my BLINKERS are out of control!

hey guys, last summer some friends and I were pulling a derb car home with my pickup (1990 chev fullsize) and I hit an OWL flying outta the ditch. Didnt dent anything but it cracked the lense on the drivers side front turn signal (amber/orange colored). Ever since that, the blinkers on the drivers side have been blinking extremely fast, but the passenger side is fine. I thought the blinker unit would have gone out by now if it was bad. Whats my problem? Any leads would be appreciated.....................Briggs

 

Maybe try changing the bulb, the faster blinking usually means theres something up in the circuit.

 

Have ya tried to change the bulb? sometimes when those bulbs start to go, they begin to flash wildly. Just an idea...-Joe

 

Something to cause an increased load on the Circuit which makes the blinker relay blink faster. A Bulb going bad or out could cuse the problem, or even a short to ground somewhere...

BYC

 

Have you checked to make sure that you didn't overfill the blinker fluid?

 

[ QUOTE ]
Have you checked to make sure that you didn't overfill the blinker fluid?

[/ QUOTE ]

well DUH, thats the FIRST thing I did

my momma didnt raise no fool

 

Pull the unit aprt. You may find more damage than is visible such as a pinched wire or one of the fillament in the bulb may have broken and is laying across the the other, ( it is a dual fillament bulb,right?). What ever it is that side is drawing more juice and flashers work off of heat.

 

I've usually found that when one directional blinks faster than the other the problem turns out to be an insufficient ground.The truck probably has a plastic headlamp assembly and the bird hitting it may have cracked the lamp across whereever the ground is.
In older cars with metal lamp assemblies rusting will cause the same problem and it is usually the front lamp that are exposed to water thrown up under the fenders/bumpers.
Another problem I've seen occur is on later model vehicles with "lamp out"indicators on the instrument panel:There are two types of bulbs available;the ones with a brass colored base and ones with a silver(nickel)colored base.These cars should have either ALL brass bases or all nickel bases because there is enough difference in resistance between the two to cause a warning light to come on.
As you didn't mention changing any bulbs I suspect a faulty ground in the lamp.You might try taking a test lead with a point on one end and sticking the point into the socket beside the bulb while it is still in and grounding the other end to a RELIABLE ground;preferably the battery and see if it works properly.If so the ground is the problem.

 

Thats why they call them a BURROW owl! I like you Stuart...

Sounds like the bulb is shorting out.

 

check and make sure all the lights are working (check against the working side, front and rear). it's either a bulb or wiring (most likey a bulb).

 

Lost ground....