68 Deville fender mounted turn signal indicators

[Steve W]

My 1968 Coupe DeVille has those fender-mounted turn signal indicators. There are none on the dash, only the fender top units that you are SUPPOSED to be able to see without taking your eyes off the road. And at night, no problem, they work just fine!
But during the day, I cannot see them, they just aren't bright enough! And if my radio is on, I cannot hear the "click click" of the flasher unit.
Anyone else have this problem?
Are there brighter bulbs avail?

[Gene Beaird]

Steve,  I'm not aware of any brighter bulbs that don't risk melting the indicator plastic.  You may want to try cleaning the lenses (inside and out) to see if that doesn't help any.  I know the ones on our Calais could use a good cleaning.

[Dave Shepherd]

Am I wrong here but are not those fibre optic lamps?

[TJ Hopland]

I too was wondering if they were fiber optics like the later cars but for some reason I was thinking that may have come like 71 ish. If they are then cleaning the end of the optic down by the turn signal bulb usually helps but often times the issue is wax and stuff clouding up the end on the hood.

[Steve W]

Took it all apart today. Its a bulb. (1445 to be exact, and that is what the service manual says it should be.) Its a sealed unit, so I just cleaned it as good as I could (didn't really need any cleaning, looks like new) and cleaned the bulb (again, didn't really need it as it's sealed) I took a little emory cloth to the ground wire and screw and put it all back together. Still the same. Its just a weak little bulb that you can't really see too well in the bright sunlight of L.A.  I'm surprised no one else commented on this at some point.

Oh well...thanks anyway guys!

[TJ Hopland]

Is there room in there for an LED?  There are a lot of options for plug in leds now days an they usually dont generate the same type of heat.

[Steve W]

TJ,

Great idea...but I know next to nothing about LEDs.
There's room in there for a 1445 light bulb (small light bulb).
How would I fit in an LED? That would be bright!! Hmmm....

[gary griffin]

I am a little bit hard of hearing and I always thought the answer would be louder flashers. Maybe a good place to invent something??

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

The Electronic Flasher cans are louder than the older ones.

But, the downside of the Electronic ones is that when a bulb blows, the rate of flashing is the same, whereas when a bulb blows with the older style, the rate increases, and the driver is immediately aware that a globe has blown.

Bruce.

[cadillactim]

You might have a poor ground not allowing the bulb to be bright enough. My 67 is bright enough. The ground on these indicators is not the best, especially after 45 years. The socket base is just pressed into the housing, and corrosion builds up. Take a pair of pliers and twist the socket in the housing, as this will help restore a good ground there. Next make sure the metal is clean on the ground wire and where the ground wire goes off the indicator to the fender ground.

Tim

[Gene Beaird]

Most LEDs will actually be dimmer than the incandescent equivalent.  Super Brite LEDs company does show some 'high-power' LEDs that may be worth testing:

http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=%2FBA9S6_specs.htm

I'd consider the BA9s-x4 or BA9s-WHP. 

I'd still try cleaning the lens on the fender, though.  The indicator lights on our 68 look okay, even in full sunlight, but I bet they could be better with some cleaning. 

[TJ Hopland]

For something like this that does not need to be omnidirectional a LED may work really well.  What may hurt it is the type of lens that is in the housing.  Does the socket point to the windshield?  That is the direction most of the LEDs are set up to go.  If the socket points up a standard led may not be ideal because they way they are mounted they usually dont give much light off the side. The are not terribly expensive so if it looks like it would fit it may be worth a shot.  As long as the rest of the bulbs are still standard in the system you should not have to worry about the flasher and resistors and such that you see people talking about when they convert everything to led.   

[62droptop]

they do make a loud turn signal flasher



http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/1/1/547157--loud-turn-signal-flasher-by-tridon-novita-tech-inc-part-lf12.html

or a add on buzzer



http://www.jcwhitney.com/extra-loud-electronic-turn-signal-beeper/p2002171.jcwx


jcwhitney even has musical flashers, they used to have a flasher unit that played elvis love me tender
now that is what every elvis fan needs for their 59 caddy

http://www.ebay.com/itm/TF510-Musical-Turn-Signal-Flasher-Elvis-Love-me-Tender/130333214994

i like the sellers comment, "This has got to be the cheesiest automotive accessory since fluffy dice"

[Steve W]

Oh man....I am SO getting the Elvis flasher!!!