30 replies to this topic

[josh austin mini city e 82]

Hi all, hopefully a quick one. Got an issue with my lights, started last week. Had side lights but no dip beam, wiggled some wires round the fuse box and they eventually came on. Was doing that for a few days, sometimes if you leave them on they would come on by them selfs after 5-10 mins. Since yesterday I now have neither side lights or dip beam which I need to sort ASAP. Main beam work on flash but will not come on when toggled at the stork.
Checked fuses and all seem fine bar one, the bottom one does not seem to have any voltage going to it. There is no voltage at the back of the headlamp when light switch is on.
Where should I check next ? Iv had the multi meter on the front bullet connectors but no voltage at them either
Switch seems to be working fine
All help and advice much appreciated !
Thanks
Josh

It's a 1982 city e by the way !

[CityEPete]

OK the bottom fuse only becomes live when the rocker switch is in position one or two, I presume you have no dash numberplate or tail lights either? As you say the switch looks ok not burnt you need to check for power at the switch, feed in, feed to that fuse and feed to the headlights are the 3 connections. As you said wiggling wires helped before I am going to have a stab at the feedwire which is looped (unfused) in and out of the fuse box terminals on the left has broken inside the actual spade terminals sleeve, depending where and which one has snapped depends on what will and wont work, remove each left hand spade connector one at a time and try pulling the wire out of the back of it, replace the spade terminal with a new one crimped on, then clean all the fusebox terminals, check every spade and smear a little vaseline on each one as you put them back and enjoy a mini with better electrics than you ever imagined

[Gremlin]

Just try plugging and unplugging the connector on the back of the light switch half a dozen times

[CityEPete]

Just try plugging and unplugging the connector on the back of the light switch half a dozen times.

 

As wiggling the fusebox wires made them come on before I cant see that being of any help at all?

[josh austin mini city e 82]

Thanks for the replys guys. There is 12v at the switch. I'm going round cleaning up the bullet connectors as we speak there not in great shape changing any connectors that need doing as I go. I'll then move on to the fuse box and do as you have said :)

[KernowCooper]

A 82 City the headlights are not fused standard, you need to check the circuit with a meter all looks ok is no good on electrical, the circuit with wiring colours is in the FAQs Electrical section. Check the feed in and out of the switch and the stalk. Check the wires behind the grill area for dirty contacts, but as the main beam  flashes its more like inside the car, the sidelights are on the fuse so check in out on the fuse box and its connnections

[josh austin mini city e 82]

And yes no tail lights it numberplate light.
Update.
Cleaned up bullet connectors and checked lights, nothing untill I wiggled round the fuse box then they came on. They wouldn't come in before so some improvement. With lights on I have 11v at fuse 4, nothing on 3, 11v on 2 and a very low 0.3v on fuse 1
Fuse 1 being the top one

[CityEPete]

I still think you have a loose wire, it could be hidden in the sleeve of the spade or a break inside the insulation, you can get a voltage reading but when a load bigger than a meter is applied there is not enough power actually flowing to light anything. Also I think this initial feed wire to the fuses comes from the common connection point on the starter solenoid so have a wiggle down there and clean up as needed.

 

As kernow says the actual lights are not fused but the wires are still joined at the fuse box, feed from starter solenoid, up to the fusebox on the second fuse down left hand terminal so that is the one to be checking out, as you are not getting dash lights etc (as I said before) the power is either not getting from the fusebox terminal to the switch in the car or the switch is faulty, faulty switch is a known fault but not when wiggling wires brings it back on.

Edited by CityEPete, 25 August 2014 - 01:13 PM.

[CityEPete]

The top fuse (one) only comes live with the ignition switch fully on.

The one below (two) is constantly live fed from the starter connection and feeds the brake test switch, horn, flasher.

Next one (three) is only live when the key is at the first position, heater blower, washers, wipers.

Bottom fuse (four) is only live when the lighting switch is operated to either position one or two, dash lights, tail lights, number plate.

 

The feeds all come from the left and the items fed wired to the right, so you are either not getting a good feed from the starter or it is breaking near the fuse box (left of fuse two remember) or not going through the switch and back to the bottom fuse/ headlight stork.

[Gremlin]

Just try plugging and unplugging the connector on the back of the light switch half a dozen times.
 

As wiggling the fusebox wires made them come on before I cant see that being of any help at all?

Educate yourself before replying like that again.

[CityEPete]

Why? You gave the advice of plugging the switch in and out and I need educating!lol. Will that help with his fault if wiggling the wires at the fusebox nowhere near the switch makes them come on and off?

Check the switch for function and for voltage as already suggested, trace the voltage at the places I have said or plug the switch in and out a few times! Great advice mate.

[CityEPete]

Is the half dozen a measured amount, will five times work? Will seven times be too many

[Gremlin]

For a start the fusebox only affects the sidelights, as you proved in your explanation and then said that fuse 2 does lights? And when I posted it it didn't seem like he knew as much as he does, he said he had lights when on flash so the fault lies between the starter solenoid and the stalk switch, he didn't say the lights come on and off when wiggling the fusebox he said they came on after a while. Since the connection on the starter solenoid is pretty reliable, the next point is on the switch, the only other thing that could cause it would be the feed to the stalk from the switch

[CityEPete]

Sounds like you need educating not me? Fuse 2's Left terminal has the feed from the solenoid and then out to the switch, two thick brown wires, so you are right its between the starter and the stalk, but it DOES go via the fusebox, just not THROUGH a fuse.

Mine was broken in the original terminal cover, once stripped back and two fresh female spades fitted its perfect, the same fault will explain why he has voltage at the switch but some lower voltages when tested plus the wiggling working before and not now as its probably snapped off all together now.

Picture of the FUSEBOX where the cable DOES go....fuse two left as ive said countless times now

[CityEPete]

For the OP
Page 12.35 of the haynes manual shows it as a line fuse (48) connection 3 of fuse 3-4 (second fuse down left terminal fyi, lol), you can see where the two browns go from there to follow them further. Gremlin is right that you need to be certain about the switch connections more likly burnt out inside if at all, a damaged wire near the fusebox will actualy help ruin the switch as the voltage surges on and off through the switch.

Let us know how you are getting on.