15 replies to this topic

[scotsco]

Right to start its a 1993 sprite (carb) and has a 2 clocks.
Ok, well ill start at the beginning. My wiring loom sort of melted as the brown wire from the inline fuses (hazard/ indicator circuit). It happenned when the fuse holder cracked and it shorted out against the bulk head, this melted the wire and made a few of the surrounding wires not melted but the rubber coating had gone brown on a few of the wires.

So i replaced the brown wire, checked the surrounding wires to make sure they wasn't damaged. I also replaced all the inline fuses behind the airbox with a modern blade type fusebox.

When i first checked, immediately after doing this work, I had no power but replace a fuse under dash and it worked. Everything was fine.

I then drove it today for the first time after the repair and it was fine. Went to drive it again later and no power, so presumed it was the same fuse as before changed it for a new fuse. Still no good.

One wire had come loose from the fuse box with 4 fuses (not the one i put in). I put it in had power radio turned on etc. went to turn it to the next click to start the engine. And I lost power again.

Any ideas what it could be?

I havent really had time to check anything by the way as it is darkish now.

[Barman]

Did you replace glass fuses with blade fuses?

They are rated differently...

[scotsco]

no i had 6 inline fuses which were blades behind the airbox (this is what i replaced). I also have a fuse box with four glass ones.

[minidaves]

check the main cables from the starter lots of later minis had a fuse wire off the starter motor. also check main cables just be logical

[scotsco]

Ok never knew that. And yes i was planning to check everthing over. I was just hoping somebody had a similar experience in the past and could shine some light on the matter! :)

[minidaves]

minis and electrics failing = normal just if your not sure get someone who is

[scotsco]

Sure is had it a couple of months and every problem ive had has been electrical! Ill give it a good looking over and if still none the wiser ill take some pictures of my wiring and the fuse box etc. And ask for some more help.

[tiger99]

The main feed from the starter solenoid ought NOT to have a fuse in it, as it feeds the headlights, as well as everything else, and having one fuse affecting both headlights is illegal. On injection models there are two "fusible links" in live brown feeds, one feeds the engine management system and the other is just to protect against a shorted alternator. Neither of these are implicated here, and in any case yours is a carburettor model.

I recommend that you make a list of what exactly does and does not work, i.e. headlights, sidelights, indicators, horn...... Check EVERYTHING.

Then we can see about localising the problem.

[scotsco]

Ok, so the only thing which does work is my immobiliser. Well it work up to the second click of the ignition then the light stops flashing. That is all that works.

[tiger99]

Well, that points to your new brown wire, or its terminals. Is it as thick as the old one, and how did you make the joints?

[scotsco]

Its thicker than the old one. And it was crimped onto the undamaged part of the wire further down the loom using a insulated butt splice.
I dont know if this will help but i checked the voltages of the wires coming from the ignition barrel and this is what i got.
It had four wires going into it, a brown (earth presumably), a white, white with red stripe and a white with green stripe.
To test it i put one lead to the brown (central wire, then worked my way round the other wires with the multimeter.

When the ingition barrel was of it got voltage to all the white wires.
1st click got me voltage to the white and white with white stripe.
2nd click got nothing other than a very small voltage to the white with red.
3rd click got nothing to any of the wires.

Is that normal?

by the way i will be changing the connections of the brown wires later after ive picked up some more terminals to connect it with.

[Barman]

Its thicker than the old one. And it was crimped onto the undamaged part of the wire further down the loom using a insulated butt splice.
I dont know if this will help but i checked the voltages of the wires coming from the ignition barrel and this is what i got.
It had four wires going into it, a brown (earth presumably), a white, white with red stripe and a white with green stripe.
To test it i put one lead to the brown (central wire, then worked my way round the other wires with the multimeter.

When the ingition barrel was of it got voltage to all the white wires.
1st click got me voltage to the white and white with white stripe.
2nd click got nothing other than a very small voltage to the white with red.
3rd click got nothing to any of the wires.

Is that normal?

by the way i will be changing the connections of the brown wires later after ive picked up some more terminals to connect it with.

Brown is (or should be) an unfused live from the battery.

[scotsco]

In all honesty it very well may be, im useless with electrics really. I would love to know more but most of its so confusing. Anyway im looking in the haynes manual know to see what ive replaced and whether they may have caused my problem.

[JonnyBMX]

good connections are critical, if you do a "thatll do job" with electrics its never going to end well, always best to use proper connectors of a decent qaulity rather then some sort of bodge.

[scotsco]

Ive had no luck, so ive got a mate whos gonna come and have a look this weekend hopefully. I think the connections are good, but im no expert. I will take photos after work tommorow.