Turn signals. Can't hear them. Solutions?

I’ve seen ads for “loud” turn signal flashers, but the people who bought and tried them say they were not loud enough to be worth the trouble. Anyone have any other solutions? I’m pretty handy and am big-time in to home-made device ideas, if you know of any.

No answers…just to let you know I can’t hear them either.

me it’s the other way around … I used to not hear them, now I find myself waiting to use them so I won’t have to deal with the annoying sound the ticking makes while waiting at a red light…

If you are wearing HAs that are adjusted properly hearing turn signals should not be a pronblem. What do they sound like to someone with good hearing?

Most cars these days have electronic turn signal audio that is part of or similar to the audio system in the car/truck and may come out of the speakers for that system. Regardless it is an electronic generated sound that is played through a speaker unlike the original turn signal audio indicators that was the sound of the relay under the dash clicking. One would have to tap into a modern day system and add an amplifier and speaker to replicate a louder sound. Have not seen any advertised. Maybe JC Whitney if anyone would carry such a device they would :wink:

Well, I’m on my third pair of hearing aids (currently Bernafon Veras 9CP) and my fifth audiologist and I still can’t hear the turn signals when the car is moving. My wife frequently tells me, “Blinker’s on.” (Please don’t ask me why it doesn’t always return to off position by itself; if I knew that . . .)

We have two Subarus, a 2004 and a 2006, and I’m sure they both just emit a relay click. But you’re saying that most more recent vehicles have electronic turn signal audio that sounds through a speaker? Never heard of this before. Seems like they would be made adjustable, wouldn’t they?

There are two possible issues. When in the car as the car is moving, the hearing aids typically tone things down with their noise reduction and directional microphones. Also, your hearing aids may not be set loud enough for you to hear such things.

If you really want to hear those turn signals as well as all the other noises in the car, perhaps have your dispenser set up a manual program for such use. I would recommend an omni-directional microphone setting with limited noise reduction.

That should sort that issue out pretty fast, but be prepared to hear everything with that setting. Who knows, you might actually like that.

A colleague of mine has a very narrow band of hearing loss (he does not wear hearing aids) which coincides with the frequency of the turn signal “ticking”. He nearly caused an accident because he was unaware his turn signal was still operating i.e he could not hear any ticking from it. He fitted an amplifier to the turn signal so he now can hear the “ticking”. I am from New Zealand where specialist items like this can be hard to get and so would think such a device would be readily available in the US/UK wherever you live. I can get details should you wish to follow this up.
One of the first things I noted when I got my HA’s 8 months ago was whereas I thought our car had very quiet turn signals, the fact was that I just could not hear them!
Regards

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I ran this by a friend who is a retired telephone tech. He has the same problem and he now has embarked on a project to install a small but bright LED on top of his dash that blinks with either turn signal. When he gets that done I’ll copy his idea and make one for myself. Mine will need to have an on/off switch because my wife would never put up with it when she’s driving.

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I don’t know what the big deal is… When I drive on long trips, I turn the hearing aids off, as it’s simply too loud from the road noise. I watch to make sure they are working as I use them.

This the best idea yet, I like it.

An idiot switch as they call it is pretty easy to wire in through the signal flasher and a switch could be put into the line to make it either on or off. I remember my dad having a car that had the lights for the turn signals on each front fender, it was almost impossible to not know your turn signal was still on.

Well, as long as your wife isn’t frequently telling you “Your Blinker’s on,” like mine is, then you have no problem. Or even if she does, if you don’t mind it, again no problem. But when you’re driving alone don’t you ever look down and see your blinker on and realize it’s been on for a while? Happens to me. Sure, I try to watch to make sure they’re working as I use them, too, but don’t you ever miss?

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My simple free solution for my 98 Suburban which has a very quiet turn signal relay was to screw the metal lid from a can of “Quality Street” Chocolates to the back of the stock turn signal relay allowing the little bit of noise it does create resonate through the lid. Not a huge increase in volume but enough where I can now hear it. Lots of room in a Suburban for a lid as big as 3" in diameter. Lid from a Snapple drink maybe for tighter spots? I used what I had handy. Some creativity might be needed for other models of vehicles.

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My simple free solution for my 98 Suburban which has a very quiet turn signal relay was to screw the metal lid from a can of “Quality Street” Chocolates to the back of the stock turn signal relay allowing the little bit of noise it does create resonate through the lid. Not a huge increase in volume but enough where I can now hear it. Lots of room in a Suburban for a lid as big as 3" in diameter. Lid from a Snapple drink maybe for tighter spots? I used what I had handy. Some creativity might be needed for other models of vehicles.

I drive a 2004 Dodge pick-up. Even a vehicle that old doesn’t really have flashers. There is a relay mounted on the instrument cluster for no other reason than to produce the clicking noise. I can hear it fine with my HAs.

If, due to road noise or some other reason, I forget to shut off the turn signal after a lane change, after a while, the truck will start chiming. That I can’t miss, even without HAs.

@nimbleswitch

I Googled “how can I make my 2004 subaru turn signal louder” and got a bunch of hits with ideas like this one:
http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/104-gen-4-2010-2014/408465-turn-signal-flasher-louder-than-stock.html

One of the ideas is to contact Subaru. :rofl:

I can’t hear the turn signals. My wife has to remind me to turn them off. When I’m by myself…

Oh well…

I can’t hear any of the car reversing or turning signals either. Also can’t hear any of the household bips, beeps or alarms. Including the internal smoke detectors. I can’t hear any of the emergency vehicle sirens so I keep a close eye in my reversing and side mirrors for flashing lights.

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Here is the answer to your problem and what was my problem. I will tell you how to do it yourself or who to use and what to tell them if you are not able to do it. I remember when the flasher on my car was too loud and I did not like the noise. Now the signals are electronic and you cannot lower the volume or wrap the flasher with cotton and tape.

Here is what you do: tap into the left power wire for your turn signal and run it to a 12 volt DC buzzer and run the other connector on the buzzer to a vehicle ground. Do the same for each side. Any radio installer or remote start installer can do it for you.

If you want to do it order two buzzers from Amazon (Cole Hersee 4099 $17 each). Watch a video on how to change bulb in the turn signal of your car to see how to get at the wire. I prefer rear signals. Watch video on how to use a T wire splicer. You can order a bunch on Ebay. Splice the wire that is the power wire…Not the black one which goes to ground. Run the wire to the buzzer you buy somewhere in the car for you to hear it…not in the trunk because it may make it too quiet. I put a pillow over the buzzer because it was too loud in my back seat. Run the other wire from the other buzzer connection to a bare piece of metal on the car. When you turn on the signal it will buzz loud. Do it on each side so each both buzzer sound when needed.

That is all there is to be able to hear the turn signals. Good luck

Has this changed with the cochlear implant?

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