sidelights

[ermie571]

Hi folks,
sommat wierd is going on.

I have the square headlights, with the two lamps either side. Ignition on, and I get 2 side lights and 2 rear lights.

Igniton off, and I loose the driver side side light??

Do I need to worry about this...ie is it an MOT issue?

Is is likely to be the switch? Why would it be powered differently because the key is out?

Ansers on the back of a postcard please

Or better still, below!!!!

Thanks all
Em
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[Mocki]

front and rear loss whith key out, or just front?

what age bus?
blade fuses or bullet?

[ermie571]

Agggh...Mocki, sorry, thought I had made it clear....and didn't realise that fuses made a difference

ok 1990 caravelle gl with blade fuses

key in, igniion to position 2 I think (ie lights on dash, no engine) gives all four lights. Take the key out, the two rear ones and the fornt passenger side stay on with lights on side lights, the fornt drivers side goes out.

Haven't checked the parking lights...ought to have done that.

Thanks for coming back though

Em
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[Mocki]

im thinking that its a wire fault on the indecator circuit, or maybe a loose connection on the fuse block.......

if its mot time, and you need a quick fix, lin the two front ones as a temp fix with one wire to get it through

[billy739]

are both front position(side lamps) working?

there is a dim dip feature on later vans in which with ignition on the headlamp bulbs are powered at half voltage as well as the front sidelamp bulbs

when ignition is off and sidelamps are on just the side lamp bulbs work

also remember the parking lights , running through the indicator switch when ignition and side lamps are off

[ermie571]

oooh Billy I didn't know that.....coould just be a bulb...and what I am seeing is the dim feature of the main bulb.....


will have another look!


Mocki - thanks for the quick fix....its not MOT time till end of January.....so time to get it fixed, 80-90 owner styleeeeee (ie ten mins before it goes in.... )

Em
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[Syncro G]

its not MOT time till end of January.....so time to get it fixed, 80-90 owner styleeeeee (ie ten mins before it goes in.... )

Em
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Or you could be a responsable motorist and replace the type 233 bulb that costs under a quid (don't get it from halfrords) today! It doesn't take 10 minutes to do. You will need a flat head screwdriver for the grill and a philips to unbolt the headlamp brackets though. Bulb holder twists out.

As its the drivers side at present if your drivers side headlamp bulb fails you'll look like a motorbike at night so oncomming traffic will be unaware that theres about 1.5m or whatever of van extra sticking on their side of the road. I see lots of cars on the road these days with no lights on one side and it pisses me off. (like the continental aproch, you should carry and be able to replace a blown bulb imedately - much rarer to see cars with failed lamps over there so it must work)

As to wether it'll pass MOT, it shouldn't but it could well do as some testers don't seem to spot if dimdip is obscuring the sidelamps. I've only once been told to make sure dimdip was off, sidelamps only on a fiat I used to have - envolved turning the ignition key to a specal park place on them as the main light switch only works when the key is on (so you can't leave the lights on).

[ermie571]

Glen,

I was only joking. The bulb will be replaced!

I am hoping that is all it is....I have checked what Billy said, and it appears that he is right, and that with the ignition on I am getting the halfheadlight bit.

I checked tha parking lights last night (ones controlled by indicators) - I have the passenger side front and back, but nothing at all on the drivers side. The switching and controls for this system must be a right namemare! I have also noted that the flash doesn't work on the stalk anymore...it just switches the headlights....so will have to find a new one of those...or at least take it apart and see what is going on!

I have also had those indicators fitted that can have a running light in them...so if a bulb does fail at lest there will be a spot of light on the side of the bus.

Point taken about carrying spare bulbs, though

Thanks for your comments re the MOT...but it will be fixed by then...the original question was asked as I did not realise that a bulbe had gone...I thought it may have been a switching issue - just wanted to know if the lights on when key out was part of MOT.

Cheers all - will let you know what happens
Em
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