Turn Signal Flashers

[Roger S.]

What did the turn signal flashers for a 1973 look like. I have found some flashers that appear old. They have metal case with a green stripe around the circumference. On the top is embossed made in USA, 552-12V, DOT, Pat no 3218415, and in the middle is a ts.
Also, what is the capacitor used in parallel with the flasher for? I have never seen this done.
Roger

[Joe L.]

Re: Turn Signal Flashers

Roger----

By 1973, I think that the flashers were usually of a plastic case construction and were either blue or yellow. However, I'm not dead certain of this and it's possible that metal case flashers were used. There were at least 2 manufacturers of flashers---Signal Stat and Ideal. These manufacturers, and likely, others, supplied flashers to GM assembly plants and they were used interchangeably.

The capacitor that you described is for radio interference suppression purposes.

[Dave S.]

Re: Turn Signal Flashers

Roger,
I'm not sure of 73 cars but 70-72 cars had a metal flasher(I think it is 536) inserted into the upper fuse box for the hazard flasher. I believe it would be non DOT and they are dated. The blue plastic flasher is inserted in a clip at the lower lip of the right dash pad and serves the directional signals. The number escapes me as I'm not near my reference material, but it could be #224. If you need more specifics you can email me direct.

[Jack H.]

Re: Turn Signal Flashers

There were several approved vendors of both emergency and TS flasher. Two I know I've seen in the TS flasher position on untouched cars of this era are Tung Sol 224 and Littlefuse LF224; both in blue plastic can...

The capacitor with its fishe paper, lead wire, insulator WAS a factory original part installed when cars were radio equipped. Its job was to roll switching transients to ground and thwart the 'doink, doink, doink' noise that could be broadcast into your radio. The same capacitor setup was used on mid-year cars too.

[Peter L.]

Re: Turn Signal Flashers

Roger - From some of the research conducted by myself and a collegue, we have found '73 Corvette hazard warning flashers to be typically the Ideal HD552 or the Tung-Sol
(TS) 552. The Ideal HD552 is a natural aluminum metal can with green lettering and a DOT designation. The TS 552 is also a cylindrical natural aluminum metal can or cover with embossed information on the top of the can, e.g. tS (in the center); MADE IN U.S.A and PAT. NO. RE 24023 (around the outed edge); and 552-12V and SAE J590 (around in a 2nd tier of lettering between the outer and center lettering). NOTE: Later production TS 552 flashers will have DOT embossed on them rather than the SAE J590 designatio and I'm not sure of when the Pat. No. changed. These two flashers were also used with the alarm system. Most often the brand of flasher is the same in both the hazard and alarm flasher applications, but some isolated cases had mixed manufactures.

With regards to the turn signal flasher, in the majority of cases it is the blue plastic T/S #224; but others such as the Signal-Stat (SS) #144 have been observed. If my memory is correct the SS #144 for the '73 production year application will have the natural aluminum rectangular shaped cover with blue silk screened information on the top.

Also, be sure to check the AIM as other optional flashers are probably indicated.

Pete