6 replies to this topic

[Macast]

As with Minis, this only happens when it feels like it wants it to happen, but tonight, I had to flick my headlight switch for about 20 minutes before they decided to come on. I had to drive home with just the sidelights on and NO other lights on at all, not even inside. Eventually I pulled over after about 10 minutes and kept flicking the switch and they did come on. Once I got back home I was flickin' the switch as many times as I liked and they were fine.

 

Is it just the switch? I only changed it a few months ago. No ideas, this really has me stumped. It literally does it when it feels like it. Most of the time I get in it and they just come on straight away, but then you get this time, usually at least once per week when it just won't have it.

 

Thoughts? Ideas or suggestions? Any help will be help!

 

Cheers.

[KernowCooper]

Yes look like the switch to me, but slip it out and check the feeds but I suspect the contacts are dirty/burnt

[Tamworthbay]

Mine was like this when I bought it. The switch can be stripped easily enough. Inside there are metal contacts, I cleaned them with brake cleaner then used a bit of autosol polish on them. No problems since.

[tiger99]

If the problem has been correctly described, it is NOT ONLY the light switch, as that has no connection al all with the interior lights. I stronly recommend not driving it at all at night until yourself or someone else has positively located and fixed the probably multiple problems in your electrical system. Likely the cause will be corrosion at terminals in various places.

 

As a routine precaution, I would suggest changing the light switch anyway, as they are never all that reliable after being repaired, and the possible sudden loss of headlights on a dark road is a very serious matter indeed. But you then need to systematically list everything that does and does not work, so that the possible points of failure can be narrowed down.

[Carlos W]

I take it by interior lights the OP is referring to instrument cluster lights?

[Macast]

I take it by interior lights the OP is referring to instrument cluster lights?

Yeah, the instrument lights, but then only my side lights outside were working, the rest didn't come on (dipped, brake lights, registration plate lights ). I just went outside a second ago to check and they work perfectly now. It just does it when it feels like it. Will get a new switch anyway, but I've had this switch for 5 months.

[tiger99]

The brake lights are on an entirely seperate circuit. But, dealing with the main problem first, check and clean the bunch of brown wires on the starter solenoid main battery terminal, and any brown wires at the fuse box, as one of the browns is the live feed to the light switch, and a problem there will take out side and headlights, as well as dashboard illumination. There is never a fuse involved in the headlights (on later cars there are 4 seperate fuses), but sometimes the brown feed is joined at a fusebox terminal. Often the wire corrodes and breaks under the insulation, just inside the crimp.