6 replies to this topic

[benjwildeboer]

After a few months of slowly going through a load of different electrical gremlins I'm basically there with my little '85 Mayfair apart from one problem that refuses to go away. The bloody hazards.

 

I know this has been asked on here alot but I genuniely am a bit stumped as I've gone through all the usual stuff, so here goes.

 

• The indicators work when the hazard switch is turned off, and they stop working when it's turned on.
• I have two hazard switches, one bought brand new last month, and they both show the same symptoms
• The fuse behind the carb is checked working and tried with multiple fuses
• The flasher unit on the bulk head has been replaced with a new unit
• There seems to be a pretty good 12v permanent feed on one of the green wires going into the back of the switch
• There is a fluctuating 12v feed in the holder for the flasher unit on the bulk head. This seems to fluctuate when I move the fuse holder around, so I would assume a dodgy cable somewhere but everything visually looks ok
• If I use a jumper to connect the 4 green cables at the back of the switch, nothing happens
• All indicator bulbs are fine
• The battery was new a few months ago and is in perfect health
• There doesn't appear to be any other electrical gremlins in the car, everything works fine apart from this issue (although there have been a lot of bodges to the wiring, some by me, most by previous owners)

Where the hell do I look next? Everything I've read online points to the fact they should be working but I can't get my head around what the issue might be, especially why the 12v feed to the flasher unit holder is hit and miss (literally jumping from 4v to 6v to 11v to 7v to 12v etc)

 

Any idea greatly appreciated, I was really hoping to fix all the electrical issues myself without having to get a garage look at it but I need the car on the road really and without the hazards working there's no chance of an MOT...

 

Cheers

Ben

 

[richmondclassicsnorthwales]

Just throwing ideas in the pot here, any little might help hopefully

 

I had a scenario similar once and it was the indicator arm / unit as an entirety at fault

 

There is a flasher relay and an indicator relay, I see you have changed one of them

 

Are all fuses and contacts on the 4 fuse block in order

 

As I say, just ideas for the pot

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

The indicators should stop working when the hazard switch is on but the hazards should start working.

 

Are you checking the correct inline fuse?  It's the one which also protects the interior light circuit.  Does the interior light work?

 

Did you replace the hazard flasher unit and not the indicator flasher unit?

[matt615]

Could be a bad connection somewhere.

Try unscrewing the flasher unit holder from the bulkhead and check the connections behind it. They can get very rusty and stop the hazards working.

Likewise with the fuse, it could be bad connections on the fuse holder.

[Bat]

Hi,

That fuse holder you're moving about, cut it out and fit a new one.

You should have a solid 12v feed not a fluctuating one!

Cheers 

[benjwildeboer]

Thanks for the advice guys. Finally last night I managed to crack it and every electrical component on the car currently works fine *desperately touches every wooden surface in sight*

 

I took off the flasher unit holder on the bulk head and gave it a good dose of contact cleaner before refitting it, still nothing.

 

I then cut out the inline fuse holder and instead put a simple spade connector and socket to hardwire the cable together (I have a replacement fuse holder on order so will fit that as soon as it arrives). Still nothing, BUT at last I had a stable 12v feed to the flasher unit.

 

I then turned my attention to the hazard switch as I couldn't see any other reason. By using a jumper cable on the plug that connects to the switch I was able to get the hazard circuits working (albeit only one side of the car at a time) so I disassembled the switch a few times and finally by combining the back of the new switch with the front of the old one it now works! (god knows why the new one didn't work properly but it was only a cheapo one off eBay).

 

To say I'm happy would be an understatement as I've been scratching my head over various electrical gremlins with this thing for months now and everything now works!

 

MOT is booked for first thing Monday morning so with a bit of luck she should be road legal for the first time in about 6 years...

[unburntfuelinthemorning]

Well done mate, good luck with the MOT.