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Electrics - Enough to Drive me to Drink!


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Well this one takes the biscuit, for me at any rate.

 

In a pre-first run for 2014 run I checked the indicators and the usual pressures and fluids. All was well and off down the road until the first turn, indicators on and the engine died.

 

I re started the car minus the indicators and it started fine until the next corner, same thing happened again. Now the car is on the drive I have had a good look and despite looking and looking some more I am none the wiser!

 

I have disconnected the indicator switch and the car runs fine. The moment I connect the wires for the indicators and the engine dies. (This is not a short from the switch wiring to the steering column then). I have checked all the wiring, run the car minus indicators, all the electrics are fine including the overdrive, lights radio etc. and the alternator seems to be charging and there are no warning lights.

 

Well, I am out of ideas any help would be gratefully received!

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Neil,

 

The flasher unit is working OK, I have checked it and it is flashing when run to earth via test screwdriver.

 

Thanks,

 

Peter

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Hi Peter,

a very long shot. Check the bulbs at the back (indicator/stop/tail).

Quite often when they fail the broken filaments join the wrong parts - have you ever seen flashing tails lights!!

 

Also with the bulbs removed operate your switch again to narrow down the search area.

 

As Neil says, you have a short and it is robbing the 12v to the coil.

 

Roger

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I think Neil is pointing in the right direction. I had the same problem years ago with my daily driver. As soon as I switched the lights on the engine died.

In fact the ignition received a kind of " counter current " via the light ground connection and cut out the engine :(

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If you have a short to ground one of two things will happen:

 

1. you will blow the fuse if there is one

2. you will overheat the wiring if there is no fuse

 

I think this is a high resistance joint. It must be at a point common to the ignition and the indicators.

 

Maybe the ignition switch or one of the fuse-holders. I can't remember if the indicators are fused and switched by the key.

 

Somewhere there is a joint carrying current for both coil and indicators and its corroded.

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Check the wires coming out of the back of the ignition switch. I had intermittent ignition failure on the way back from spa last year. Turned out to be a high resistance joint between the wire and spade connector.

Cheers Tim

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