Turn Signal Relay (HELP)

08GTSMayhem · Aug 9, 2009, 09:45 PM

Hey guys / girls it's been a long time since I was on here!

I need some help though and hopefully someone can help, I need to know what type of turn signal relay do we have in our vehicles and also where the hell can I find it. I can figure out the type as long as someone can tell me where it is. I didn't see it on the fuse panel inside or under the hood. I installed LED tail lights, brake lights and turn signals and I need to buy new relay to slow down my flash rate from the crazy fast (burn out) flash rate.

Thanks a lot!

kalpakiotis · Aug 10, 2009, 05:44 AM

I'll have to look at my manual when i get home, but something tells me that a relay isn't going to fix the crazy fast rate. A relay's job isn't to make the rate of the flash, it only supply's power to the bulb at the predispositioed rate of the computer or there is a flasher unit that heats up to break contact and then cools down to make the flash.

08GTSMayhem · Aug 10, 2009, 06:14 AM

I've had a similar issue when I changed my regular bulbs to LEDs on my motorcycle. I ended up going to more complicated route and installed load equalizers - 1 for each of the bulbs that was replaced. It fixed the flash rate but I had to splice into wiring and needed to mount the equalizers.

My friend who worked at a motorcycle shop went an other route and showed me how much cleaner his setup was by only replacing the flasher relay.

Every stock relay comes with the "burn out notification" which is why when one of your bulbs burns out the flash rate goes off the deep end and speeds up. I'm looking to replace my stock flasher with one that does not have the "burn out notification" therefore bringing the flash rate back to the normal Mitsubishi flash rate.

But yeah, if you can find where that piece of junk is please let me know!

jer301 · Aug 10, 2009, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 08GTSMayhem

I've had a similar issue when I changed my regular bulbs to LEDs on my motorcycle. I ended up going to more complicated route and installed load equalizers - 1 for each of the bulbs that was replaced. It fixed the flash rate but I had to splice into wiring and needed to mount the equalizers.

My friend who worked at a motorcycle shop went an other route and showed me how much cleaner his setup was by only replacing the flasher relay.

Every stock relay comes with the "burn out notification" which is why when one of your bulbs burns out the flash rate goes off the deep end and speeds up. I'm looking to replace my stock flasher with one that does not have the "burn out notification" therefore bringing the flash rate back to the normal Mitsubishi flash rate.

But yeah, if you can find where that piece of junk is please let me know!

I agree with Kalpakotis and you. What Kalpakotis is telling you is that relays are typically nothing more than a coils and a set of contacts. LED lights are nothing more than Diodes which require a very small voltage to switch on (about 0.7 volts is typical) the resistance seen by the source (signal control circuit is small) this is not however something that is monitored. on some cars, timing circuits like 555 timer chips use the load resistance and a capacitor as part of the RC time constant to determine the frequency of the output clock signal which turns on and off the relay. This is why the flash rate increases as the load resistance decreases. There are relays specifically for this application that have the control circuitry built in, but not sure if that is on the lancer. Some LED manufacturers design the lamp to have a load resistance similar to an incandescent lamp.

MasterAK · Aug 10, 2009, 11:18 AM

I checked in the service manual but it seems like our cars don't use relays to control the turn signals.

However, I think that adding a resistor would fix your problem. The manual mentions that the resistance of the circuit should be 2 ohm or less.

08GTSMayhem · Aug 10, 2009, 12:46 PM

Thanks for the input. I called Mitsubishi's service dept at my local dealership and talked to the guy about where if anywhere we would have a relay.

He said that unlike older cars which had a turn signal relay ours are built into a specific module (where ever he told me). So for right now, I'm going to swap back my incandescent bulbs and if I'm going to order some resistors. The company where I got my bulbs from sells a variate of them.

Thanks again though!

jer301 · Aug 10, 2009, 01:18 PM

Based on what MasterAK is telling you I would measure the resistance of the diode lights while you have them removed. if the light resistance is higher than the 2 ohms you must put a resistor in parallel with the light to reduce the resistance. if the light resistance is really low milliohms or so you must add a resistor in series with the light to increase the resistance (this will probably be the case). you are shooting for less than 2 ohms based on what he read in the manual. Calculate resistances using the following formulas:

FOR PARALLEL
RNEW = (RLIGHT*RRESISTOR)/(RLIGHT+RRESISTOR)

FOR SERIES
RNEW = RLIGHT+RRESISTOR

Hope this helps