My indicators are irritatingly just a bit too slow. Possibly still legal, though.

The equipment is fairly standard: normal repeaters on the back of the front wings, but I've got a "claqueur" in the indicator switch as I'm a bit deaf and I kept forgetting to cancel them.

What might cause slow indicators? Could it just be that the little aluminium can with the mechanism in is getting old? It certainly is old - it came off a wreck when the previous one failed completely. Or might I have too much load on the circuit with the noise-maker going too?

I don't think it's poor earthing as all the indicators seem bright enough.

Suggestions?

If the lights look ok then the flasher unit could be the prime candidate. I would have the thought that too much load might make the light flash faster rather than slower. You haven't got a 12V flasher on a 6V system? They are not that expensive and it's always worth having a spare.
Are you getting the full voltage to the flasher unit?
Don

The legal flash rate is 60 to 120 times per minute. If you have a bulb out then the flash rate will increase,with an indicator relay that depends on the resistance in the circuit, as In pre digital systems like ours Corroded connections, poor earth will cause problems,nothing like a good clean up to improve things.

Contrary to the above, I believe having a bulb out will slow the flash rate. As the bulbs are wired in parallel, the less bulbs being operated the less current will be draw through the flasher relay, less current causes it to flash slower. Other things which lower the current being drawn, and hence slow the flash rate, are poor connections and LED bulbs. Without knowing how the 'claqueur' works, I couldn't say if it will increase or decrease the flash rate, but if I had to guess I would say it's wired in series before the switch contacts so would slow it.

A key clue as to the whereabouts of the fault is whether the flash rate is the same whether indicating left or right. If it's noticeably slower to one side, that would suggest that a component unique to that side is at fault, ie corroded bulbs or terminals. If it is similarly slow irrespective of the direction being indicated, then it could be the flasher relay at fault.
The obviously clue however is when did the flashing become slow? Was is noticeably slower after fitting the 'claqueur', or has it happened gradually with time?

The flasher unit is the easiest item to test, by substituting it for a known good one, they are after all quite cheap, especially if you can borrow one from another car. The flasher unit is also the only component that could be at fault without diminishing the brightness of the bulbs. But it is also worthwhile checking, cleaning, and WD40ing the bulb holders and nearby wiring connections, unless you know it's been done recently.

On my 2CV a previous owner has wired in a festoon repeater lamp and attached it to the dashboard. Can't miss it when the indicators are going. It doesn't seem to have made any difference to the rate of flash.
Don

My indicators will flash slower if one of the bulbs is blown, have you checked them all?

Harley

Thanks for the suggestions. It's a 12v relay in a 12v system, and the flashers are equally slow whether indicating left or right (or both ways at once with the hazard warning).

And that hazard warning should have given me a clue - the claqueur doesn't operate with the hazard lights (presumably because the current doesn't go through the indicator stalk where the claqueur is).

So it's probably the relay. I dimly recall reading that it uses a thin metal strip that bends when heated by the current going through it, breaking the contact, then it cools and makes the contact again. Probably the metal just gets harder as a result of all the bending?

And the claqueur is a little solenoid that fires a small metal pin against the casing of the unit each time there's current through it. The more modern indicator switches still have the space for the solenoid, but it's not installed.

Check your bulbs.
It may be a BA 15S socket but what's the wattage of each?

5-10-21w?

I understand you can get a direct-swap electronic relay that will keep perfect timing regardless of the load. Have a look on eBay - around £7 should sort you out.

Also means you can fit LED bulbs without affecting the speed.

Haven't tried any of the above, but that's my understanding.