Ok, I'm an older guy. And everyone thinks my old barracuda is neat but is annoyed with my leaving the turn signal on for a few miles after a turn (and yeah, I'm dealing with the turn signal cams).

But I was on a trip this week in one of the newer cars (also have an '05 and and an '07) and I realized that the volume of the "click" associated with their turn signals was considerably louder than the one in the cuda -- maybe 4 or 5 times as loud.

That got me wondering. I Assume that the "click" is caused by the mechanical switching which occurs inside of the turn signal "flasher" and, if so, whether replacing the cuda's current flasher with a late model flasher would produce a louder "click". Then I got to overthinking and started wondering whether late model "clicks" are artifically enhanced for safety purposes.

Any thoughts?

ddonner

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1965 Barracuda

Could be. JC Whitney used to sell turn signal "flashers" that played "Love Me Tender" when the signal was on.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Auto parts stores also sell "electronic" flashers that are louder and more annoying. They change pitch and speed with the voltage variations of the engine as rpm changes. I don't know about your vintage car, but on our 74,75,76 Darts, there is a special metal "clip' (for want of a better description) welded on to the back of the dashboard where the flasher is supposed to snap into. That clip (or "tab" or "post") is designed to enhance the sound of the flasher, and a properly fastened flasher is definately louder than one just laying loose in that general area. Might check and see if yours needs to snap into its holder, and see if it is louder?
BTW- the tune was actually an old un-copyrighted folk love song titled "Aura Lee". Elvis stole the tune for Luv Me Tendeh.

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"Louise", a 1976 Dart Custom project, (now sadly reverted to being just an "organ donor" to our other project Darts.)

If your app uses the 2 pin flasher - the replacement electronic flasher (vs the thermal stock one) is EL12. These are definitely louder then stock. There is also a loud version of the electronic one, LF12.

One side effect of these - the rate of flash is NOT dependent on the load. The stock ones, when a bulb goes out, flash slower. These electronic ones don't change their rate regardless of the load.

The emergency flasher is separate from the turn signal flasher.

Mine don't noticeably change rate or tone. That may vary brand to brand? I use (and the part numbers above) are Tridon brand.

Louise76,

Great insight. My "clip" is similar to yours and my flasher is currently hanging, not in the "clip" (radio/defroster vent/instrument cluster work in progress). I'll try that.

ddonner

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1965 Barracuda

This is the one you need. It has a very loud click and an appropriate flash rate. You'll have to shove it hard into the flasher bracket because it's slightly larger diameter than the original.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Good to hear from you Dan. The Cuda is an ever more reliable daily driver due to many of your suggestions (the HEI upgrade being among them).

I will pay attention to your flasher suggestion.


ddonner

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1965 Barracuda

Interesting thread, esp the comment about the "clicking" sound being louder on your (much) newer cars. What I often see on most cars made in the last 15 years or so, is that the turn signal click sound is just that, a sound produced by the audio system or a speaker built into the instrument cluster. The actual light flasher function is part of some electronic module, & it commands the clicking sound "on" at the same time. (it's a brave new world)

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63 Valiant Wagon
225 - 4 bbl

Thanks for the link Dan, I bought a turn signal clicker recently and its too quiet...I like the "tick tock" of the old mopar units. The new one is in the clip, but it's really quiet...

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https://tinyurl.com/yynpj4v2

Thanks Dan. I've only known about the Tridon 536 "heavy duty" flasher that we are using in several of our cars. (Except the wife's electronic spaced-out one.) I'll have to give the Tridon EL-12 a try.

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"Louise", a 1976 Dart Custom project, (now sadly reverted to being just an "organ donor" to our other project Darts.)

The LF12should be louder then the EL12.

…but it's not.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Actually, in my 1974 and the 3 1976 Dusters I have/had, the spring clip for the flasher clips to the underlip of the dashboard....I will have to check the parts manual and see if the diagram shows a screw to retain the bracket as well.

For turn signal flashers, all our cars clear back to '60 have a square hole punched in the dashboard sheetmetal, generally in the close area of the ashtray. For a lot of years, a spring steel flasher bracket was clipped to this square hole via a tang on the back of the bracket. Starting in 1972(ish...), the Tung-Sol people (who eventually became the Wagner people) came out with a flasher in a plastic can with a split-square barb on top, a little like one of those plastic "Christmas tree" body trim panel fasteners. This barb snapped directly into the square hole. Cost reduction for Chrysler: one part instead of two, and easier/faster assembly (and probably fewer assembly line casualties, too; the spring steel flasher bracket has sharp edges and corners). Sometime later on as a running change, the split barb was replaced by a plain square nub on top of the flasher. This gets inserted into the square hole and then twisted 1/8 turn so the edges of the square hole dig into the corners of the square nub and that's how the flasher's retained.

Problem is, there's no flasher bracket if you have a later car or an older one with an absent bracket, and most currently available flashers do not have a square nub or other means of directly fitting into that square hole.

Weirdness is, despite seeing (and hearing!) this plastic self-retaining flasher installed as described on at least half a dozen very original low-miles '72-up A-bodies over the years, the factory parts catalogues don't support this what I'm describing. There's a listing for a flasher mount clip clear up thru '74 (I don't have '75-'76 FPCs any more), and the flasher P/Ns don't change 'til '73.

(Twilight Zone theme music here)

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I'd have to look, but I think our 74-76's the metal flasher can just is held on the sides by the sheet metal clip. I do recall seeing the 'lil square hole though. (Havn't tried putting a round peg in it. )

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"Louise", a 1976 Dart Custom project, (now sadly reverted to being just an "organ donor" to our other project Darts.)