Club 80-90 Forums

Hi everyone!

The Syncro's recently gained a rather annoying electrical issue. My dipped beam wont work, neither will the offside front and rear side lights, rear fogs,or my wipers. But, when i pull in and hold the full beam stalk the wipers, lights, and rear fogs work again.....

Ive checked the bulbs, fuses, earths behind the fuse box, earths for the batteries, earths in engine bay. The only thing i havent managed to do yet is take the steering wheel off and check the stalk connectors as i dont have a socket big enough. Could it be that?

Im an absolute novice when it comes to the electrics.....

i can hear the relays 'click' when various things do work when holding the full beam.

The fault didnt just happen, it started a week or so ago, but when i switched the ignition on and off it fixed itself, but not anymore!

On another point - could be related but not sure..... the van wont start sometime because of the starter motor. It just clicks but nothing happens, but if i keep trying it will fire up. This problem has been a nightmare as ive changed the starter motor which seemed to fix it, then it gimped up again so i put the original bosch one back it once i tested it on a bench. worked fine for a while, but now its gone iffy again. It will always work, but sometimes i have to turn the key a few times. Do you think there could be a fault with the ignition barrel its self? which it turn now affects the problem mentioned above?

im stumped, and i HAD to do an airport run last night in the dark, so i had to wedge a little stone behind the full beam stalk to keep it on- apologies if you were blinded last night around heathrow but atm the lights are all or nothing!

Anyone had similar problems?

this should be in technical.....
so i have moved it......


the iffy starting could be the key switch, or the signal wire from it to the starter motor ( the small spade connection.)
to rule the wire out run a second wire from the ignition switch to the starter alongside the original.

the ignition switch could be causing the lighting fault to , as your headlights only work with the ignition running normally.

if not, it sounds like it maybe the feed from the headlight switch accross to the fuse box.

Thanks for the reply and moving the post,

Checked either end of the headlight switch and it seems immaculate,

Ive just been reading up on the ignition switch a few people have mentioned lighting faults so i think ill check that. Will i need to take the wheel off and all the stalk switches to get to it or can i just take the plastic cowling off and get to it from underneath? Maybe these iffy lights are a clue for me to get to the bottom of the starting issue!

Sounds familiar, I still haven't found the cause of my starting issue its quite rare though. Never quite sure how to put this second wire into the ignition to starter without removing the existing wire (red black goes to starter) out of the plastic block that plugs in to the bottom of the ignition.

One trick is to have a short lead with a spade connection on, and go from the starter spade to the positive on the battery while the key is in ignition position, if it starts straight away then the starter is OK issue is with the wiring at least will rule out the starter motor. the only other thing I have done is to rig up an analogue needle type meter to give a reading of what voltage is getting to the starter motor solenoid. leave it in situ so you can catch it when it misbehaves. I have a mystery side light issue but never though they would be related. I am unravelling a poor tow bar lighting electrics job so its a bit of a magical mystery tour for me so far. Are there any alternative wiring using bodge connectors?

Hacksawbob wrote:Sounds familiar, I still haven't found the cause of my starting issue its quite rare though. Never quite sure how to put this second wire into the ignition to starter without removing the existing wire (red black goes to starter) out of the plastic block that plugs in to the bottom of the ignition.

?

it should be sufficient to just push the temp wire in the connector block nect to the original to rule the signal wire out TBH, but you will need to remove the original at the starter end and replace with the temp wire with its own spade connector, or you are pprooving nothing!!

and to the OP, yes you can get to the connections of the switch without removing anything but the cowling.....

excellent, ill have prod around with the ignition switch tonight and see if i can figure it out, thanks for quick replies!

Starter issue aside....check the earthing crowns on the nearside above the fuse box. When ever there are multiple electrical issues that interconnect (effect eachother) look for a common point when things join..the common one in this instance is the earthing crowns.

Martin

Hes checked the earth crowns Martin,

Wouldnt the x relay connect all that stuff too? Oh btw you can get a large adjustable spanner on that nut on the steering wheel vertically, then get some mole grips on the shaft to turn it.

Still no joy with the problem. Only thing i havent tried now is to take off the wheel and check all the contacts behind there. Going to try an adjustable later this afternoon and will post the result!

I found the problem! So annoying!

After spending time swapping stalks, ignition switches, relays, bulbs and finding nothing, i was pretty lost,

But, after pulling out the lead to the rev counter to temporarily shut the buzzer of doom up again i decided to clean the dials of all the dust and found a faulty bulb that illuminates the warning lights in the middle of the clocks. The bulb has always worked fine but there must have been a slightly dodgy connection that caused havoc between the rest of the lights, wipers heaters etc.

So in the end it was a extremely quick fix, but one that was so easily overlooked due to me being a tard, and checking every bulb on the van except that centre clock light!

a real slap on the head moment but happy now!

thanks for all your suggestions!