14 replies to this topic

[nigel5764]

Hi

Need advice again,problem this time with main beam flasher .on pulling stalk up on steering wheel lights don,t flash.i have taken stalks of steering wheel and   checked switch with meter and switch works fine but when re connected still don,t work also all fuses are ok Anyone any ideas ?

[Dan]

Does the horn work?

[nigel5764]

_{HI never noticed but no horn does not work}

[Dan]

You haven't said what car it is but I'm making some guesses. On most Minis the flasher and horn use the same supply. If the switch tests as working at every terminal the problem must be before it. Are you sure the fuse is good, did you test it? Sometimes glass fuses can look fine but actually be broken inside the end caps. Is there a supply at the stalk switch plug?

[nigel5764]

I have a city I looked at switch ,does it not share it with main and dip switch as these work fine .I have checked all fuses with meter and there fine , 

[tiger99]

Perhaps you have not found the applicable fuse, which may be an in-line fuse, not in the main fuse box, on your model? There were so many changes that I can't be quite sure what wiring diagram should apply, but at least the wire colours are always consistent.

 

To identify the correct fuse, the incoming supply will be a brown wire, while the outgoing feed to the horn and headlight flasher circuits will be purple. Check that there really is battery voltage on the purple circuit, broken or corroded fuse contacts, bullet connectors, etc are not uncommon.

 

You should find that the low brake fluid level test switch is not working either, as it is usually fed from the purple circuit. It follows that there will be no warning in case of low fluid level. There are usually (varies by model and year) two outgoing wires from the fuse, one goes to the brake warning test switch, and the other goes to the horn and headlight flasher switches on the steering column.

[Dan]

No the flasher is separate from the regular main and dip.

[tiger99]

Dan, well spotted, I missed that one! I usually get around to mentioning that it is both illegal and dangerous to have a single fuse in the feed to both headlights.... I often get around to mentioning that the common earth return via the manky bullet connectors behind the grille is also unsafe, but in this case that is not implicated, as the headlights themselves work.

[nigel5764]

brake test switch does not work either,have checked main fuses +fuses behind carb all ok,just cleaned fuse holder ends put fuses back in checked brake test light ,it worked tried flasher stalk no joy then brake test switch no longer worked no flasher and no horn

[M30]

If its just the main beam flash that doesnt work, check and clean up the contacts on the cluster. You can see them when you take the cowl off, a bit of emery cloth dragged between them as you pull the stalk forward might just work. I know because I had to do it to mine this week.

 

stu

[nigel5764]

Cheers stu ,new development have cleaned up all contacts on main fuse box and I have the brake test light working and the horn but still no flasher do you mean the cluster behind the grill

                                                    Nige

[nigel5764]

Hi all  !!!!!SUCCESS!!!! Thanks once again to you all cleaned terminals on cluster behind grill and success all works looks like its turned out to be just a cleaning job strange how it can stop just like that as all was working a couple of days ago one more thing learned  Thanks again

                                                                         Nige

Edited by nigel5764, 01 February 2014 - 06:00 PM.

[Dan]

Slightly strange that the bullets at the grille behaved differently for the flasher and the regular main beam. It suggests that one of the two different supply circuits has abnormally high resistance and it will be before the stalk switch. I would suggest you keep checking everything for bad connections and generally do cleaning. Check the back of the main light switch for melting. Everything works better when it's clean.

[nigel5764]

Thanks a lot and will do have ordered some new bullet connectors as the others were corroded a bit.  

[tiger99]

I recommend using lots of contact grease on these connectors to help prevent future problems. If you can't get proper contact grease, use Vaseline, nothing else.