10 replies to this topic

[new_van_man]

Hi Ya,

 

Trying to get the old girl back on the road. Been stood for 6 months

 

Thought i'd do a quick check before taking for mot of lights etc.

 

I was very disappointed!

 

So this is what works: (its short list)

 

Dipped beam ok but no dash lights, High beam (sealed beam headlamp ok, halgoen headlamp has nothing when stalk pulled on flasher,

Heater works, wiper motor works

Ignition lamp lights red.

Radio works

 

Heres what not working:

 

No rear lights at all, no number plate lights, tail lamps, dash lights, side lights, fog light, reversing light, hazards or indicators.

 

So basically not much!

 

I was so cross after spending all day doing other jobs, that i havnt begun to investigate this.

 

Does anyone have ideas what could be the cause?

 

If thing one of 3 things; fuse box corroded, inline fuses or connectors from front to rear loom.

 

Fuses did look ok, but not put a meter on them yet.

 

Need the car for the weekend so get to get it sorted asap.

 

Regarding the halogen main beam it take it is normal when go from dipped beam to main beam (if bulb faulty there should be nothing?)

 

Any help would be much appreciated.

 

 

[Ethel]

I'd be looking at earths for the rear lights - though you didn't list brake lights and that'd be affected too.

 

The interior light and hazards share the same fused supply (also the horn). Side, tail, dash etc are on one fuse too.

[nicklouse]

time to get the multi meter out. check voltage at fuses at lights etc.

[new_van_man]

Brake lights dont work either! nothing at rear at all!

 

I hate electrics with a  passion!

 

By earths you mean the terminal where it bolts to the chassis from rear light clusters?

[slidehammer]

Unfortunately you just have to start working your way through connectors and earth points cleaning up as you go. Once you start getting a few bits going it spurs you onto getting more sorted. I would start with connectors in the boot and check there is power to them.

[Ethel]

The earths are the black wires, yes where they attach to the body is where they are most likely to cause multiple failures. As Slidehammers says, 90% of vehicle electrics are very simple, it's just a matter of identifying, and focusing on, the right bit and not allowing the rest of the rat's nest to  bamboozle you. You manage to get your head round a far more complex system every time you manage to get home when out driving your Mini. 

[new_van_man]

i take the way to test this is to turn lights on and put a meter on feed to light and chassis of car and see if getting 12v?

[new_van_man]

ok guys so i thought id give an update on my electrical woes! some sucess some failure!

 

Swapped a fuse or two - this solved side and tail lights, and stop lights

 

Fog light - the wire had disconnected itself from lamp holder and wire had broken from inline fuse! inline fuse removed and blue wire from lights joined to fog lamp feed (purple and orange wire?) is this ok?

I generally hate fog lights they never work at MOT but this proved an easy win!

 

So generally all working BUT

 

Indicators and  hazards are proving to be wierd?

 

Indicators work and hazards sort of. Basically if you turn theindicators on they work. but if you turn hazards on they work but then turn them off and try the indicators again, the indicators dont work until you turn key off wait abit and then turn on again and they magically work again what the hell. This has been driving me mad as i cant figure it out. Only can assume it might be a dodgy switch or indicator flasher unit? sometime a wiggle of the hazard switch body (not the rocker helps) poss dodgy wire at switch or switch itself?

 

Anyone got any ideas?

[new_van_man]

p.s everything else works MOT day tomorrow! Hope fully get teh old girl back onthe road asap ive missed her!

[new_van_man]

Any one know what the two wires on the side of the switch do? (green and black) assume live feed green and black is earth? and switch enegrises the bottom 4 terminals when hazards on and bottom two when hazards off? Is this right?

 

Do these switches fail often, ive never hada problem with one before and had alot of minis?

 

Do teh flasher units fail often? is this more likley to be my problem?

[Ethel]

The terminals on the side are for the bulb in the switch, on hazards it's supplied off one of the 4 common terminals (the other 3 are supply from hazard flasher, left turn indicators, right turn indicators. The other pair of pins route the indicator flasher to the column stalk, so they turn off when the hazards turn on.

 

Try removing and refitting the hazard switch as an alternative to turning off the ignition.