13 replies to this topic

[Gsi_Joe]

I've done a search but cant seem to find a definitive cure

First of all, it was a 20amp fuse that had blown, so I replaced it with another 20amp, is this the correct one??

Failing that, what else could it be??

If I need to order a part I could do with it for Saturday so help me please!


Many thanks,

Joe

[mini_dave]

I think that it should be a 25amp fuse, so thats probly why it keeps blowing. Thats if you have the 4 mains fuses. If you only have a 2 main fuses then i think it should be a 35 amp fuse...

[Gsi_Joe]

Thanks for the feedback Dave

It originally had a 4-fuse fusebox (with the 'glass-cylinder' fuses), but this has since been replaced with a 'modern' fusebox with colourful 'plastic' fuses, so should it still be a 25?? (sorry I dont much about electrics!)

Is there anywhere that will tell me for definite what fuse should be there?? My girlfriend has an old Haynes (1969-1984) and mine is a 1985 model, should the fuses still be the same though??

Many thanks,

Joe

[mini_dave]

Ive just checked in my hanynes and its 25amp, if it still blows when you have that in then you might want to start looking at the circuit as somethings might be shorting out causeing it to blow.

[Sprocket]

Remove the complete wiper mechanism and motor, strip and regreese everything. greese the bearings in the motor and try it again. I f it still blows fuses then the motor is most likely duff or there is a wiring fault.

[Garagiste]

Dan is the expert on Fuses and 'leccy stuff, but I recall him saying before that glass and plastic fuses are labeled differently. A 25a glass fuse = a 10a plastic one, so if you've got a 20a placcy one in there and it's blowing, then you do have a problem as I think the fuse is twice the rating it should be.

I reserve the right to have misunderstood him completely though!

Edited by Garagiste, 26 October 2006 - 01:22 PM.

[Gsi_Joe]

Thanks for the feedback people, a mate (electrical engineer) said that it wont be anything to do with the fuse, but is more likely to be the wiper motor??

Dan is the expert on Fuses and 'leccy stuff, but I recall him saying before that glass and plastic fuses are labeled differently. A 25a glass fuse = a 10a plastic one, so if you've got a 20a placcy one in there and it's blowing, then you do have a problem as I think the fuse is twice the rating it should be.

I reserve the right to have misunderstood him completely though!

Could do with Dan's help then please!

Joe

[Gsi_Joe]

Or anyones help?! Please!

[taffy1967]

Try replacing the wiper motor park-switch because when these fail they can cause fuses to blow and gauges to misread too!

So if your wipers don't park themselves anymore or are temporamental, then definitly try replacing the park-switch first because it's cheap and easy (just swap the little white plastic unit fitted on the rear of the wiper motor).

And here's the offending item and the correct wire colour sequence too:-



Oh and here's a run down of all the fuses and in-line fuses which should relate to your Mini too:-

The fuses in the standard 4 fuse box mounted on the bulkhead

1: 1-2 35amp Brake Lights, Reverse Lights, Direction Indicators & Rear Screen Demister.

2: 3-4 25amp Horn, Headlamp Flasher, Brake Failure Circuit & Radio Memory.

3: 5-6 25amp Heater Blower Motor, Windscreen Wipers, Washer Motor & Instruments.

4: 7-8 15amp Side & Tail Lights, Panel Lights & Instruments.

The circuits covered by fuse 1 only operate with the ignition switch at position “II”.

The circuits covered by fuse 3 only operate with the ignition switch at position “I” or “II”.

The following fuses are in-line Fuses situated behind the air-filter on the bulkhead:-

15amp - Purple/Orange Wire Hazard Warning & Interior Lamps

15amp - Brown/Orange Wire Dim-Dip Lighting

10amp - Blue/Orange Wire Rear Fog Guard Lamps

15amp - Blue/Red Wire Auxiliary Cooling Fan (where fitted)

[Gsi_Joe]

Cheers Taffy!!

They are working for now, with a 'modern' plastic 10amp fuse, but only wrok on the super-fast speed!

Perhaps a related problem, my stereo doesnt work, which (I think!) is wired somehow into the heater/blower, which is also not working!

So even with the fuse replaced, the wipers sort-of work (fast-speed only), and the washer-motor works, but the heater/blower and stereo don't work at all?!

I'll order a switch then and get it replaced to see if that helps, fingers crossed it will!


I'm also wanting any other possible causes/suggestions/help!

Ta!

Joe

[Sprocket]

Have you not read previous posts!!!!!

[fikus01]

i swear the indicators arent spuulied on the top fuse!! could be wrong!! thought they were supplies from the orange and green!! fuse 3!!

[taffy1967]

i swear the indicators arent spuulied on the top fuse!! could be wrong!! thought they were supplies from the orange and green!! fuse 3!!

Not according to the Haynes Mini Manual and my own Mini Owners Handbook.

So even with the fuse replaced, the wipers sort-of work (fast-speed only),

Well check the connections on the back of the wiper motor, because it could be that the coloured wires as shown in the photo above have come loose or broken. This would cause your wiper motor to only work on certain speeds too, unless the whole unit is knackered or needs repairing (if possible?).

[Gsi_Joe]

Well there was a 'black' wire in that switch thing that was in a sorry state, so I wrapped some insulation tape round it and tried to get it to connect as best as I could...

But I thought while i'm at it, i'll give all the connections a good cleaning, so pulled the switch out, got the sandpaper on it as well as a handy multi-tool jobby.

But on re-assembling the bugger, I couldnt actually plug it in On pulling the plug out, i'd also taken a couple of copper 'connections' out too, no problem I thought, it just gives me the chance to clean them up too.
But I cant for the life of me get the connections to all 'meet-up'. There are five 'copper things', two of which are now in the plug which is now not attached to the car, the other three remain fixed to their housing under the bonnet.

It's in a right awkward place too, the wiper motor and bonnet-pin holder take away any chance of actually seeing what i'm doing and I cant get any leverage at all.

I really dont want to take the wiper motor out because you can bet your life that i'll make a balls-up of it and as it stands, i'm probably going to have to take it to a garage and saort of say "umm, can you fix this, I kind of tried but made it a lot worse, as usual".

I'm just not made to work on cars