Explorer turn signal blinking fast, but bulb has been replaced

Hi -

I have a 2002 Explorer which has been doing a fast signal blink on the
left for about a week. Come to find out, the rear bulb was out. Put
a new bulb in, and the bulb won't light, and the blinker is still
blinking fast.

Any ideas? My husband says he checked the fuse, and that was fine...

I would verify the new bulb is good and make sure it is the right type.
Otherwise check the contacts and wiring...

--
Allan Williams



> wrote in message
oups.com...
> Hi -
>
> I have a 2002 Explorer which has been doing a fast signal blink on the
> left for about a week. Come to find out, the rear bulb was out. Put
> a new bulb in, and the bulb won't light, and the blinker is still
> blinking fast.
>
> Any ideas? My husband says he checked the fuse, and that was fine...
>

wrote:
> Hi -
>
> I have a 2002 Explorer which has been doing a fast signal blink on the
> left for about a week. Come to find out, the rear bulb was out. Put
> a new bulb in, and the bulb won't light, and the blinker is still
> blinking fast.
>
> Any ideas? My husband says he checked the fuse, and that was fine...

In the olden days mechanical flashers would speed up if more current
was being drawn, as when you had trailer lights connected in paralell
with the vehicle's turn signals.
But I don't know if a 2002 still has a mechanical flasher (the little
relay-like device that causes the turn signals to blink).

Assuming it does have a mechanical flasher, your symptoms would
indicate a short in the left rear turn signal wire. This wouldn't blow
the fuse because the flasher acts as a circuit breaker. You don't
mention the left front turn signal, it it working normally?
How about your brake lights, are they working normally?
-Paul

The front turn signal is working, but it's flashing fast.
Brake lights ok.

thanks!
c> Assuming it does have a mechanical flasher, your symptoms would
> indicate a short in the left rear turn signal wire. This wouldn't blow
> the fuse because the flasher acts as a circuit breaker. You don't
> mention the left front turn signal, it it working normally?
> How about your brake lights, are they working normally?
> -Paul

wrote:
> The front turn signal is working, but it's flashing fast.
> Brake lights ok.
>

I don't have a schematic for your 2002 so I can't tell you much more.
My 1994 does use a mechanical flasher (with all the computers in cars
these days I don't know if newer cars still use flashers).

Did anything happen just before the problem occurred, like did you have
any work done, have an accident or tow a trailer?

Sometimes you can have a pinched or scraped wire that finally shorts at
a random point in time, but often some event causes a problem like this
to occur. So for example if you just towed a trailer look at the area
of the trailer wiring.
-Paul

> wrote in message
oups.com...
>
> wrote:
> > The front turn signal is working, but it's flashing fast.
> > Brake lights ok.
> >
>
> I don't have a schematic for your 2002 so I can't tell you much more.
> My 1994 does use a mechanical flasher (with all the computers in cars
> these days I don't know if newer cars still use flashers).
>
> Did anything happen just before the problem occurred, like did you have
> any work done, have an accident or tow a trailer?
>
> Sometimes you can have a pinched or scraped wire that finally shorts at
> a random point in time, but often some event causes a problem like this
> to occur. So for example if you just towed a trailer look at the area
> of the trailer wiring.
> -Paul

Newer vehicle have a different sort of arrangement for flashing the turn
signals. For recent Fords, fast blinking indicates that a bulb is out.
However, the system is not perfect. The wrong bulb can cause the same
symptom. So can corroded bulb sockets, broken wires, or a bad ground.

I would suggest that you check the bulb socket to make sure the connectors
are clean. Then I'd use a voltmeter to verify that there is voltage at the
socket when the turn signals are activated.

Ed

C. E. White wrote:
> Newer vehicle have a different sort of arrangement for flashing the turn
> signals. For recent Fords, fast blinking indicates that a bulb is out.
> However, the system is not perfect. The wrong bulb can cause the same
> symptom. So can corroded bulb sockets, broken wires, or a bad ground.
>
> I would suggest that you check the bulb socket to make sure the connectors
> are clean. Then I'd use a voltmeter to verify that there is voltage at the
> socket when the turn signals are activated.
>
> Ed

I looked it up and that seems to be exactly right.
If you had a burned out bulb and replaced it with the wrong bulb, that
could cause your symptoms. So make sure the number on the bulb matches
the old one or the number in your manual, and check the socket out to
be sure it's clean.

Anything that makes the circuit draw too much or too little current
causes the fast blinking, which is just a way to alert you to the
problem.
-Paul