9 replies to this topic

[minimadjoaeph]

Hello, Ive registered to this forum today because i am in despair with my 2000 cooper sport,
Ive just spent 4 years restoring my w reg 2000 mini cooper sport, New front, wings, bonnet, scuttle, inner dash panel, full respray new lights, rad, screen, etc etc,it is complete apart from a new exhaust, and Ive been quite thorough and conscientious throughout the rebuild to make sure everything is correct, and make sure i double check everything,
Now i have an issue with the lighting system,
Here goes:

When i turn the headlights on one will work fine, dip or main, but the other will only come on dim, and will not switch to main, this doesn't sound to dramatic, but the n/s indicators all glow slightly, and one of the spot lights will work even if the ignition and the light switch are off, the only way to turn it off is to disconnect it!

also the n/s direction indicator on the dash will glow slightly, when you put the hazards on with the lights on they work but very slow, and the auxiliary dials and the 3 main dials will flash alternately!,

I am in despair and feel slightly sick at the thought of it now, am also getting quite frustrated with everyone i have spoken too saying its a bad earth, Ive checked the earths, twice, three times there all fine. even took the tank out to check the earths on the n/s/r lamp!


when i bought the car, i did not use it, it went straight into restoration and Ive done it up exactly how it would have left the factory as it has only covered 40k and has not been messed about with in ANY way even has original CD player, i dont know if the lights worked when i bout it because it was out of mot and like i say never even occurred to me to check or anything, I have tried to brows other posts but all the problems with lights seem to be on older cars with probably dont have all of the multi-plug connectors,

Please can anyone help, I will be extremely grateful, I really want to take it to MITP this year!!

Joseph

[lawrence]

i cant really help you that much i just play with the wires hehe but it sounds like you have some connections interupting each other.
you need to think logically such as devide it into different problems eg:
When i turn the headlights on one will work fine, dip or main, but the other will only come on dim, and will not switch to main
you need to think ok ones fine, however the other has a problem changing from dip, however it has power so thats one less problem
so then you find where the wire for the headlights leads to and that should lead you to your problem such as a unconnected conector

just try breaking down the problems
L

[minimadjoaeph]

Cheers Lawrence, I have spent countless hours on it fiddling, cleaning checking the wires, thers not much i cant sort out when it comes to minis, but wireing just baffles me, so as a last resourt i came on here, to hope someone can go " i had that problem and the cure was....." but im not holding out much hope!

Edited by minimadjoaeph, 18 April 2010 - 08:06 PM.

[minimadjoaeph]

Cheers Lawrence, I have spent countless hours on it fiddling, cleaning checking the wires, thers not much i cant sort out when it comes to minis, but wireing just baffles me, so as a last resourt i came on here, to hope someone can go " i had that problem and the cure was....." but im not holding out much hope!
[/quote]

[lawrence]

you can allways go for the new wiring loom if you really can fix it and have tried, they really dont cost much if you think about the peace of mind it will give you of not being likely to explode or anything!

[Stevie W]

Sorry to say, but it does sound like an earthing problem..maybe a missing earth rather than a dirty earth?

Then again, I had this kind of problem on my series 3 Allaggro, with the panel lights glowing everytime I pressed the brake pedal!!
Turned out to be the rear tail/flasher bulb in the wrong way round!

Hope this helps!!

Steve.

[minimadjoaeph]

I'm going to check all the bulbs, make sure there's not one in back to front, the headlights are both new wonder if the n/s could be faulty? I don't think I have much enthusiasm for a new loom, I'd rather give it up as a bad job! )

[chrisking2021]

Are you still having the problem if so im pretty sure it will be the earth connector under the expansion tank it is a multi plug. i have had this fault and i have replaced this plug with a different type

chris

[mykweb]

Sorry to say, but it does sound like an earthing problem..maybe a missing earth rather than a dirty earth?

Then again, I had this kind of problem on my series 3 Allaggro, with the panel lights glowing everytime I pressed the brake pedal!!
Turned out to be the rear tail/flasher bulb in the wrong way round!

Hope this helps!!

Steve.

I had this exact issue the other day. It's an earth issue. Check the earth point behind the expansion tank. Physically disconnect the plug from where it connects to the plastic connector. Clean all the terminals with a file.

Also it could be the indicator draving the power. Either the indicator relay behind the dash or te driving lamp relay on the inner wing behind the ecu. One is the lamp relay

good luck

mike

[minimadjoaeph]

Are you still having the problem if so im pretty sure it will be the earth connector under the expansion tank it is a multi plug. i have had this fault and i have replaced this plug with a different type

chris

You know what i did remove the expension tank and it did look a bit corroded, it was difficult to clean, infact almost impossible,
Did that new multi earth plug fix the problem?