10 replies to this topic

[danielcat13]

Hi everyone,

I have a problem with my dazzling lights on my mini mayfair 1000 from 1984.

The problem is that one day while I was coming home I felt a smell of burning from the steering wheel and now that the winter has passed I would try to solve the problem.

 

I removed the plastic steering column, and I checked with a tester to see if electricity is coming, and there is electricity.

 

Then I thought the problem was the switch on the steering wheel with horn and arrows.
Do you think there is a way to tell if the switch is actually broken before replacing it?

Because I saw that this switch is powered by two cables, one blue / white (low beam headlights and position lights) and the other (which I don't remember the colors) feeds the high beam headlights.

Doing a further test, I took a cable where current was passing and I connected the high-beam plug and the headlights come on, but the cable gets very hot within 2 seconds.

 

Replacing the block of the high beam headlight switch also solves the problem of overheating of the cable?

 

Thanks everyone!

 

 

[gazza82]

Because I saw that this switch is powered by two cables, one blue / white (low beam headlights and position lights) and the other (which I don't remember the colors) feeds the high beam headlights.

Doing a further test, I took a cable where current was passing and I connected the high-beam plug and the headlights come on, but the cable gets very hot within 2 seconds.

 

Replacing the block of the high beam headlight switch also solves the problem of overheating of the cable?

 

Thanks everyone!

 

The main beams should be blue-white and the dipped/low blue-red.

 

If the live feed is getting hot the wire is too thin or there is a high resistance (bad earth/high wattage lamps).

[paulrockliffe]

Your best bet might be to get something like the Wired by Wilson front headlight loom.  The standard setup runs all of the current for the lights through the switches, which isn't ideal as it often leads to the issue you have.  The alternative is to fit fused relays at the front of the car, then the switch wires only run enough current to operate the relays.  Safer and brighter lights.

[danielcat13]

Because I saw that this switch is powered by two cables, one blue / white (low beam headlights and position lights) and the other (which I don't remember the colors) feeds the high beam headlights.

Doing a further test, I took a cable where current was passing and I connected the high-beam plug and the headlights come on, but the cable gets very hot within 2 seconds.
 
Replacing the block of the high beam headlight switch also solves the problem of overheating of the cable?
 
Thanks everyone!

 
The main beams should be blue-white and the dipped/low blue-red.
 
If the live feed is getting hot the wire is too thin or there is a high resistance (bad earth/high wattage lamps).

Yes the cable I’ve used to test was very thin..but do you think that is the switch burned? So I’ve to buy a new one like this one : https://www.minispar...|Back to search

[[email protected]]

Paulrockliffe is spot on here. There is too much current flowing through that wiring (and through the main lamps rocker switch too).

I used to get a burning smell from that rocker and had to pull it and clean/clear it out very often until I placed a relay out by the front lamp loom / bonnet strike panel and routed the main power up from the solenoid to the headlamps, and powered only the relay and the running lamps/sidelights off that switch,

I went two steps further, putting dual-contact LED lamps in the rear brake lamp sockets, further reducing the drain, and now that the draw was so little, I moved the "always on" brown wire feed wire for that rocker switch over to the fuse on the block that is only live when the ignition key is in and turned.

I had previously run my battery down twice by leaving my headlamps on accidentally and now, several years after rearranging the wiring like this, I have never had an issue with my battery or headlights (that wasn't self-inflicted...but that is another story!) because when you pull the key, the headlights go off automatically.

Get a relay in between the main rocker & low beams and a second relay in between the stalk's contacts & the high beams and you won't be pushing anywhere near enough current to burn any more wiring.

[[email protected]]

Oh, and imho, adding the relays was likely less work than pulling the steering wheel off...something you would need to do to install that new switch you linked to!

[danielcat13]

Paulrockliffe is spot on here. There is too much current flowing through that wiring (and through the main lamps rocker switch too).

I used to get a burning smell from that rocker and had to pull it and clean/clear it out very often until I placed a relay out by the front lamp loom / bonnet strike panel and routed the main power up from the solenoid to the headlamps, and powered only the relay and the running lamps/sidelights off that switch,

I went two steps further, putting dual-contact LED lamps in the rear brake lamp sockets, further reducing the drain, and now that the draw was so little, I moved the "always on" brown wire feed wire for that rocker switch over to the fuse on the block that is only live when the ignition key is in and turned.

