Where is the flasher relay located
Flasher relay refers to a type of central control part that gives light signals during a turn or braking. Its essence is to flash the turn signals of the vehicle at a specified frequency for indications of the direction that the vehicle is turning toward.
Types and Working Principles of Flasher Relays
Electrical flasher：It can further be divided into a hot wire type and wing type.
Hot wire flasher: the characteristic of its structure is that an "I"-shaped iron core is fixed on a rubberwood base plate, with a coil wound on the iron core. One end of the coil is connected to a fixed contact point. The other end is fixed on the contact point. An added resistor series connects a nickel chromium wire.
Winged flasher: The basic element consists of the fins, thermal expansion strips, moving contacts, stationary contacts, and brackets. In general, thermal expansion strips stretch the wing into an arch-shaped frame, and these are made of alloy steel strips with a high coefficient of expansion.
Principle: Most of the electric flashers work on the thermal effect of current. Due to the thermal expansion and contraction of the expansion strip or the heating deformation of hot wire, there will be a sudden turn of movement of a wing, from which power is produced. In such course, wing rapidly connects and disconnects the contacts, therefore, the light of turn signal flashes.
Capacitive flasher
Relay and a capacitor are the main contents of a capacitive flasher.
Operating principle: The time delay characteristics of charging and discharging by capacitors are used. A situation is, therefore, created where the electromagnetic pull produced by the two coils of the relay sometimes adds up and sometimes subtracts, hence periodic switching actions of the relay that cause the turn signal light to flash.
Electronic flasher
An electronic flasher consists of several components including the switching circuit of a transistor, capacitors, and relays.
Principle of operation: There exist a lot of different operating principles for electronic flashers, but they take advantage of the switching characteristics of transistors and the charging/discharging delay characteristics of capacitors to control the on/off of relay coils. Turn signal lights flash as a result of opening and closing of contacts that connect and disconnect. Since it works well and has a long life, in many types of automobiles, an electronic flasher is used in a turn signal system ranging from contact and no-contact types to integrated circuits and transistors.
Installation position of flasher relay
Flasher relays can be installed at different positions according to different kinds of vehicles' design and requirements of wire
Under the dashboard:
There is enough room in this place, which makes the wiring and installation pretty easier.
Meanwhile, it is also easy to connect with other systems of the vehicle.
In most cases, the flasher relay is mounted on a plastic or metal bracket and attached to the wiring harness of the vehicle via a plug.
Under the hood:
It is positioned under here to be more in control of the power and electrical areas of the vehicle, allowing for better use of the lighting systems, such as turn signals.
In the engine compartment, it may be installed near firewalls, near safes, or in other convenient locations for wiring.
Around the Body Control Module:
In most of the recent car models, the flasher relay is put together with the body control module or installed near it.
With BCM controlling the flasher relay more precisely, other functions can be derived from its use, like linking with other lighting systems.
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