The sound of the included turn signal, which is heard in the cabin, is hard not to notice. A barely audible clatter or peep, probably, aroused interest in everyone. Do you know what this sound is, why it occurs, and who is responsible for its reproduction? No? Do you want to know? If yes, then you will be interested in this article. Get comfortable, there will be a lot of letters! Go...
This sound is familiar from childhood, in every car we all heard strange clicks that came from the driver’s side during his next maneuver. Clicks were complemented by an arrow, usually green, which blinked in time on the dashboard.
A bit of history...
Clicking turn signals appeared just after the flashing turn signal appeared. Such know-how in those days was taken "with hostility", since it clicked quite loudly in the cabin and the sound after several turns managed to get rather bored. A few decades later, a flashing turn signal accompanied by clicks has become the standard and an integral part of every car. Moreover, the presence of such a turn signal was required by the then law, so they were installed in all Vehicle Oh.
Why do we click?
The main idea behind the appearance of such sound signals when the turn signal was turned on, the driver was informed that he had it turned on. You can guess why it was invented for a long time, I personally associate this with safety and informing the driver himself. The fact is that if you forget about the included turn, you can create an emergency situation or a full-fledged accident. If you turned on the turn and forgot about it, in fact, you are violating traffic rules, because you are misleading other participants traffic. You inform them of your intention to perform a maneuver, while not performing it. So, for such scattered carriers, a signal was invented in the form of clicks that could not be heard.
The second version is less plausible, although it also has the right to exist - energy savings. In those distant years, every "drop of energy" was worth its weight in gold, therefore, in order not to waste energy and not waste the life of the light bulb, the driver received a constant reminder that his turn was on.
Who clicks?
The first versions of "smart turns" used a simple mechanism, which was based on a (usual for a modern person) bimetallic circuit breaker. It now exist innovative technologies, allowing you to work miracles, and in those days everything was extremely simple and primitive, although quite reliable when compared with modern inventions, but oh well, not about that now ... So, the bimetallic breaker worked on simple principle: a current was applied to it, from the heating of the two plates, they were deformed, as a result of which there was contact in the electrical circuit and the light bulb lit up. After the plate cools, it returns to its original position, after which everything is repeated in a cycle until the driver turns off the turn signal. This whole process was accompanied by characteristic clicks, which were heard by everyone who was in the car.
The future is electronics!
Such bimetallic interrupters have sunk into oblivion after total electronization and computerization have come, but the sound of a click during the blinking of the turn signal has not disappeared anywhere. Who is now playing the role of "nutcracker"? This role was assigned to an impulse relay, which worked in principle on the same principle. An electrical impulse was applied, as a result of which an electromagnet located in the relay case attracted a metal anchor to itself, thereby opening the electrical circuit. When the circuit is closed, the lamp is on, when it opens, it goes out. Such a cyclic process occurred until the moment the turn signal was turned off. Naturally, the clicks did not disappear anywhere, their sound changed a little, but they, as before, clattered in the cabin, notifying the driver that he had turned on the turn signal.
What about modern cars?
Modern cars have gone even further, the engineers considered it bad manners to use various kinds of breakers to provide the well-known clicking, and solved this issue in their own way. Electronics is responsible for turning on the turn signal, and in most cases it is on-board computer, and the sound part is provided by special mini-speakers that imitate the familiar sound to all of us. By the way, some automakers have decided that "clicking like everyone else" is not fashionable and have come up with their own sounds that are heard when the turn signal is turned on. For some, this sound resembles a clatter, for someone it is croaking, someone is quieter, someone is louder ...
A question of relevance
Many motorists consider this phenomenon an atavism, an unnecessary vestige, which, against all odds, is supported by all automakers. Cars still chirp when you turn on the turn, to spite all the naysayers who would like to get rid of this indicator light feature. In principle, if such a harmless device interferes with someone, it can be removed without much difficulty. To do this, most often, you do not need to have any outstanding abilities or knowledge, all you need is to know where the "croak" is located. In addition, you can remove the sound of the turn signal from any electrician who can easily perform this simple operation.
The only question is why do it? Such a harmless, albeit not entirely modern invention, often helps in the bustle of the city to remember that the turn signal is on, thereby preventing the possibility of an accident. If this sound annoys you a lot, and you use the turn signal quite often throughout the day, I recommend that you use a little trick. All you need is pleasant music that will sound a little louder than sound, clicky turn signal.
That's all I wanted to say. Thank you for reading to the end, I hope it was informative and not boring!? Do you think a turn signal sound is needed? modern car or not? Write your answers in the comments. Bye everyone!
Motorists often face such a problem as a non-working turn signal, but not everyone knows how to quickly fix the problem. It is very dangerous to continue driving in the event of such a breakdown. It is better to stop and try to fix the problem.
Types of problems and solutions
The direction indicator works correctly if the following indicators are met:
- the presence of the ignition on ensures the operating mode;
- moving the stalk up and down must be accompanied by turning on the turn signal on the corresponding side;
- the turn signal should flash at 60 cycles per minute.
Any other turn signal behavior is indicative of a problem. The most common causes of failures include:
Non-flashing turn signal. The problem requires familiarity with the basic principle of relay operation: the current passing through the lamps leads to heating of the measuring resistor - an element that determines the need to turn on a particular lamp. Therefore, the resistance of the lamp, which is different from the nominal one, changes the turn-on time of the turn signal: it starts blinking. In this situation, it is recommended to lightly knock on the relay (this helps if there is a weak contact or moisture). If you replaced the relay, but the turn signal does not flash, but is constantly on, then there is a weak contact with the fuse box. It can also help to replace a fuse that has a resistance value that does not correspond to the nominal value.
