What can I do to be alerted that my turn signals are still on, short of getting a hearing aid (not an option)?
Dear Car Talk | May 01, 1998
Dear Tom and Ray:
are still blinking? I have a hearing deficit (please don't suggest a hearing
aid!), and I know the blinking is annoying and perhaps dangerous to other
drivers. -- Lilly
RAY: Well, we won't mention a hearing aid since YOU'VE already mentioned it,
Lilly.
TOM: We have two other good options for you, Lilly: louder flashers and more
visible flashers.
RAY: The easiest thing to do is to go to an auto-parts store and get a louder
turn-signal flasher. The flasher itself is a little device that plugs into a
socket under the dashboard. And you can simply ask your favorite mechanic to
replace your current flasher with a louder unit.
TOM: If your local auto-parts store doesn't carry one, you can always call JC
Whitney (312-431-6102) and order one of its "very loud turn-signal flashers" for
about five bucks. Or for a few bucks more, you can get an extra-loud "beeping"
flasher, or one that plays "Love Me Tender." If you think I'm kidding, you've
obviously never seen the JC Whitney catalog!
RAY: Another option is to have your mechanic mount an extra set of turn-signal
lights on top of the hood at the end of each front fender, facing you. Old
Chrysler cars used to have these. You can't miss them when you're looking out at
the road. JC Whitney has those, too.
TOM: Or if that's not good enough, just have him mount some lights right on your
glasses!
RAY: The only possible problem with adding lights is that we don't know the
resistance limit of your flasher, Lilly. If the resistance gets too high (by
adding too many lights to the directional circuit), the flasher may not flash at
all. So your mechanic may have to replace your flasher or take the existing
dashboard indicators out of the circuit to get everything to work right. It's
not likely that you'll run into these problems, but we have seen it happen.
TOM: So I'd start by just replacing the flasher with a louder one. It's cheap,
it's easy and it may be all you need . . . at least until your hearing gets
worse.
are still blinking? I have a hearing deficit (please don't suggest a hearing
aid!), and I know the blinking is annoying and perhaps dangerous to other
drivers. -- Lilly
RAY: Well, we won't mention a hearing aid since YOU'VE already mentioned it,
Lilly.
TOM: We have two other good options for you, Lilly: louder flashers and more
visible flashers.
RAY: The easiest thing to do is to go to an auto-parts store and get a louder
turn-signal flasher. The flasher itself is a little device that plugs into a
socket under the dashboard. And you can simply ask your favorite mechanic to
replace your current flasher with a louder unit.
TOM: If your local auto-parts store doesn't carry one, you can always call JC
Whitney (312-431-6102) and order one of its "very loud turn-signal flashers" for
about five bucks. Or for a few bucks more, you can get an extra-loud "beeping"
flasher, or one that plays "Love Me Tender." If you think I'm kidding, you've
obviously never seen the JC Whitney catalog!
RAY: Another option is to have your mechanic mount an extra set of turn-signal
lights on top of the hood at the end of each front fender, facing you. Old
Chrysler cars used to have these. You can't miss them when you're looking out at
the road. JC Whitney has those, too.
TOM: Or if that's not good enough, just have him mount some lights right on your
glasses!
RAY: The only possible problem with adding lights is that we don't know the
resistance limit of your flasher, Lilly. If the resistance gets too high (by
adding too many lights to the directional circuit), the flasher may not flash at
all. So your mechanic may have to replace your flasher or take the existing
dashboard indicators out of the circuit to get everything to work right. It's
not likely that you'll run into these problems, but we have seen it happen.
TOM: So I'd start by just replacing the flasher with a louder one. It's cheap,
it's easy and it may be all you need . . . at least until your hearing gets
worse.
Got a question about your car?
Ask Someone Who Owns One
Powered by
