Relay flasher is a device used to drive turn signals, emergency lights, and similar lights on automobiles. However, most people always want to know what the markings on the flash relay mean, especially the letter EF. This blog post aims to delve into the meaning of EF in relay flashers and why understanding it is important.
What is a flash relay
The flash relay is a special automatic control device that has been designed and is mainly employed for generating intermittent current, supplying turn signal lights, and flashing an alternate light and dark signal light to indicate the direction of vehicle travel. Because of its structural design and working principle, flash relay can have a jumping change in output once the input quantity-electricity, magnetism, sound, light, heat-reaches a certain value. It is this characteristic that allows the flash relay to issue a light signal during the turning and braking of cars as their central control component.
What does EF mean on relay flashers?
EF stands for "electronic flasher" and is a type of relay flasher. It is typically used in newer vehicles because it is more reliable, durable, and efficient than traditional mechanical flashers. The EF relay flasher uses solid-state circuits instead of moving parts to control the flashing of the light.
Advantages of EF relay flasher
The EF electronic flash uses all solid-state circuit design with no mechanical moving parts, which reduces the risk of failure from mechanical wear and tear.
In this way, electronic flashers can show that they have good stability for use over a long period.
Persistence
Because the EF electronic flasher has no easily worn mechanical constituent parts inside, normally, it will be more durable than a mechanical flasher.
This way, owners of cars can reduce the replacement of flashlights, thus reducing car maintenance costs.
Efficiency
Since current and voltage can be precisely controlled to flash, this can be achieved in a much quicker and finer manner by electronic flashlights.
This efficiency not only enhances the signal light effect of vehicles but also helps in improving road safety.
Composition of EF electronic flasher
Flasher relay can also be referred to as flasher, and it finds its application in generating intermittent current to supply turn signal lights. The flasher gives a signal light of one brightness and one darkness that signifies the direction in which a vehicle is operating. Flasher made of new circuitry consists of a low voltage switch circuit, a high voltage switch circuit, a pulse generation circuit, a diode amplification dual transistor output circuit, and two sets of light indication circuits. It is installed inside the flasher box, and through its control, it can accurately indicate the direction of the car's travel, especially the characteristic automatic protection. The voltage of this circuit can automatically stop the flasher and light bulb from working in the case of a short circuit fault. The driver can detect the working condition of the flasher through a fault indicator installed on the flasher, and can detect and eliminate faults at any time. According to structure and working principle, the flashers can be divided into three types: electric, capacitive, and electronic.
The function of EF electronic flasher
Flash relay is the central control component that emits light signals during car turning and braking. When the car brakes without turning, it can control the circuit to make the left and right rear lights and trailer lights on, sending out a braking signal. When the car turns and brakes, it can control the circuit to make the front, rear, and trailer lights on the turning side flash to indicate turning, while the rear and trailer lights on the other side only light up without flashing to indicate braking. When the car turns, it controls the circuit to make the front, rear, and trailer lights on the turning side flash to indicate turning
Classification of EF electronic flashers
Capacitive flasher
Capacitive flasher structure: composed of a relay and a capacitor. A series coil and a parallel coil are wound around the iron core of the relay, and a large capacity electrolytic capacitor (about 1500uF) is used as the capacitor.
Working principle of capacitive flasher: By utilizing the charging and discharging delay characteristics of capacitors, the electromagnetic attraction generated by the two coils of the relay is sometimes added and sometimes subtracted, and the relay produces periodic switching actions, thereby causing the turn signal light to flash.
Wing flash
The structure of a wing flash is composed of wings, thermal expansion strips, dynamic contacts, static contacts, and brackets. The wing is made of elastic steel and is usually stretched into an arch shape by a thermal expansion strip. The thermal expansion strip is made of alloy tape with a high coefficient of expansion.
Working principle of wing type flasher: The wing type flasher utilizes the thermal effect of current, driven by the thermal expansion and contraction of the thermal expansion strip, to cause the wing to produce sudden changes in action, connect and disconnect contacts, and make the turn signal light flash.
Electronic flasher
Electronic flasher structure: consists of the collector-emitter switching circuit of a transistor, capacitor, and relay.
Operating principle: The electronic flasher takes advantage of the switching characteristics of the transistor and charging/discharging delay characteristic of the capacitor, and controls the on/off of the relay coil, connects/disconnects the contacts and makes the turn signal light flash. Because of the reliability and long service life of electronic flashers, they are widely used in automotive turn signal systems. Various forms of electronic flashers include contact and non-contact, integrated circuits, and transistors.
summarize
EF stands for "electronic flasher", that is a relay flasher into common use in new vehicles.
With their high reliability, durability, and efficiency, EF electronic flashers used in vehicles exhibit quite a few advantages concerning the control of signal lights. It uses a solid-state circuit design instead of the traditional mechanical one to reduce the risk of failure and prolong the service life to improve the efficiency and accuracy of light flickering. Thus, EF electronic flashers have increased in number in modern vehicles.
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