Alternative Flasher Hook-up

[Steve Hatfield]

I’m contemplating connecting an aux. headlight flash switch in my T-6 to achieve the same result as if I were pulling back the turn signal arm but in this case, mashing the center button on my vintage Nardi. I know it will be a short to hand single wire that I’ll need to run up up the inside of the steering shaft.
Question is where to connect...?
I have 12v with the improver headlight switch relay set up from Joe, our electrical genius but he’s not found my answer to this yet.

[Hugo Karasawa]

Will you cancel the horn sound ?
Does your Nardi have separate horn contacts for the headlight flash and the horns ?
If you will control the headlight flash and horns with the same horn button it will be very easy to do.
Just a short cable from the horn relay signal to the headlight relay signal.

[Steve Hatfield]

Hugo
Thank you for responding. The Nardi has two separate contacts. The horn is sounded by the traditional T5/6 spring contact riding on the circular swipe using the outer ring on the wheel button to activate while the flash is a spring loaded to ground inner wheel button.

[Hugo Karasawa]

Thanks for letting me know that those Nardi steering wheels have two separate contacts, I learn something I did not know every time I browse the 356 Forum.
I think that you need to add an extra relay to have the flash function in your Nardi. You are getting a signal to ground from it. If you use an extra relay you can get a positive signal which you can use to trigger the headlight relay.

[Steve Hatfield]

Is it not logical that all I need is to replicate the circuit represented in the turn signal arm switch that flashes when the lever is pulled back?

[Hugo Karasawa]

I assume you have this type of connections with the relay kit. (diagram from the Registry Magazine)
I do not see how you can trigger the flash function with a signal to ground.
I would send a positive signal to terminal 30/56 in the headlight relay.

Headlight relay flash 02.jpg (51.92 KiB) Viewed 994 times

[Brad Ripley]

Another alternative might be a dashboard mounted switch for flashing the headlights like the photo below. It's a momentary switch and spring loaded to the center. There were Bosch and Hella versions but here's an English one in the photo. Holden in the UK has all the old English stuff see https://www.holden.co.uk/c/electrical

[Steve Hatfield]

Thanks Brad
But I already have the switch. It’s in the center of the mushroom horn button. Hugh’s suggestion may work best.

[Steve Hatfield]

Unless someone comes up with an ingenious way to commutate a single ground lead from the fuse panel area to the center steering wheel button on a T-6, I’m scrapping the thought of adding an aux headlight flasher. I’ve thought of backward fitting an A carbon ring the the steering shaft but that’s a lot of work and down time right now and may not even be feasible.
Thanks for following this ‘pipe dream’.

[Hugo Karasawa]

Steve,
I am new to the 356s, but I heard some 356s had the flash function in the steering wheel.
Do you know which 356s have this function and how it was done ?
What type of steering wheel they use ?

[Steve Hatfield]

Hugh,
I’ve recently learned that earlier A and maybe earlier non-Speedsters have provisions for two switch circuits, horn and flasher (horn to horn ring and flasher to center button). While the early Nardi wheel I’m running has no horn ring, it does have two concentric buttons for the same purposes.

[Steve Hatfield]

Oh sorry, Hugo (not Hugh) my bad

[John Brooks]

Steve

Having never seen you center ring, I an not sure but you could share the ground with a switch and select horn or head flashers. The carbon button wire out of the steering column can be set up as an OR circuit using the ground via selector switch. Flashers or horn.

John

[Hugo Karasawa]

Steve,
Would it be possible that you post a picture of your steering wheel and specially of the horn button with the two separate contacts ?
Front and back if possible,
Thank you

[Steve Hatfield]

Hugo
Here are two of the button (inner and outer) Nd of the back of the Nardi wheel.