assembly as the indicator was noticeable dimmer there compared to the other side. I noticed the connector was dirty and cleaned it with some WD40 specialist contact cleaner. This fixed the issue.

I now read your comment and seems this is a more common problem, however the connector itself seems to be in good condition. Just after almost 15 years some dirt got in.

I also noticed a wiring mess there, non-standard connectors mixing colors etc. I think the trailer hitch I have was installed by someone afterwards who made the mess... I'll leave it alone as long as it doesn't cause any more problems, there were no exposed contacts of damaged wires on first sight.

 

[RobL]

So, weird issue that's popping up every time I use the left indicator now: The warning light telling me there's a problem with the lights goes on and the relay starts clicking really fast. So I got out and checked the indicators and they're all working fine and blinking at the right interval, while the relay in the dashboard goes crazy...
When I switch off the indicator and turn it back on it works as normal for a few seconds and the warning light goes off... only to come back again if I leave the indicator on for a longer time.
Where do I start looking to fix this issue? It's not really a big one, since it's all working fine. Just annoying...
Thanks again for helping me out!

I would clean the bulb contacts and the bulbs themselves. Sounds like a drop in resistance which has the same effect as a blown bulb.

 

[nigelvan]

The problem came back. I now removed the wiring from the trailer hitch between the standard cabling and the rear light assembly, to see if the issue occurs in that spiderweb of wires...

 

[cris1117]

So did you renew all the indicator bulbs on the left side, for what they cost that would be my first and easiest option.

 

[nigelvan]

So did you renew all the indicator bulbs on the left side, for what they cost that would be my first and easiest option.

I didn't because the issue went away as soon as I touched the connector on the rear light assembly. I just drove a 100km without the trailer hitch cable loom in between and everything is fine (except for a P0089 but that's for another topic).
I wouldn't call it the easiest option. You need to remove both the light clusters in the front and back and open them up (rear one involves screwing) to change them. Maybe someone with more experience could do the front one without taking the whole thing out.
I will see how it goes from here on.