Indicators

[Bona Botse]

Have you ever come across another car with the same indicator light frequency as yours? I've never come across this in my 14+ years of driving, even from identical cars as mine. In fact the closest match came from a completely different car (I was in an Audi A4, other car was a Fiat Palio).

What gives?

 

[rrh]

Assuming that the standard hasn't changed in the last 20 years : the standard was minimal e.g. anything you like, with a minimum of once a second.

 

[Bona Botse]

Assuming that the standard hasn't changed in the last 20 years : the standard was minimal e.g. anything you like, with a minimum of once a second.

I get that, but in my head the same make and model cars should have the same "standard" due to the mass manufacturing process, and therefore the same frequency (as in if we indicate simultaneously then the lights should blink at the same time indefinitely). This is never the case though and I've always wondered why.

 

[supersunbird]

I get that, but in my head the same make and model cars should have the same "standard" due to the mass manufacturing process, and therefore the same frequency (as in if we indicate simultaneously then the lights should blink at the same time indefinitely). This is never the case though and I've always wondered why.

Manufucturing has tolerances, they have a wide tolerance range on the indicator timer units since it cheaper that way than having super strict quality control on it and throwing lots away. They like saving every cent they can,

 

[OomD]

That's due o the tolerances of the components used in the flasher unit. For example, even if they used 1% tolerances it means that your indicators could flash 101 times for every 100 flashes of an identical model. Assuming a 50% duty cycle it means that by the time you get to 50 flashes (if you started at the same time) your light will already be 180 degrees out of phase (i.e. off when the other is on, and vice versa).

It will be almost impossible to get another car that flashes at the same rate as yours. And even if you do, and you met the same car again the next day they would probably be out of sync again due to temperature differences in the components, etc.

But yes, I always look too

 

[Sinbad]

Since I'm pretty sure it's based on a capacitor somewhere, the interval will also vary according to the voltage of the car's electrical system at that moment

 

[bromster]

Wow. I am so relieved that other people do this too. And no, I have never ever had a perfect match.