I had previously run my battery down twice by leaving my headlamps on accidentally and now, several years after rearranging the wiring like this, I have never had an issue with my battery or headlights (that wasn't self-inflicted...but that is another story!) because when you pull the key, the headlights go off automatically.

Get a relay in between the main rocker & low beams and a second relay in between the stalk's contacts & the high beams and you won't be pushing anywhere near enough current to burn any more wiring.

 

I will probably check again the stalk on the steering wheel, because i think the problem is there, but i can't find the relay of the lights. Pulling out the steering wheel is the minor problem, because i've mounted a wooden steering wheel so no problem here.

 

Before buying a new stalk is there a way to check if the problem is there? and second, as you sai which kind of relay i've to place between the lights?

 

Thanks

[paulrockliffe]

There won't be a relay for the lights.  There isn't really a fix for this issue, at least not one that you can know is reliable, other than to add a relay, there's simply to much current being drawn through the switch for it to be reliably safe.

 

It's not the steering wheel you need to remove, the boss needs to come off as well, which you either need a puller for or you need to take the steering column out as well.

 

You should have a Google of relays and make sure you understand what they do, how they work and how they're wired, if you understand relays then the rest is obvious and you'll do a better job sorting this out.

 

I don't know why they're called relays exactly, but I think they're better thought of as remote switches.  You wire them in as if they're the switch for the headlights, but you don't need to be able to reach them from your seat, so imagine an on-off switch under the bonnet.  You can run the power from the starter solenoid and earth onto the engine in short lengths of thick cable all neat and tidy with all the high current contained in a short loop of the right wire.  Then your existing stalk switch turns the 'switch' (relay) you've just fitted on and off using the existing wiring.  You only need a tiny current to switch the relay, so the current flowing through your stalk is much much lower.

 

It's slightly more complicated than this because you have the change-over function between headlights and main-beam, but you can use the existing wiring to carry on doing the changeover; use a relay for headlights and another for main beam.

 

When doing this the other thing to bear in mind is that this new loom should be fused and that having a fuse for each light and beam means that one light failing won't take out the other.  Your car doesn't have this as it is, so if you don't do it it's not making it any less safe, but it's daft not to fix this risk now while you're doing this.  You can get relay holders that feed several fuses.

 

If you search for "Wired by Wilson" you'll see he sells a loom that covers all this and is designed to fit in the Mini, you could save money doing it yourself, but not enough that it's not worth buying that loom in my view.

[viz139]

Fitting extra relays is highly recommended if you want to fit higher wattage headlamps or add extra spot lights but for the standard setup the wiring and switches have been designed to carry the necessary power required. There are cheaper light switches on the market that do overheat so buy from a reliable source.  I would think from your description that by dazzling (maybe google translate)you actually mean flickering on off. If this is common to both dip and main beam it is most likely the light switch on the dash. There are two feeds in the wiring block, the blue wire feeds the dip or the main beam, whichever is selected. The purple wire feeds the horn but also the main beam when you pull to flash. With the light switch on make sure you have 12v at the blue wire.

Some nice Mini driving roads in you area.

[[email protected]]

That https://www.wiredbyw...roducts-prices/ looks like a great resource!  Thanks for sharing!

 

Would also like to contribute these two resources:

 

A generic write up of troubleshooting issues like this: https://www.howacarw...indicator-stalk

 

A detailed break-down of the control stalk on an MGB - very similar to a Mini's - so hopefully helpful: http://www.mgb-stuff.org.uk/dip.htm#1

 

And a simple diagram for the introduction of relays into the mix: http://www.gtsparkpl...ersion-840x.jpg

 

But definitely independently fuse the high and low beam circuits/lamps AFTER the relay as well.  Use progressively smaller fuses from the one between the battery and the relays - or in the Mini's case the always-live terminal on the starter solenoid and the new relays.

Edited by [email protected], 25 April 2019 - 10:05 PM.

[nollyd]

Did u manage to sort this.i had a problem with getting thru light stalks.in the end i found i had problems at the fuse box.corroded connections that were arking out.changed to a new fuse box and new connectors and fingers crossed i havent had a problem in 12 months.just a thought i thought u may want to try.