Lights????

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Thu Dec 26, 2013 10:35 pm

Side/Rear/Fascia lights have started playing up lately.

At first they occasionally didn't come on first time but usually came on after a bit of jiggling of switches etc.

Tonight nothing I did would get them working. Until tonight I hadn't realised it wasn't just the instrument lights that were out, but after much flashing from a Freelander behind me on the A.14 I realised I had no rear/side lights either.

Question is where is the best place to start checking?

The Fuse box or a particular relay somewhere?

Anybody had the same problem and got any suggestions.?

Post by **g8dhe** » Thu Dec 26, 2013 11:23 pm

Fuses aren't normally intermittent, I would start with the relay as its easiest to reach (3rd from the front nearside wheel arch) and then the Stalk switch - possibly more likely - but less easy to reach ....

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Thu Dec 26, 2013 11:53 pm

g8dhe wrote:Fuses aren't normally intermittent, I would start with the relay as its easiest to reach (3rd from the front nearside wheel arch) and then the Stalk switch - possibly more likely - but less easy to reach ....

That shows the headlights which are working OK, are side/fascia lights in the same place?

mikeWalsall · Post by **mikeWalsall** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:46 am

I think the headlights have a separate relay ..

Although protected with a rubber 'boot' they are vulnerable to rain water over flowing the wing 'gutter' ..maybe try giving the wires wiggle .. the relay a tap with a screw driver / spanner .. and spray with WD40 ..

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 12:54 am

mikeWalsall wrote:I think the headlights have a separate relay ..

Although protected with a rubber 'boot' they are vulnerable to rain water over flowing the wing 'gutter' ..maybe try giving the wires wiggle .. the relay a tap with a screw driver / spanner .. and spray with WD40 ..

Thanks - looks like that is on the same side as the leisure battery?

wonkanoby · Post by **wonkanoby** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 10:37 am

correct

Post by **g8dhe** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 11:44 am

Yes the relay top right of centre switches on the Tail, Number & Side (TNS) lights as they call them hence all the feeds on the far right to all the locations.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 5:15 pm

Checked the relay, no power to any of the contacts when sidelights switched to on - there is power at the fuse marked <Tail> in the fuse box under the bonnet.

So it looks like the stalk switch needs looking at.

mikeonb4c · Post by **mikeonb4c** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 6:09 pm

Interesting thread this scanner. I can see more of this happening to our ageing fleet. Let us know how you get on, and good luck.

M 80NGO · Post by **M 80NGO** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 11:16 pm

Do the main front lights work ? My money's on the switch / stalk, the brass contacts in the roller get dirty / worn, Ford's of the era also suffer with this, place a rag around the roller and squirt some electrical cleaner in there, let it penetrate turn the lights off and on 20 times and see if this cures it,.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Fri Dec 27, 2013 11:39 pm

M 80NGO wrote:Do the main front lights work ? My money's on the switch / stalk, the brass contacts in the roller get dirty / worn, Ford's of the era also suffer with this, place a rag around the roller and squirt some electrical cleaner in there, let it penetrate turn the lights off and on 20 times and see if this cures it,.

Yes it's just the side/rear/instrument lights that don't work, headlights work perfectly.

I'll get the switch out over the weekend and clean it up.

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 4:13 pm

Checked relay again after playing with the switch to see if there were any clicks - tested it across the battery and it appeared to work OK.

Decided to swap it with the headlight one to check it was operating OK and headlights still worked perfectly - as before.

Couldn't be bothered to swap it back so put the headlight relay onto the sidelight circuit - AND - guess what sidelights etc. now work perfectly.

Sidelight relay had been off and on it's connector several times yesterday without it working, so it surely can't have just been a poor connection - can it?

Spooky!

David Edwards · Post by **David Edwards** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:09 pm

Well I had no dipped or main beam coming home from centre parcs in November, couldnt find what the problem was but my local guy took the relays off, cleaned em up and cleaned the contacts and again, worked perfectly after.

mikeWalsall · Post by **mikeWalsall** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 6:39 pm

A relay is similar to a 'Ding / Dong' door bell ..

It is a simple magnet that gets energised when lecky is passed to it .. the magnet closes (or opens) 'heavy duty' contacts .. to make (or break) a circuit ..

It is common for the contacts to make a poor contact with the lecky arcing across when opening and closing so many times in there life .. in some cases the contacts can even get 'arc' welded together ..

Did you try the simple trick of giving the relay a sharp 'tap' with a spanner .. as that can 'jolt' the electro magnet / contacts into action ..

scanner · Post by **scanner** » Sat Dec 28, 2013 8:02 pm

mikeWalsall wrote:Did you try the simple trick of giving the relay a sharp 'tap' with a spanner .. as that can 'jolt' the electro magnet / contacts into action ..

Yes tried that during the first round of checking it out.

But didn't try putting the coil circuit of the relay straight across the battery then, maybe that freed it up.

Lights????

Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????

Re: Lights????