7 replies to this topic

[manic_monkey]

Cooper:
1991:
Hi everyone, so a fuse goes in my mini for the tail lights and dash board (25a) so I replace it and everything is hunky dory! Whoops no wait I put a 35a fuse in, so that blows and I put the right one in, everything works fine, phew! I park up and go in for some tea =P. Next time I drove it I get 5 mins down the road in the dark and suddenly my head lights, tail lights and dash go off. It isn't the fuses I've checked but also the light switch has bust. Trying to push it in is like trying to milk a rat! It ain't gonna happen!

The brake lights, main beams, reverse lights, hazards, hazard switch lights etc all work.

Anyone got any ideas? Could I have blown something serious? I have ordered a new switch because I know these can be problematic and it all seems to add up to the lights not working but it seems too much of a coincidence to go straight after my fuse issues.

Thanks for your input!:



Everything on the car is original

[Ethel]

The switch could have been the victim of a large short that blew the fuses too.

[manic_monkey]

Hey Ethel,

Thanks for the reply. When the switch went the fuses were ok, do you think me putting the 35a fuse in originally could have blown the switch? But if that happened how come they worked ok on a 25a fuse for 5mins....???

Unless I got it wrong and it's not meant to be a 25a fuse.... I doubt even I could be that stupid tho....

Dave

[M44K TS]

Have you checked the usual suspects? (not the film)

Headlight connections behind the grile, Removed the switch and bridged the terminals in the socket with some wire, rear of the fusebox etc?

[manic_monkey]

Thanks,

I haven't checked them, didn't know where to start. Whats this about the rear of the fusebox??

[M44K TS]

The rear of the fusebox can corrode and cause high resistance and all kinds of problems with the fuses. Whip off the 2 screws that hold the fusebox on and check the back, if it's corroded, mark where the wires go and give it a clean down with some fine wet and dry and some WD40. If that's not the problem, check the bullet connectors behind the grille as they can corrode, just twist the wiring and see if they come on. If that's the problem, vehicle wiring products or other companies sell replacements.

[Dan]

The sidelight fuse is supposed to be 15 amps. The lightswitch like all the switches is rated to 16 amps. Your lightswitch has melted.

[Ethel]

Hey Ethel,

Thanks for the reply. When the switch went the fuses were ok, do you think me putting the 35a fuse in originally could have blown the switch? But if that happened how come they worked ok on a 25a fuse for 5mins....???

Unless I got it wrong and it's not meant to be a 25a fuse.... I doubt even I could be that stupid tho....

Dave

What Dan says - but the wrong fuse wouldn't cause the switch to melt, just allow it to by not failing. There's still a fault somewhere allowing too much current, because the switch fried it's reasonable to think it's downstream of the switch and because the fuse blew it should be on the tail, sidelight or dash illume circuit.