Technical Problem with indicators

[tmccar]

My lights/electrics are acting a bit strangely, and I'm not sure if all these are connected, but for one thing, when I turn the ignition on, it takes a few seconds before the dash lights come on.
And my indicators are not working, although the bulbs look fine. Sometimes, when I turn on the indicator, the full light beam will come on also.
What could the problem be?

 

[homeward]

Sounds like you've got a bad earth, somewhere. :chin:

Usual suspects, when lights are involved, are the big multiconnector on the nearside (i.e. left-hand side: as you look from the driver's seat) inner wing, in the engine compartment; and the connectors inside the rear light clusters (where water can get in); and, sometimes, the earth in the boot itself.... If you clean these up, and make sure they're nice and tight; and then cover them in either vaseline or silicone grease, then this might just solve your problem.... :idea:

However, from your post, I wonder if there's a ghost in the machine: and that there's actually a fault with the BSI (body computer), which controls all these things. It could also be a dying battery (or alternator) -- as that can cause all sorts of freaky problems: although I would have expected you to have had power steering-related problems, first. Still worth checking their output, though (first, the battery on its own, with the engine off; then with the engine running; then with everything you can think of switched on...).

Might be worth disconnecting the battery, anyway, overnight; charging it up; and then seeing if your faults are still there....

Let us know how you get on; and apologies for not answering your post sooner.... Any questions -- ask away...!

 

[tmccar]

Thanks homeward. I have eliminated the multiconnector in the rear light unit, because I swapped in 2 working units from a "donor" car. I know that the battery is on its last legs, so maybe this is the culprit. I will check the earth connector in the boot also.
I'm not sure if this is related, but my clock resets to 00:00 after a while, and also there is the delay after you switch the ignition on, before any dash light come on.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

any aftermarket equipment fitted like alarms radios etc

anything else on the car not working?

sounds like you have a short to ground somewhere

 

[s and b]

youve had so many issues with this car its hard to tell
however you broke the chipped key last week ish?
did you swap in another bsi?
if so maybe this has gone off with electrical track failures due to damp storage conditionions?

 

[tmccar]

I checked the earth connectors and they look ok. Still getting the delay before the dash lights come on. Amy other possibilities?

 

[Brendan W]

Try jump starting the car from another known good battery with proper jump leads and see if the behaviour is the same. Try to get the jump lead earth on the engine lifting lug. Did you check the earth strap to the top of the gearbox?

 

[tmccar]

Earth connection look fine and I have swapped in a fully charged battery but no change

 

[tmccar]

Earth connection look fine and I have swapped in a fully charged battery but no change

Should I change the bsi?

 

[homeward]

Earth connection look fine and I have swapped in a fully charged battery but no change

When you say "looked", have you actually stripped it down, cleaned it, reassembled it, and protected it with vaseline/silicon grease, etc....?

 

[Brendan W]

Earth connection look fine and I have swapped in a fully charged battery but no change

The point about the jump is not to swap the new battery in but to bypass the earth paths on the car and use the earth jump lead from the block to the donor battery.

 

[tmccar]

The point about the jump is not to swap the new battery in but to bypass the earth paths on the car and use the earth jump lead from the block to the donor battery.

Ok, I get it. I will test this tomorrow with the donor car.


"When you say "looked", have you actually stripped it down, cleaned it, reassembled it, and protected it with vaseline/silicon grease, etc....?

"

And yes, I disconnected the leads, sanded them down and re-connected them.


One this I have noticed recently is that sometimes, the car will turn over as if the battery is almost dead. Then next time it could be ok

 

[tmccar]

The donor car jump made no difference, but I made a discovery of a lot of corrosion on a multi-pin connector under the wing, near the offside headlight:

I gave it a good clean and then after removing and replacing the fuse, the indicators worked! But my joy was short-lived as it started acting up again shortly afterward. However, I have discovered that if I remove and re-insert the fuse, it usually fixes it. Strange, is it not?

 

[Brendan W]

Not really, electrickery is funny. Get youself a can of spray contact cleaner and go at that plug again and any others you can find and the fuse terminals and the plugs at the rear light clusters. The cleaner will remove corrosion that rubbing or scraping won't.

 

[Ziggy122]

Mine went that funny colour blue - but on the passenger side, as the washer one way valve was weaping
It caused mine to fill with horrible blue gunk just like that

odd how that tho is the driver side since i can see air pipe holder

ziggy

 

[tmccar]

Yes, the passenger side connection was pristine. Anyway, I'm happy to have located the source of problem - thanks for all the tips!