Indicators & Various Electical Problems

[Guest davros]

Dear Team,

Over a year ago I replaced my dashboard & at the time I thought I'd labelled everything properly, but when it came to reassembly I obviously hadn't but being a little skint last year I didn't bother too much with the 'Hood' but now I'm desperate not to miss another driving season. I've got all the dials & their lighting working but the indicators & hazards have got me to the stage were i'm starting to self harm. I'm sure the column wiring is correct but I wanted individual dashboard indicator lights so I spliced them into the side repeater lights & joined the wires to the single dashboard light together, was this correct!. I haven't put the new dashboard in yet so there's plenty of access to the wiring, so I wondering if someone could offer me some advice or even better pop round & give me some encouragement as another year without getting out on the road will 'do my head in' but I know that everybody else will want to be out on the blacktop themselves.

Davros

[Jez Morton]

Does not sound right to me if your dash lights are fed off the repeater then the wiring to the original lamp is obsolete. Don't join the original wires just insulate then so there safe from shorting. Also adding your location will help when asking for help there's always someone nearby.

Jez.

[Guest davros]

Cheers Jez,

I have tried both ways of wiring & neither brought any success & by the way I'm in Shadwell Leeds.

[Longboarder]

individual dashboard indicator lights so I spliced them into the side repeater lights & joined the wires to the single dashboard light together, was this correct!

You should be OK with splicing individual telltale indicator lights into the side repeaters. They should be in parallel with the two wires for the repeaters or you could just take a feed off the positive wire to the repeater and earth the dash bulb at the dash.

Leave the wires for the single dash bulb separate. Do not join them! Just remove the bulb.

 

You say you have various electrical probs but don't say what they are! Some more info might be helpful.

 

Nigel

[Guest davros]

Hi Longboarder,

Really the only electrical problems are indicators, hazards & rear foglight,but after trying to sort them for awhile they grow in your head!

Davross

[Redspec]

Dear Team,

I'm sure the column wiring is correct but I wanted individual dashboard indicator lights so I spliced them into the side repeater lights & joined the wires to the single dashboard light together, Davros

 

 

Hi

 

Have you got 1 or 2 (one for each side) indicator dashboard lights?

 

If you only have 1 you will need to use diodes to stop them 'back feeding' the other side (or relays).

[Longboarder]

I read that as the OP used to have a single indicator dash light and now wanted to have a left and right indicator dash light.

 

Single dash light is wired by taking the positive feed to the left indicators and the positive feed to the right indicators to the two contacts of the dash bulb. No earth and no diodes. When the right side indicators are energised the dash bulb gets a supply to one of its contacts from the right indicator circuits and earths through its other contact through the left side indicator circuit through its three bulbs to earth. It doesn't carry enough current to light any of the bulbs it is earthing through except the dash light. And vice versa. And that also explains why if you switch to separate left and right dash telltale bulbs the old single is removed and the wires are not joined. If you join them both sides are linked and will all fire off, very slowly every time you operate either indicator.

 

Twin dash bulbs just take a feed from each side to its bulb and then to earth. The easiest feed would be the now redundant two wires to the original single bulb but any right side indicator feed can be used for the right dash bulb etc.

 

Nigel

[Guest davros]

Cheers for your replies team, but I was wondering if by not using the original indicator wires that went into the single dashboard light & by just splicing into the side repeater wiring I have upset the hazard light wiring as that isn't working either or whether its all one & the same problem! I know its getting boring but it really is doing my nut in!

Davros

[Longboarder]

Cheers for your replies team, but I was wondering if by not using the original indicator wires that went into the single dashboard light & by just splicing into the side repeater wiring I have upset the hazard light wiring as that isn't working either or whether its all one & the same problem! I know its getting boring but it really is doing my nut in!

Davros

I take it you have undone and insulated the ends of the wires you joined that originally went to the single dashboard light. The splice into each side repeater to a dash bulb and then earth will not unbalance the circuit and should work fine to give separate left indicator/right indicator dash bulbs. Some sierras were done this way. The problem is elsewhere.

I think you have to go through the column switches and the flasher relay. The way the circuit works. With ignition ON there is a live feed to the left column switch Terminal 54. (With all the column switches in off/neutral positions) This passes straight out again from terminal 49 on the column switch to the flasher relay, also terminal 49. Easy first test is have you got 12V at terminal 49 on the flasher relay with the ignition on? That will show if the electric has got this far and thus where to look if it hasn't!

On the flasher relay T 31 is wired to earth and 49A goes back to the column switch Terminal 49A. So assuming the flasher relay is in working order then terminal 49A on the column switch is loaded with flashes and poised to supply then just as soon as it is connected through a light bulb or three and then to earth to complete the circuit. This connecting happens inside the column switch when the indicator arm is moved up or down 49A is connected to either terminal L or R and these obviously are wired out to the cars indicator lights.

Switches do fail, get gummed up or even break. A spray of WD40 might help. Working the hazard button several times might also help. They often get sticky and are moving several contacts.

 

Nigel

 

Hazards share much of the same circuits but get the indicators working first.

[Guest Brian T]

Hmmm just looking at this as I am redoing my dash and want 2 seperate indicator warning lights and was wondering if I may get problems. I'm glad I did ,forewarned forearmed.

 

"Single dash light is wired by taking the positive feed to the left indicators and the positive feed to the right indicators to the two contacts of the dash bulb. No earth and no diodes. When the right side indicators are energised the dash bulb gets a supply to one of its contacts from the right indicator circuits and earths through its other contact through the left side indicator circuit through its three bulbs to earth. It doesn't carry enough current to light any of the bulbs it is earthing through except the dash light. And vice versa.............."

 

Would it work the same way if you were to put in a "link" between the other spade connector on the 2 new lights ?

[Longboarder]

I'm just loafing this weekend. Would you like me to drop in Sunday to see if I can help and to have a general nose, kick tyres etc?

 

Two dash lights for indicators is simple. Take a lead from the output to the right or left indicator circuits, run to a left or right dash light and just take the other side of the dash lights to earth. No link between the left and right circuits at all with two dash lights.

 

Nigel

[Guest MarkB]

Davros, I may be Leeds motor auctions one evening next week, if your not too far off course I could pop over