The failure of one turn signal is incompatible with a relay malfunction (malfunctions of this kind cause both turn signals to fail). One of the turn signals may fail due to a burnt out light bulb (the easiest option) or a wiring or cartridge failure. A new sweetheart should not only fit into the turn signal socket, but also correspond to the power indicated on the ceiling. If, after replacing the bulb, the turn signal did not start working, you need to pay attention to the cartridge. If there are traces of oxidation on it, then you should start removing them. Sandpaper or a needle file works well for this. And if the light bulb is too tightly in contact with the contacts, then you need to bend them with thin-nosed pliers. This must be done as carefully as possible, avoiding the closure of the contacts, which can lead to another problem - the operation of the turn signals in a checkerboard pattern. The normal condition of the cartridge means that the cause of the malfunction lies in the wiring. First you need to make sure that the wire is securely connected to the cartridge. However, it is unacceptable closed state wires between themselves or the short circuit of the "mass" on the metal body of the car. In this case, it is necessary to replace the wires or at least insulate them.
If at the same time the emergency lights do not work, then the relay definitely needs to be changed - it is faulty.
The only way to fix a malfunctioning automatic shutdown is to replace the switch. In the event of such a breakdown, it is better to seek help from a specialist.
Also, the switch itself may be the cause of the idle turn signal. To check it, you need to get to the steering column switch and unmount it. By the way, if trouble happened in the form of a non-switching alarm in the presence of normally working turn signals, you just need to replace the button responsible for turning on the emergency gang.
A flashing turn signal too often is a sure sign that one of the bulbs has burned out, or the chip in the rear light or track in mounting block.
The dim light of the turn signal is a signal to check the conformity of the model and power. If everything is in order, then cleaning the contacts of the light bulbs can correct the situation.
The turn signal relay making clicks is also not the norm. The malfunction is fraught with a mounting block, more precisely, relay contacts. Clicking sounds can occur if the contact is oxidized or too tight. Also a defective relay leads to this. You can fix the problem by stripping the contacts or installing a new relay.
A turn signal that does not work on one of the sides either in front or in the back, or in the repeater, indicates that the steering column switch has broken, there is no contact with it, or that the same relay has failed.
The turn signal circuitry is protected by an 8-amp fuse located in the mounting block. In the event of a breakdown, the turns will stop working both on the left and on right side car.
The light signaling system ensures traffic safety, so the driver should always have at least light bulbs of the required power with him.
Video
How to diagnose a malfunctioning turn signals, see below:
This sound is unmistakable. Everyone knows him since childhood, even those who did not have a car in the family. This is the sound of the turn signal on. Pressing the turn signal lever and the interior of the car is filled with measured clicks, sounding in time with the flashing green arrow on the instrument panel. We are all used to it and take it for granted, but do you know where it comes from and what is the cunning mechanism responsible for its reproduction?
The history of the appearance of modern turn signals
The roots of these clicks have come down to us from the depths automotive history and they appeared in the late 1930s, when overseas engineers began to use the newfangled in those days. Even earlier, at the dawn of wholesale motorization, when the traffic density of vehicles was not high, motorists used slightly different methods of warning about a maneuver on the road, one of the types of which were mechanical flags and arrows, strange for a modern motorist, actuated mechanically or by pressing buttons. According to information from the press of those years, such a system was developed by actress Florence Lawrence. The flags were put forward on demand and placed on the back of the wing, over time they migrated to other parts of the car, for example, to the middle pillars.
However, some inventors tried to move away from this atavism, but rational ideas, due to a certain inertia of development road safety those years were not allowed to be quickly introduced into the series useful device alarms. The really loud clicks sounded in the 1930s, after the implementation of the idea of a flashing turn signal by Joseph Bell. And already in 1939 a cheerful click-click with might and main pestered the drivers and passengers of the Buick Roadmaster.
Progress went faster, other manufacturers followed the pioneer, and in the 50s, turn signals became an indispensable attribute of any car and some other vehicles. It became a requirement of the law.
Since then, all new cars have begun to make the familiar clicking sounds that signal the inclusion of a turn.
Using a bimetal breaker
old and classic cars used in electrical circuit switching on for transmitting current to the turn signal bulbs, the so-called bimetallic breakers. The principle of operation of these devices is quite simple. The breaker contains a bimetallic spring, which heats up when current is applied to it. Since the two metals that make up the spring have different coefficients of thermal expansion, when heated, the plate will bend towards the metal with less thermal expansion.
As soon as the plate has deviated to the maximum amount, it will make contact with the terminal, completing the circuit and sending current to the turn signal signal.
In the photo you can see a large curved bimetal spring combined with a small strip of high strength steel. Once this small steel strip is energized, it heats up, causing the large, curved steel plate to straighten out and make contact (marked in red).
At this moment, the lower contact (indicated by the orange arrow) opens, as a result of which the steel and bimetallic plate cool down, as a result of which they return to their original position, at which the lower contact closes, heats up, bends again, thereby activating the turn signal bulb and the cycle continues.
Thus, the bimetallic plate bends from heating and cooling, closing two contacts, which causes a clicking sound.
Electronic relay
Bimetal breakers have not been used by automakers for a very long time, so the turn signals that you probably listened to in your childhood were published by another electrical appliance. Most likely it was a relay, to which a pulse was applied from a small microcircuit.
The impulse relay is by and large an electromagnet consisting of a set of coils that create a magnetic field when passed through them electricity. It works on the principle of a conventional solenoid switch, the electromagnetic field arising in the electromagnet attracts the metal armature, thereby opening the contacts, momentarily disconnecting the electric current from the consumer - the turn lamp.
