The dash light is on even if the semaphore isn't 'up'? Is that right, just seems to work off the switch? This doesn't sound right, it should only come on when the sem is almost completely 'up', there's a little contact on the piston in the sem itself.
Genuine or repro? I've had awful experiences with a pair of repro ones, on 6v. Some people swear by them however.
It sounds like they are a little bit gummed up, or they are not getting a good 6v. On 12v (even with dropper) I'd expect them to come up well depending on whatever else is happening (on a 6v car, the sems are often lazy when running other electrical things).
They 'latch' when down, so they dont flap about in the wind. Dont force them open, you could bend something. The piston has to exert a fair amount of force to get them to 'de-latch', then they can being to move, sounds like maybe the piston is sticky and more so on the one that wont open at all without help. I've had success with a few days of soaking in WD-40 (fine nozzle down the cylinder) and gentle movement to free them up, the ones I did barely moved before doing this and now work a treat on 6v.
If I were you I'd whip them out and bench test them with a good 6v supply, if they are the same then this will rule out any wiring issues. If the work better, then I'd suggest cleaning up any contacts between the battery and the switch, and from the switch to the sems. The contacts in the switch could be gummed up, or the connections (presume screw-terminal all over) elsewhere could be a bit crappy.
As a temporary 'get you home' solution, a stern 'whack' on the B-post behind the sems often helps a lethargic sem to achieve 'full mast'.
Edited by user
12 years ago
|
Reason: Not specified