Turn Signal flasher speed . . . . .......

No actual knowledge here, but a guess nonetheless: It seems your turn signal actuation thingy (that being a technical term for what used to be a turn signal relay in the good old days) obviously seems to think there are fewer bulbs working than normally. So maybe just one or more of them has bad contact or something, causing it to still light up but less brightly than normal, and thus using less energy? I'd pull all the bulbs and clean both them and their sockets, add a light coat of grease and reassemble. Might work, and even if it doesn't it won't hurt.

If it doesn't work, next idea would be to switch cables for left and right turn signals at the switch, and look whether the speeding up moves to the left or stays on the right. Thus you can determine if the fault lies before or after the switch. Then go hunting.

Please note that this message cheerfully ignores all troubles that are caused by not being able to easily get at things in a New Beetle. I've never worked on nor owned nor even driven one, I only once sat on the back seat of one, which was all the interaction with that car I'll ever want in my life.

Yours, Erik.

I suspect a bad ground for the front bulb. If it looses a ground the current flows through the other filiment's plus contact then to the other bulbs then to ground. It lights but dimmly but since you have two filements in that bulb lit dim it's hard to tell.

Joe R

I agree...check that first. If the intensity of the bulb doesn't look the same as the other side, the ground could be incorrect.

I have been working that way, but so far no luck. I have not gotten to switching cables yet, got to see if I can do that. But the lamps have all been replaced.

Very good point. I had not thought of it, but you are right. However it does not seem to be the problem. All the grounds have been checked and they all appear fine. New lamps have not helped so next I will try switching cables (left/right) past the flasher unit and see if it changes sides, that is if I can do that. Other than that, it sounds like it may be the control/flasher unit.

Update. New flasher/hazard switch. No difference, other than a slight change of sound.

I will go back and recheck each light pair (front and back) for internal lamp resistance and resistance to ground. If that does not get me any where, I will try checking resistances from the flasher to ground for each light.

I want to thank everyone, but I have not resolved my problem. I have replaced all for lights involved with turn signals (left and right front and left and right rear). I have check the resistance to ground at each lamp (both front at 0.3Ω - back, right 0.8Ω, left 0.9Ω). The right is the side indicating a problem with fast flash. The combo unit (warning flasher and turn flasher relay) has been replaced with a new unit. No change other than a slightly different sound from the new flasher relay.

If anyone has any other ideas I would be happy to check them out.

Best thing to do would be:

- pull the flasher relay

- jumper the connector in a way that all turn signal lamps come on permanently

- connect the negative lead of your Voltmeter to a known good ground - e.g. use a long cable to the battery post

- with the positive lead check and write down voltage at all lamps, both high side and low side, of course with all the lamps still lit

- this should make clear which light is the "different" one.

Ingo

You may be on to something there. I will try it a little different way, but you do have an idea there.

I think you Ingo wins the prize. While I found it difficult to follow through with his exact method, he did suggest the location of a possible problem; a poor contact between the positive contact and the lamp or the negative contact and the lamp. After cleaning up all the contacts between the lamps and the sockets, Success. Things are back to normal. It appears to have been the lamp to ground contact. The ground contact on the passenger side rear, had some oxidation and cleaning it up seems to have worked.

Once again, thanks everyone for your suggestions.

Now, if you only don't tell anybody else that Erik and me helped you in repairing a NB. ,-)

Ingo