SLROC Forum

Hi.  My indicators hardly worked, so I cleaned the contacts in the indicator stalk.  Now my indicators still don't work, and my headlights are on all the time, even when the key is out of ignition!   

The only way to switch the headlights off is to disconnect the battery.  The indicator stalk action is very poor, feels weak and is not precise at all.

Does anyone have any ideas as to what the problem might be. 

Cheers
Clive

Ignition switch doesn't control the lights! Sounds like your cleaning of the switch has broken it (you've probably got the flash switch to stay on all the time) If the original problem was the same for both left and right indiators then it is probably the flasher unit that is at fault not the switch.  Suggest you order up new ones as neither is easily repairable and replacements are cheap.

ZD

Are your headlights powered via a relay? If so, either the relay could be knackered, or its switching input could be floating too high due to a fault elsewhere.

How did you clean the indicator stalk? I once destroyed an indicator stalk by drenching its workings with WD40 (hoping to fix a problem with the main beam being stuck on); the WD40 seemed to dissolve something inside the switch, which went all floppy. (This happened in the queue for Mudmaster scrutineering!)

On that occasion, the original problem of the main beam being stuck on, regardless of whether the lights were even turned on, turned out to be caused by a bad earth. I have a buzzer rigged up between my panel light and ignition light (so it buzzes if the sidelights or headlights are on without the ignition), with the result that due to a bad earth, with the result that due to a bad earth, whenever the ignition was on, the switching input to the headlight relays floated at some intermediate level meaning they neither turned off nor on but stayed at their existing setting. Or something like that; it was a few years ago and I forgt the details of the wiring, let alone the fault!

Popular misconception that WD40 is good for cleaning contacts. I has a proportion of oil in it which is a conductor and hence can short out the contacts or leave a film.

If you need to clean conatct best to use and Alcohol spray as once it cleans the contacts it evaporates leaving the area dry.

What I use is ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL.

Tommy

What I use is ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL.

Or Tennents

You have me confused with someone else me thinks

WD40 has its uses but contrary to what has been written above. It contains oil which is an insulator hence why it may affect electrical contacts.  It also contains some highly flamable ingredients that may ignite when freshly sprayed onto sparking electrical equipment.

ZD 

I am still struggling with my headlights:

They stay on, on dipped beam, unless I disconnect the battery.  The side lights are off, and so far I have established the following:

If I disconnect the blue and red bullet connecter behind the radiator grill they go off, but there is 12V power at the blue and red cable that comes from the dash.

If I unplug the blue cable from the light switch at the dash, that heads for the indicator stalk, they stay on.

If I remove fuse number 1/2 under the steering column, they stay on

If I disconnect the multi plug at the back of the indicator stalk, they stay on.

If I disconnect the brown cable feeding the light switch at the dash, they stay on.

I have uncovered all the cables between the bullet behind the radiator grill and the bulkhead, and can find no evidence of a short or crossed wire, and in fact all the cables are in very good condition.

In my un-experienced mind this indicates I have a short behind the instrument panel.

Does anyone have any pointers, because its driving me nuts!

Cheers Clive

Hi,
    Is your series an ex military or civilian version? On some military series 3's there was an extra switch next to the light switch on the centre of the dash, this turned on the headlamps but nothing else for use with infrared headlamp covers.
 If it's civilian and you can't find anything under the bonnet causing the problem and with what you've tested on the list I agree, it looks like a short behind the dash.
Unfortunatly no quick fix and you'll need to work your way through the harness behind the instrument binacle looking for damage.

best of luck,
                 Stevie.

How stupid to I feel - Peter came round to help me with my lights, and after a bit of tracing wires behind the instrument panel, said "what does this switch here do" pointing to an extra switch.  And you guessed it - it switch off the headlights. It seems my SIII has an extra switch at the centre of the dash, that operates the headlights only, and I must have knocked it on at some stage. DOH!!

So thank you to Peter for "fixing" my lights, who went away from my place with a grin on his face.

Cheers Clive

Good to hear you got it sorted.

For cleaning anything electrical, use deoxit as it wont eat plastics. It works by de-oxidizing the electrical contacts, and it works a treat.

chris