12 replies to this topic

[Mike92]

Hey guys got a problem as you can tell by my title, pretty much I was driving along and the front right lights kept flickering, as I got home i decided to test the lights by flicking the buttons and see if a light has gone at the front, during this the lights switch then stopped working in the middle setting, then all the lights (including rear lights) started to dim and idle went down a bit, and then finally white smoke started coming from the engine bay and I then immediately turned the engine off, but the light switch won't move at all and is stuck in the middle setting with no lights on at all. The rest of the electrics work like the hazards, anyone got any ideas what has happened and how to fix this?

Many thanks, MIke

Edited by PoweRMikE, 23 August 2011 - 08:12 PM.

[AlexMozza]

check all the connections and fuses. Clean up the connection as there could be a short

[Mike92]

I think it may be something to do with the light switch on the centre console, how do you get this out? Sounds stupid I know but don't want to do anything wrong!

Ah right ok will do!

Edited by PoweRMikE, 23 August 2011 - 08:23 PM.

[Dan]

Your light switch and probably its connector have melted. You will need to replace them and a good 6 inches of cable, depending on how far the damage spreads up the loom. As above check the entire loom for damage as much as possible. Disconnect your battery until this is fixed, there is no fusing protecting the headlights on Minis before the late SPi models so the damage could well continue and the car go up in flames.

[Mike92]

Ok will do, I'll disconnect the battery now and have a proper look at it tomorrow. Thanks a lot guys!

[sledgehammer]

quoteing Dan -
"there is no fusing protecting the headlights on Minis before the late SPi models "
Hi
Wow - I never realised that
I will now be putting a Fuse in the supply to the light switch - what ampage would you recommend ???
does the supply come from the un-fused side of the fuse box - if so I'm fitting an aux fuse box next to it anyway to replace the 3 fuses behind the carb

[Dan]

The supply to the lightswitch comes directly from the solenoid.

The rocker type lightswitch is rated to 16A and the circuit as originally designed (referring to '76 to roughly '96 cars) runs around 14.5 amps for most of us so I'd use a 15 amp blade or a 35 amp glass cartridge. It all depends on how good the wiring is though and what accessories may have been added. There have been way too many changes to the wiring over the years for me to be too specific about this.

Doing this will present the problem of the sidelights being double fused, which is very bad practise.

[1984mini25]

It’s a much better idea, although not as simple (more parts and fitting) to add in 2 relays, so all the switch does is switch the relays and nothing else.

[Mike92]

Right I'm sending it in and getting it trailered to a car electrics specialist so I'm sure they'll be able to find the problem and fix it. Will post again when I get it back and see what the problem was.

[Dan]

The problem is most likely corrosion in the wiring, and have you fitted Halogens? And have you fitted a lit light switch? Rover never did, all these thing together cause the switch to melt. Although you haven't said what car it is which makes it hard to be sure.

[Mike92]

Its a 1989 Austin-Rover Mini Mayfair with Halogens, and no it doesn't have a lit light switch, just this switch from MiniSpares http://minispares.co...ty=pb&pid=32592.

[Dan]

Yes this tends to happen just after people fit halogens. All the kits say that fitting halogens is perfectly safe because they draw only a little more current than sealed beams, but the light circuit in Mk4 Minis is already very close to capacity as standard so add 20 years of corroded wiring and connecors and some halogens and it gets to the point where the switch is overloaded and overheats. The extra heat from a bulb in the switch accelerates things, but it will happen sooner or later without one. The best solution as said above is to isolate the dip and main circuits from the switches using relays and fuses, you can even find you get noticeably brighter lights as a result.

[Mike92]

Right ok the guy at the car electrical shop has said the majority of the loom has pretty much melted, so I presume I'm gonna need a whole new wiring loom, is this the right one - http://minispares.co...ty=pb&pid=42382? Also, how long do you guys think it will take a car electrician to fit a wiring loom? Many thanks.

Edited by PoweRMikE, 24 August 2011 - 04:49 PM.