Indicator Flasher

[chrisgriffiths]

Hi,
Any one who can help please !

I've got a problem with the indicator stalk/flasher. The indicators on the outside of the car work fine however I was recently working on the back of the speedo and when I put it all back everything works except the flashing light by the steering wheel only works when indicating right. so I assumed I had disturbed a loose wire somewhere. Now is where it starts....

As I mentioned the indicators on the outside work fine. What is happening is this when I got to the bullet connectors at the back of the dash I found a black wire with a bullet connector hanging loose so I tried connecting to the various bullet joints and when I connect it to the terminal with green and white connections the left indicator works but as soon as I put the right one on it blows the 35amp fuse. When I remove the black wire from the terminal it works ok but not when indicating left.

I've put a sketch below of the wires and colours etc

any ideas please[frame][/frame]

[mogbob]

Flasher unit wiring colours ( lucas conventional colour scheme ) should be :-
MAIN colour / tracer colour stripe

Green / White Right hand flasher lights
Green / Red Left hand flasher lights
Green / Brown Flasher Unit (cylindrical can ) Terminal "L " ( lights )supplying power
Light Green Flasher Unit (cylindrical can ) terminal " P " ( panel ) going to the warning light
Green From fuse box to " B " ( battery ) on Flasher Unit ( cylindrical can )

Black ( earth ) leave detached for the moment

Lilac / Black ...has me scratching my head. Could it be Purple / Black ? which should be the Horn push to the Horn wire.
The Brown wire is usually for the Main Battery feed.Did the previous owner / owners use Brown wire, between the connector and the horn ...because it was all they had ?

The clue will be what colours are at the Horn.The two connections should be Purple ( power feed from fuse box ) and Purple / Black going to the Horn Push.If it's Purple and a Brown you have your answer.Replace the incorrect Brown wire horn to connection under the dash, for the Horn push.

Back to the flashing system..before the outside flasher lights worked and you have got the indicator light working on one side at least.So we know that the light was working and therefor bulb OK.So it's likely that it's the indicator switch connection.
I'd clean up the bullet ends with emery paper and re inset into the connectors, double check the bulb in the stalk and test again.If still no joy, clean up the switch connections and lightly regrease. Re Test.

Back to your loose Black wire with connector attached.Do you have another loose wire under the dash, screwed / bolted to the body ( earth ) and a bullet crimped on the end " looking for a home " ?
Bob

[chrisgriffiths]

Hi
Thanks for that info. Regarding the black wire I've looked yo see if I can see any pod connections and can't see any other than s red and black bullet connector which is a constant live. It is pos that the purple I said could be brown

[mogbob]

Are you saying the black wire is showing 12 volts when a multi meter is connected ? Have you traced where the black wire is coming from ?
Bob

[chrisgriffiths]

The loose black wire comes down the steering column from the flasher. The live red and black terminal comes IP under the speedo

[mogbob]

" IP " sorry Chris , I don't recognise the abbreviation.
The live Red wire ( unfused part of the circuit ) will feed either : - panel lights, side lights or rear number plate.
I guess you are looking for the double connector with two Red / White wires feeding the panel lights.But check out if it is something else that isn't working on the lighting side.

Black wire...is probably the "earth " for the Horn.If the horn doesn't sound then you will need to connect your loose wire to a good earth point clean metal on the bodywork.

(The original end of your car's wiring might have been a short black wire, with a ring terminal on the end, that was bolted under a fixing....now lost/ discarded.)
Bob

[chrisgriffiths]

OK cheers Bob. I'll clean all the connections and start from scratch Sharon tomorrow and try and go through it methodically. The words seem to match up together for the main wiring so I will start by cleaning each connection and go from there. I appreciate your help. I'll let you know how I get on
Many thanks
Chris

[beero]

The black will go to earth, possibly a spring clip screwed to the base of the dash above the column. Could be in or under the dash. This won't affect the flasher stalk lamp as this earths direct to the column, not by a black wire, anyway a lack of earth would stop it flashing both sides, not just one side.
A more likely suspect is the flasher can, just a coincidence that it has gone faulty just now. Can you substitute it?

What is confusing is the purple/black connected to brown. Purple/black is horn, brown/black is interior lamp, brown is control box to fuse or solenoid so they should not be connected.
All this is assuming your wiring has never been messed about with by any previous owners and as we all know with cars this age that is very unlikely.

[bmcecosse]

I can only add that cables NEVER change colour at a connector - only at a 'device' - eg fuse/switch/lamp/motor etc So a black cable must never be connected to a brown cable...

[chrisgriffiths]

hi

I think I've found it I found a black wire which had fallen down and connected up all was well. How ever now when I put the flasher on the light is on constant on the stalk but no indicators lights outside are working at all

In all this work changed the flasher unit and I'm wondering wether its that now

[mogbob]

Glad you found the correct " home " for your earth wire , great !

Hope you kept the old flasher can...it won't take a couple of minutes to reconnect the old flasher unit.
You have the wire colours for the three terminals,B / P / L .Just take off the Lucar connectors and push onto the old unit.Don't bother screwing to the bulkhead until you've checked it works.
If it's OK , then remove the new duff ( ? ) one and screw the old back on.
Bob

[chrisgriffiths]

All done !! replaced original flasher and everything OK. Really appreciate your help

Cheers

Chris

[mogbob]

Nice one Chris !! Well done.
With electrics I find there is rarely a quick fix, it's usually ....systematically working your way through the problem, eliminating things as you until you find the solution.

Pour yourself a drink tonight and pat yourself on the back.
Bob

[IaininTenbury]

Purple and black wire conneted to brown, is i think correct in that situation. Purple and black comes from the loom and the horn wire inthe cluster that goes to the column is brown. Rewired a few now. just one of those quirks...