On sequential indicators

"Cé hé sin" (michael-m-mouse) 01/17/2017 at 14:28 • Filed to: Sniff Petrol, Sequentials

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These things (Ford Mondeo in this case). You see them quite often on Audis, Lexuses and a few others. The next Golf will have them too. Also the Peugeot 308, if you pay enough.

Richard Porter of Top Gear, Grand Tour and !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! fame doesn’t like them.

“Sitting at a junction behind another car this morning I discover something horrifying about this Peugeot. The front indicators do that irritating sequential trace-a-line-then-off thing made fashionable by Audi. It’s a tedious gimmick which further investigation reveals to be something they fit only to sporty 308s for some reason. But really there’s no need for such wankery.”

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Cé hé sin 01/17/2017 at 14:34

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I hate them. I hate them all. They look kitschy and like something that a five year old would be hoping there’s a kit for at Autozone.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Cé hé sin 01/17/2017 at 14:35

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I quite like them...

Probenja > Cé hé sin 01/17/2017 at 14:40

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I liked how LED’s instantly turn on and off, there is just something high-tech about it, this is just a step back IMO.

jimz > Cé hé sin 01/17/2017 at 14:41

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Audi does it here too on the rear turn indicators, but it’s combined with another light element which just flashes.

this is because back when sequential indicators were approved, NHTSA mandated that each individual element of the indicator had to be large enough to meet the FMVSS requirement in case the sequencing mechanism failed. Audi’s strip of individual LEDs doesn’t comply, so the A4 and whatever else with their Dynamic signals has to pair the sweep portion with a normal flashing element.

at the time, the requirement made sense since the early sequencers on the Thunderbird and Cougar were mechanical controllers, with a motor driving a cam wheel which actuated reed switches to sequence the lights. They broke pretty frequently.

the later solid-state sequencers were sensitive to ground issues.

Urambo Tauro > Cé hé sin 01/17/2017 at 14:41

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I think it looks cool, but he’s right that it has no practical value.

The placement of the lamp resolves any confusion over which direction the car is signalling to move. A left-turn signal doesn’t need to “point” left to get the idea across. The fact that the left side of the car is blinking is enough.

Probenja > jimz 01/17/2017 at 14:56

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So a small strip of secuential led indicators is not fine for the NHTSA but a turning signal that uses the same bulb as the brake light is ok?

Cé hé sin > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 01/17/2017 at 15:04

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Me too. You notice them, which is what they’re for.

Cé hé sin > Probenja 01/17/2017 at 15:05

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Yes. The (North) Americans are odd like that.

Cé hé sin > jimz 01/17/2017 at 15:06

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That Audi is just weird.

Jayhawk Jake > Cé hé sin 01/17/2017 at 15:15

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My sequential indicators are the only reason I bought my car

Nerd-Vol > Cé hé sin 01/17/2017 at 15:32

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That guy can kick rocks. They are cool.

IanZ - limited-slip indifferential > Cé hé sin 01/17/2017 at 18:21

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Horrifying? Horrifying? GTF out of here with your faux outrage.