26 replies to this topic

[The Joker]

Hi there! I'm relatively new to Minis (or cars in general) and I've just discovered my front lights don't work. I think it's something to do with the switch because the lights work if I pull the indicator stalk back to 'flash' someone but not when I push the stalk forward.. Also the fog light doesn't work as it would only work when the lights are on full beam. Would a broken fuse be responsible for this? 

Edited by The Joker, 27 December 2013 - 11:35 PM.

[Kieranlee999]

check the fuses along the front scuttle and if you have the 4 fuses check the bottom one. If they haven't blow then check the connections it might be a dodge earth or something along them lines or a short circuit if not then change the switch they arent that much from minispares and if you get TMF+ then you get some money off as well :)

[jaydee]

Main beam its not fused

Flashers should use a relay feeded by the rocker switch

but i'd still investigate the switch first

[The Joker]

Right okay thanks guys! :) 

[corrado vr6]

I would be checking the connections under the front slam panel, so where the bonnet pin goes, there is a whole bundle of them, pull them apart clean and put back

[welldc]

Had the same problem and found a bunch of in line fuses under the dash, above the steering column.

One of them was brown and shaped like a banana, obviously been hot. Strangely, the fuse looked ok.

 

Replaced the inline fuse holder and put in a new fuse. Got headlights back.

 

Even though the glass fuse looked OK, when tested, it was a dud.

[tiger99]

There is NEVER one single fuse that would take out both headlights. It is illegal and dangerous. What sadly is legal, but dangerous, is the way that both headlights are earthed back to the bulkhead by a single black wire, which usually fails due to corrosion at the bullet connectors already mentioned. For safety's sake, you should add a seperate earth for each headlight.

 

However, if the flasher works and the lights do not work from the switch, the earth is intact, and the problem is the light switch, or the blue wire between there and the dip switch.

[The Joker]

I replaced the switch and checked the 4 fuses on the scuttle panel and they seem to be ok too but still the same problem exists :/ welldc, did you say there are fuses just above the steering column behind the dash?

[CityEPete]

I have been doing work in this area just today so its quite fresh, what year car is this for a start?

 

fuse 7-8, the bottom one only gets power when the lighting switch is operated so first question, do you have sidelights all round and the instrument cluster on? if so then you must have power at the switch if not then the problem is before there. The feed to the switch is a brown wire which should be constantly live as it comes from the same source as the feed to terminal 3 via the starter solenoid, there is no fuse!

 

A multi meter on terminal 3 (left side 2nd one down) would be a good start if you have 12v there then try turning the switch on to see if you get any voltage on the bottom terminal same side (7).

 

The wiring diagram shows the brown wire as being commoned up on terminal 3 with the incoming feed from the battery, mine is so I would check that is on yours and that it is solid, mine broke off today as I was removing it for repairs (see my project thread as its all about what you are doing).

 

I made an idiots guide that I will try and upload for you now, it should help you a lot!

Edited by CityEPete, 28 December 2013 - 06:32 PM.

[CityEPete]

here you go

[CityEPete]

You can see the flasher is fed via fuse 3-4, thats why that still works so I doubt its the stork as you would get either dip or main from the rocker on the dash if it broke in one position or the other, more likely you have no power either in or out of the rocker on the dash.

 

The rocker connections are

Brown- positive in constant live no fuse remember

Blue- feed to stork for dip and main and also the inline fuse for the fog light (this is your problem imo)

Red- feed to fuse 7-8 , all the dash lights and side lights etc.

 

If you have dash lights you have power into the rocker for a start, see where that gets you. You could find all manner of after bodge fuses/relays etc especially if its had spot lights and stuff.

[Kieranlee999]

if you checked there is no bare metal wire touching the car? my headlights kept touching the metal headlamp bowl so i cut a section out and now it works :)

[Dan]

  Pull the light switch out of the dash, it's probably a bit melted at the back.  There are no fuses or isolating relays in the headlamp circuits as standard (other than the fuse shown above for the flasher), some cars have a dim-dip relay but it can't cause this level of failure.

[welldc]

I replaced the switch and checked the 4 fuses on the scuttle panel and they seem to be ok too but still the same problem exists :/ welldc, did you say there are fuses just above the steering column behind the dash?

There are on mine...................and they look original. Same as the ones on the bulkhead.

 

As an aside, can anyone tell me if a 93 Mayfair would have had halogen headlights originally, and if not, is the original wiring good enough for modern day halogens?

[KernowCooper]

If yours is a 4 fusebox car then having the lights fused on one fuse is dangerous and should be removed and a solid connection made, the only Minis that had the headlights fused were the later cars with the 24 fuse fusebox and they were fused side for side so you dont loose all lights if a fuse blew.