winker

A winker is an automotive turn signal lamp, typically a small incandescent or LED bulb mounted in the fender, bumper, or side of a vehicle, that flashes on and off to indicate the driver's intended direction of travel. The term is informal shop talk, used interchangeably with "turn signal" or "blinker," though it emphasizes the distinctive blinking action that makes the light visible to other road users.

Winkers come in two main types: front amber units mounted near the headlights, and rear amber or red units integrated into the tail light assembly. The bulb itself is typically a 1157 or 1156 socket in older vehicles, though modern cars increasingly use LED clusters. The circuit includes a flasher relay (electromagnetic or electronic) that interrupts the power around 60 to 120 times per minute, creating the blink. Without this relay, the lamp would stay solid on, defeating its purpose.

A burned-out winker causes one side of the vehicle to flash at roughly double the normal rate, a phenomenon drivers call hyperflashing. This occurs because the flasher relay compensates for the reduced circuit resistance when one lamp fails. Corrosion inside the socket, water ingress from failed seals, and loose ground connections are common failure modes. Diagnosing involves visual inspection and, if necessary, checking for voltage at the socket with a multimeter.

The name winker derives from the winking motion of the light itself, not from any mechanical component that opens and closes. It is primarily a mechanic's and driver's term, less common in factory documentation, which uses the more formal "turn signal lamp" or "direction indicator light." In the UK and Commonwealth countries, the device is often called a "flasher," though this term can also refer to the relay that controls it.