Flasher relay chattering

[Cecil]

We are away in the van at the moment and have developed a problem with the flasher  relay chattering randomly ,whilst driving but not using indicators . Seems to have periods of playing up ,perhaps for 10 to 30 minutes  then behaves for similar periods of time .( clicks normally whilst using the indicators ) All 4 bulbs  plus the instrument cluster lamp work!
Would be grateful for any pointers . Thanks.
PS . Our van is a 1990 jx whitestar with towing electrics ( not used lately) so there is an additional dash indicator bulb!

[Lillythefrenchie2026]

I would stick another brand new relay in, rule that out first. If it’s not actually activating the lights I would say it’s that.

[moojw]

Putting a new relay in is a good call, but can I ask, if the indicators aren't flashing in these episodes, are you certain it's the indicator relay? Could it be one of the others within the cluster? A fast clicking relay is normally a sign of a higher discharge rate. Have you changed anything else lately, LED bulbs etc?

[cobblers]

Without the indicators on the relay shouldn't have any way to power up. I doubt the flasher relay is the cause of this.
My guess is either you have some other relay making this noise, or you have a failing indicator or hazard switch that is full of dust and muck.

[clift_d]

It's also worth, when dealing with sudden issues with the dash electrics, taking a few minutes to clean up the earth crown connections behind the fuse panel just to rule out a bad earth connection being the root cause.

[mioba]

Whatever relay is clicking indicates that it is getting power intermittently or shorting intermittently.

Put your hand on the relay in question and figure out what the relay is.

post back

[Cecil]

Thanks for everybody’s thoughts on this , we are still away at the moment but the relay is not being too troublesome. I will update when I get round to trying to sort this issue.

[cedricuk]

One thing I'd check is whether anything was changed recently in the lighting circuit, particularly LED bulbs or other accessories. A change in the load can sometimes affect how an older flasher relay behaves, especially if the relay isn't designed for the newer load. It might be worth checking whether the problem started after any lighting changes.