4 replies to this topic

[mk=john]

Hi
As part of my 1960 mini restoration, I have hooked up the wiring for the headlights. Before I dismantled everything for the resptoration, I labelled up every wire and connector, and so I know that everything is in the right place now.

However, with the ignition on, the lights are behaving strangely. Sidelights seem to work OK, but when I try the headlamps, ther dont work at all, but only the nearside indicator comes on!!

Anyway, I have hooked up 4 wires to each headlamp, and one of these is an earth wire to the headlamp bowl. Should the bowl itself be earthed to the body? I mean, when it is screwed in place?

If not, then it makes no sense why the main headlights don't work!

Any ideas?
Thanks
John

[E-Tizzle]

have u made sure the bullet connectors in front of the grille are clean and good.
thatll be one of the first things people say when it comes to lights.

just take the wires out clean then with sandpaper and touch them together, if they light up then put them back in the bullet connector, if they dont light up after that then the connector is all dirty and needs to be replaced or all filed and cleaned inside.

if they all still dont work either way then wait for someone else to post.

[booton]

the bowls don;t need to be earthed.

where is the blac earth wire going to.

it could be you asking to much of one earth cable if all the black earth cable are joining to gether.

u could test with a jump lead. buy earthing it straight to the car rather than through the wiring loom.

mini have terrible earths through the wiring .

[booton]

also the indicator comes on because its would the the shortest earth to the body as the indicator earths striaght to the body. so that tell me you have a bad earth as its flowing though the indicator.

[adam_93rio]

a bad earth can cause all sorts of problems, i would go through and make sure everywhere is making good connection to the body.

the mk1's had steel headlamp bowls which would have the earth wire from the wiring attached to it. then when this screws to the body it earths the whole lot.

we had loads of problems with lighting on my dads mk1 where you could turn the headlights on and get ignition lights. then start the car.

this was narrowed down to a bad earth at the back of the speedo. so proves that a bad earth almost anywhere can cause problems.

edit: as said above, but i would look at the indicator being a bad earth.

Edited by adam_93rio, 23 June 2010 - 09:15 PM.