KMHPaladin

but I think the turn signal is supposed to blink fast like that. Remember all the people who had trouble with their blinkers with the LED turn signals making the system think there was no bulb in the circuit?

CURSH[silverbullet]

The idea behind a blinker is that you have a sort of electrical dam, and the current bulds up until it cant hold anymore, and then it all comes rushing out, and you get a blink.

Usually you need to build up (an arbitrary) 10(units) to power two bulbs.

now lets say you ohly have one bulb because one is shot.

now you only need 5(units) to power that bulb (and break that dam), but the current is hitting that dam just as often, so the damn breaks twice as fast.

and you get a double speed blinker.

Blinker speeds also vary depending on weather the engine is on or not, or if you are reving higher or lower.

Very old system, no reason to update it really.

My MGB's blinkers worked on the same basic principals as my 01.

*I have not taken digital electronics since sophomore year in HS. so my description is my recolection of the idea, and therefore very fuzzy and probably partially wrong.

Use at your own discretion.

KMHPaladin

Although it is an electrical circuit, and there is a problem with that circuit not having a working bulb... it just isn't an intentional indication of a busted bulb, but rather as you described it. Not trying to be semantic... nice explanation.

birdsong

based on the resistance (in turn, wattage of the bulb). Any bulb that is not rated the same as the original is going to change the time constant and cause the circuit to blink at a non-standard rate.

KMHPaladin

Ah, so that's why the people with LED turn signals added resistors into the circuit.