11 replies to this topic

[28hodge]

Got an odd problem with my dipped lights, we were on the Devils own rally and lost dipped lights towards the end, sides would still work as would high beam and the spots, but not dipped.

Car is a 72 clubman, I've not had a load of time this week so only had a look at it Thursday night and last night but here are the symptoms,

Rocker switch in position one the sides come on as do interior clock lights and rear lights
Rocker switch in position 2 with the stalk on dip and nothing happens but sides rear and interior lights stay on
Stalk into high beam and high beams come on stalk back to dim and lights go out, sides interior and rear all stay on
Rocker switch back to position one and all lights go out.
Rocker switch to off then back to position one and sides interior and rear lights all come back on.

I am assuming that the switch is the issue as all lights disappear when going from position 2 to position 1 but works in position one from the off position. I have looked at all the bullet connectors on the from panel and they are ok, I need to get a multimeter on them today and also on the switch, but the battery was dead in it last night.

Anybody got any ideas, I am not great with electrics so may be missing something obvious

Thanks

[cal844]

Have you put power down the dipped beam wiring?

[28hodge]

Have you put power down the dipped beam wiring?

Not sure I follow what your saying, all lights were working then when we got to a control on the rally I put the lights to dipped so as to not blind the marshals, about 10secs after that the dipped lights went out, stalk to main beam and they came back on so everything was working and had power.

I was hoping it was a knackered bullet connector that would be an easy fix. Without the multimeter I can't check if the dipped circuit has power.

Should also have said all fuses are fine

[Ethel]

You're getting high beam  (stalk forward) and not just headlight flash (stalk pulled back)? The rocker switch should make no difference to dip/high both are fed from it by the same blue wire.

 

You could pull apart the connector for the stalk where it exits the column cowl. On the car side, bridging blue to blue/red should give dipped via the rocker switch. You can use purple (permanent live for flasher & horn) instead of blue to eliminate the rocker switch. Blue/white is to high beam.

 

Only the sidelights have a fuse

[28hodge]

I am getting the flash function that's still working fine, and the horn is still working (but only just its very weak and quiet but I think that's more to do with it injesting quite a bit of water whilst crossing a ford)

I'll head out and get a multi as it sounds like it could be the stalk dip switch which has gone

[Ethel]

If all you are getting is the flasher and no permanent high beam it's probably the rocker switch. If you're stuck you could try prying it apart and turning the  copper slider round. It'd be safer to pull the switch and "hotwire" the connector block, but be sure your bridging wires cant fall out!

[28hodge]

Sorry should have been clearer, I have full high beam and the flasher function the only lights not working are dipped headlights. Unless pressing the rocker switch from position 2 to position 1 when doing that everything goes off

[viz139]

Looks to me like you have two problems proberbly caused by over loading the lighting circuit.  

Are you running higher power headlamp bulbs?( Dip and mains) 

Are you running power to the spots directly from headlights or powered seperatly via a relay from the battery supply?

The light switch has some internal damage as its operating differently in one direction as to the other.

You have proberbly damaged the dip switch or you have a bad connection at its connector with the main loom or recheck the bullets at the slam panel.

[28hodge]

Yep to high power headlights,kinda, they are cibie h180 so nothing daft, and the spots are only rally Giants and operate on a separate switch and have their own relay, all done before I got the car mind.

The rocker is a bit dodgy as when you go from position 2 to position 1 the side light disappear, tap it they come back. However I don't think that's the cause of the loss of dipped beam, I can't think when/if I have ever gone from position 2 to 1 previous so that issue may have always existed.

I have had a multi meter round it this aft, lights on dip I'm getting nothing at the dip switch or at the headlamp terminals. Flasher used or high beam on I get a reading at both headlamps and at the dip switch.

So does this show up a dicky dip switch?

[Ethel]

The wires have been known to break off the stalk contacts. A continuity test across blue/ blue/red of the stalks connector should tell you. You can hotwire the  corresponding terminals on the car side too.

[28hodge]

Continuity test all good. So bridged across from blue to blue/red and as if by magic (and as far as I can see all electricity is magic, black magic at that!) dipped light working.

So that traces the fault to the column stalk, right?

I could just put and solder in a bridge wire I am guessing? But really I want a new switch.

3 other things of note:
1 - the black wire double bullet connector on the front panel for the drivers side light is getting reasonably warm?!
2 - the connector round the blue/red wire within the column stalk looks kind of melted a little
3 - which could be related to the above, the spots are spliced into the blue white wire, the spliced wire runs to the spots switch, which can be operated independently (i.e. I can have high beam on and not have the spots on by turning the switch off) then the spots go to a seperate relay and are wired from that to the front panel. Is this the right way to wire in the spots? Or could this be overloading the circuit?

[Ethel]

3. Yes, the wire from the stalk will be to terminal 85 or 86 on the relay (i.e. the spades that are parallel and opposite, google up a piccy  'n you'll see).

 

1 & 2 could be a sign of local resistance. For the stalk that might be broken strands of copper or the contacts were arcing and burning out. There's a slim chance damp in the headlamp bowl could could cause the bulb holder to short.