Sometimes the speed of your turn signal can be a mystery. At times it seems that the light turns on and off very quickly when activating one side of your flash relays.
Both conditions can confuse you and others. Because of this, it can be hard to determine whether to stop if your turn signal blinks fast. Here’s what I’m going to explain why your turn signal is beaming rapidly and what precisely a light relay is designed to do!
Why Is My Turn Signal Blinking Fast?
If your turn signal blinks faster than usual and doesn’t seem to be working right, it could be because of a defective bulb. Additionally, if you’re upgrading your interior lights with LED bulbs, they may not be compatible with older cars’ wiring systems. Finally, check if there’s enough voltage flowing through your circuit!
Let’s get into the root sources, look at each one, and see what’s going on, so keep reading!
1. Defective Turn Signal Bulb
Turn signals are located in the front of your car and indicate when you’re about to turn left or right.
Because of that, you can tell they’re working correctly by looking at them and seeing if they flash on and off.
On the other hand, a transistor is a tiny electrical component used to regulate the flow of electronic impulses, which operates in your turn signal switch down to your bulbs.
As a result, if your signal bulb is dysfunctional, it will blink at a rapid rate. Otherwise, it’s time to replace the bulb with a new one!
2. LED Bulb Upgrades
LED stands for Light-Emitting Diode, and the demand for this type of lighting in the vehicle industry has recently increased significantly.
Naturally, this light is brilliant white in color. Compared to most common halogen bulbs, LED bulbs often produce brighter, more concentrated light.
As an effect, if you upgrade your vehicle bulbs to LED, there’s a possibility you’ll encounter turn signal rapid flashes compared with traditional bulbs!
3. Inadequate Voltage
When your turn signal lights are blinking fast, it’s a sure sign that the voltage in your vehicle is insufficient for the job.
In most cases, it is likely a loose electrical connection or broken wire, indicating a problem with the electrical system that connects it to your signal light transistors.
If this happens, the insufficient voltage will cause your signal light to flare briskly!
4. Incorrectly Chosen Turn Signal Light
Your turn signal blinks fast because of an improperly chosen turn signal light.
Meanwhile, if you encounter this, you have likely selected a light that is too dim or too bright. You can quickly fix this by adjusting the brightness setting on your vehicle’s dashboard.
Apart from this, if you have a combination turn signal/backup lights, it’s vital to ensure that you use the correct type of bulb for your vehicle.
Therefore, the wrong bulb can cause your turn signals to flash faster than expected and blink carelessly!
5. Faulty Flasher Module
A flasher module is an electronic component that sends signals to your turn signals to flash quickly or slowly.
As well as that, your flasher relay is responsible for controlling the operation of your turn signals and hazards.
Furthermore, when the turn signal lever or danger light button is hit, the lights may malfunction and not respond if the flasher develops any internal problems.
Overall, this component may be defective, causing your signal indicators to blink faster than usual!
6. Busted Socket Wirings
While signaling a vehicle turn, the turn signal switch carries out several electrical and mechanical tasks. It instructs the turn signal flasher to flash the front and rear turn lights in either the right or left directions.
Generally, to check whether your turn signal is blinking fast because of busted wiring, you’ll need first to use an ohmmeter to see if there is continuity between any of the wires inside your socket.
Because of this, it will spark more swiftly than usual if there is no stability between any of the wires!
7. Lapsed Ground Connections
Although the ground strap may appear to be a tiny component, it controls the complete electrical system in your car.
Furthermore, leaving your car running drains the battery and can cause problems with your electrical system.
Moreover, if you drive a more recent vehicle with LED headlights, there is no chance that they may flicker, but they may entirely turn off.
Undoubtedly, it is time to examine the ground strap if you observe flickering or dim headlights!
8. Degraded Signal Fuse
Electrical equipment is protected against overcurrent by fuses.
Besides that, fuses are low-resistance resistors that control high currents, allowing electrical equipment to be powered without harm.
Meanwhile, turn signals depend on a fuse, like all other lights in a car.
In the event that it gets damaged or fails, it can cause the turn signals to flash unevenly or even stop working altogether!
9. Erroneous Electrical Components
Another common reason is that your wires are kinked, which will cause them to make contact with each other more often than they should.
Assuming, if you notice this, you can try using some electrical tape to cover up any areas where the wires are coming into contact with each other.
Generally, if your turn signal light is beaming actively, you may want to check your wirings!
10. Insufficient Lighting
Your turn signal is a significant safety feature on your vehicle, so you want to ensure that it works properly at all times.
When in doubt, consider investing in some good quality bulbs for your turn signals and make sure they’re installed correctly and turned on at the right time.
Bear in mind that you can also add extra lights to make it easier for other drivers and pedestrians to see you properly when you flash your lights!
11. Burnt Out Signal Bulb
When you want to change lanes or make a turn, the turn signal light will let other drivers know.
In some cases, overheated filament and breakdowns of the bulb are the most frequent cause of a burned-out signal bulb.
As a direct result, if the bulb burns out, your turn signal shall speed up and flash more quickly than usual!
To know more, you can also read our posts on why your traction control light is on, why your oil light comes on and off, and why your brake lights are staying on.
Conclusion
Your turn signal light should blink fast momentarily when you first activate the turn signal.
As you can see, these causes include faulty led bulb upgrades, turn signal bulb defects, and insufficient voltage.
Above all, if it does not return to average speed after a few blinks, it’s time to change bulbs or get your headlights cleaned for optimal turn signal visibility!