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Hazard Light Puzzle

electrical

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#16 [email protected]

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    Mini Mad

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Posted 20 October 2017 - 05:53 PM

Hey George,

 

When you said: "However the hazard switch now illuminates if you move it a tiny bit and the left hand indicators flash but not the right hand ones" leads me to believe that the hazard rocker switch in the dash just needs a little TLC and cleaning on the inside of it.

 

Here's how:
  1. Use a thin bladed screwdriver to pry the switch out of the dash panel into the cockpit of the Mini.  I usually find if I work from the bottom first, then side-to-side once it is far enough out, you can compress the little copper spring-tabs enough to remove it without messing anything up at all, switch or dash.  Once out, make a note of how the white connector is plugged into the back (use your cellphone to take a photo).
  2. Work it up-and-down and side-to-side and take your time so you don't scratch anything.  
  3. Disconnect the switch (noting orientation and connector fit for plugging back in later).  Disconnect the switch and take it to a large flat surface (some parts are spring loaded and you want not to lose them as you open up the switch.
  4. Be careful to look at how the flat metal springs fit into the case as they are what hold the switch in the dash and you need to fit them so they place an outward pressure.  
  5. Now look for how switch is actually something of a clamshell. Use two thin blade screwdrivers at the same time to lift the tabs on each side simultaneously to "split" the switch box.
  6. Clean out the back of the switch box, removing any foreign material or dried grease on the contact points - or, as in the case of my headlight switch, remove the plastic that had melted over the contact point [the PO had wired driving lamps with no relays] and re-grease the flat contact area that slides up and down across the contacts with a good dielectric grease being careful not to put too much on it so it won't accidentally short contacts it should not and lubricate the pivot points with a non-drying grease.  
  7. Pry the sides apart on the front of the switch just enough to allow the switch's plastic cylindrical pivot pins to slip free and the switch should "fall apart" out of the front. 
  8. Note that there is a tiny little light in here that is connected to the tiny spade connectors - test it with a continuity tester now before you reassemble.  
  9. Once everything looks good, reassemble in reverse order.
  10. Check switch pivot action.
  11. You should be good to go, but if you like you can check switch operation pin-to-pin outside of the car with a continuity tester (there is a good description of the expected operation of the electrics of this "double-duty" switch here) and Ethel's description is spot on as well. 
  12. Pop it back in the dash and if the issue WAS just the switch, you'll have not only have all your flashers again, but your turn signals (indicators) will be back on-line too!

It's possible that since so much time has passed that you've already purchased a new switch, but you still might want to take your old switch apart for a few reasons:

  • you might get it working and then you'll have a spare
  • you might want to simply salvage the little illumination bulb in it even if you don't keep the old switch - it just screws in and it's 80 pence at MiniSpares if the one in your new switch blows out
  • or take it apart just to understand the innards

 

Okay, about the dash warning lights. 

 

So something to note here is that the wiring for the indicators actually passes through the hazard switch (two connections) before it runs to the stalk on the steering column and on its way to illuminating the dash arrow and the lights on the exterior.

 

When you signal, the dash light circuit gets juice because of the stalk position AND the hazard switch position (off).  You can actually find a "dead zone" spot where if you only partially actuate your hazards switch your turn signals won't work at all - again because the electricity from the stalk needs to go through the hazard switch.

 

When you turn on your hazards the dash light circuit gets juice ONLY because the hazard switch position (on).

 

So when you say: "Both indicators work when indicating but when the hazard switch is applied only the left hand side indicators come on as opposed to all the indication lights coming on. Also when indicating the indication light on the dash only comes on for the right indicators and not the left."

 

So again, the culprit here might just be a dirty hazard switch that is not making all four of the required connections!

 

Good luck!







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