Here's Why Your Turn Signals Make That Clicking Noise
4 months ago
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- #technology
- #history
- Turn signals produce a rhythmic clicking sound synchronized with the flashing arrow on the dashboard.
- The clicking sound originates from the late 1930s, with Buick being one of the first to standardize flashing turn signals.
- Early vehicles used thermal style flashers with a bi-metallic spring that heated up and bent to complete the circuit, creating the clicking noise.
- Electronic relay style systems replaced thermal flashers, using an electromagnet and a chip to pulse the relay, producing the familiar sound.
- Modern cars may use silent solid-state relays or simulate the sound through speakers, but the traditional click remains a nostalgic feature.