Ignition or indicators

[JADSS]

I have an issue with intermittent indicators which I feel could be the ignition barrel or wiring may be the cause?
1966 2 door 1089
Symptoms whilst turning ignition on.
Turn ignition on ignition and oil pressure lights comes on, but as soon as I put the indicators on the stork will flash once and the ignition light goes off so no indicators and fuel gauge fails.
Or ignition light does not come on along with fuel gauge, no indicators at all.
Or all lights are on and we have indicators, thinking cracked it! start up they work for a short period then nothing.
I’ve put on additional earth to speedometer, checked earths all ok.
Checked for loose leads all ok.
In the manual fault finding, it says test ignition switch and check continuity on white wire of ignition switch, there’s two all ok.
What am I missing?
New flasher unit fitted recently and was or is working. But if faulty that would not cause the ignition light / fuel gauge to go off.
Could the ignition key switch be the culprit?
Jiggled wiring loom in case there’s a broken cable but it makes no difference.
The only thing I've done prior to this fault is to put the speedometer lights back in the right sockets which should not have any affect.

[geoberni]

It sounds as though your wiring is a mess and needs a good looking at.
You've likely disturbed something while swapping lights around....
This is not the sort of thing that can be diagnosed over the internet, it needs to be seen and methodically worked through.

I see no logical reason why operating the Stalk should affect the Ign & Oil lights, ....unless you have a really late traveller, with the Ign key on the steering column....

[Bill_qaz]

Try bridging the wire at the ignition switch with a temporary jump wire. If the problem is resolved the likely the switch contacts. If still the same then back to Berni's suggestions

[ManyMinors]

Is it possibly just a poor battery connection and that switching the indicators on - which require a lot more current - prevents any current from passing through the connection? Get (or make) a simple test lamp to check how far the power is travelling for a start.

[geoberni]

Back to basics here... Never assume the OP has checked the simple things.

Why are you operating the Indicator Stalk with the car not running?
Does the Car Start?
Is the Battery Charged?

Leave the ****** Stalk alone and start the car.... if you can, then report back on the symptoms.....

[JADSS]

Thanks everyone.
To answer a few of your queries.
Yes starts no issue on the button.
Battery 100%
Ignition is not on column, under clock as it should be.
Mainly all original wiring seems to be where they should ie right colouring etc.
There is a couple of mods off loom in engine bay, but I can trace them in fact I have put in additional spots (separate from main lights) and electric washer, way before this issue.
Indicators initially stopped whilst driving.
Why I state whilst engine is not running is because on turning ignition on the ignition sometimes the light comes on then go off once the engine has started as it should, but in my case it will sometimes come on or not at all but will still start, however when turning the ignition to the ready position and I flick the indicator the stork will light up then instantly go out along with the ignition light, which tells me it’s somehow shorting or earth? But again sometimes it will flash normally in both directions. So it can’t be a short as it simply would not come on at all.
Ps: I can also see a slight flicker in the ignition light when I do get the indicators to periodically come on, as if it’s drawing from another source?
So prior to starting I put stork in neutral position start the engine indicators may work sometimes for a very short time then stops or not at all.
so initially the indicators stopped whilst driving, then thinking the newish relay had failed, I started from pre start up as above whereby the issues became apparent.
I appreciate its hard to visualise without it being in front of you but I thought someone may have had a similar issue and point me in the right direction.
Why would the ignition or light have an effect on indicators?
I suppose what I’m asking could the key ignition body be the problem?
Thanks for your replies.

[simmitc]

Although Berni is right that it's difficult to diagnose this type of fault when not physically present, we might be qble to give you some ideas - we want to help if we can.

Do you have a multi meter to aid with diagnosis?
Is the car standard, or have some modifications been made?
Was it OK before you changed the flasher unit?
Why did you change the flasher unit in the first place?

Make sure that you know which wire goes to which terminal, then disconnect the flasher unit completely. Does the problem still occur? If yes, then it's probably a wiring fault, if no, then it's probably the flasher unit - I'm not quite sure how, although possibly if the wiring is wrong, then it might be shorting an taking the power away from the other circuits.

[geoberni]

Thanks for that greater detail.... I'm wondering if there are a couple of things wrong that are coexisting, or interfering with each other.
You've a '66, so factory fit Indicators, therefore circuit wise, the Indicator Switch is definitely after the Flasher Unit.
Therefore disconnecting Flasher isn't going to help, because disconnecting that, by default, has also disconnected the Indicator Switch.

However, disconnect the Green input to the Flasher Unit and turn the Ignition on and off a few times; even start the car and stop it, does it behave as it should regarding the Red and Green lamps.?

I'm working from the baseline that all was previously working OK until this Indicator failure while out on the road???

[JADSS]

Many thanks,
I had not realised the indicators were before the ignition, hence honing in on the ignition barrel.
I will try your suggestion along with utilising my multimeter and see where it takes me.
Also I can’t remember why I changed the flasher? But still have the old one so I’ll refit and see what happens, just out curiosity.

[geoberni]

Many thanks,
I had not realised the indicators were before the ignition, hence honing in on the ignition barrel.
I will try your suggestion along with utilising my multimeter and see where it takes me.
Also I can’t remember why I changed the flasher? But still have the old one so I’ll refit and see what happens, just out curiosity.

Nobody has said that.....

The indicators are supplied from the Ignition supplied Fuse, the White wires to the Fuse then out on the Green wires.
One of the Green Wires feeds ONLY the Indicators.

5 - Ignition Switch
3 - Fuses
43 - Flasher Unit
36 Indicator Switch/Stalk

2 - Ign/Charging Light
26 - Oil Pressure Light

Indicators Again.JPG (127.45 KiB) Viewed 185 times

[JADSS]

Nobody has said that.

Extract copied and pasted from previous post.

(The Indicator Switch is definitely after the Flasher Unit)

I had scrutinised the diagram all ok double checked power supply with multimeter and continuity to all wires on stork all relate.
But every time I connected the green/ white (power) I think it was, to the flasher unit out goes the ignition light, I now realise that when the ignition light goes out so does fuel wipers etc which thinking about it they should be because they are feed off the ignition, alas the above comment threw me.
Now lost all power so I gave in.
Again thanks for replies.

[Bill_qaz]

Have you tried cleaning the ignition fed fuse contacts in case it's not passing full current?

[geoberni]

Nobody has said that.

Extract copied and pasted from previous post.

(The Indicator Switch is definitely after the Flasher Unit)

.... alas the above comment threw me.

Dohh...
But what you wrote was
I had not realised the indicators were before the ignition,

But every time I connected the green/ white (power) I think it was, to the flasher unit ...

What Green and White??
I already told you the input supply to the Flasher Unit was solid Green....
Green & White is the wiring for the RH Indicators, it shouldn't be anywhere near the Flasher Unit, it should only be connected to output of the Selector Sw.

Flasher Unit connections should be
Solid Green = supply from Fuse.
Green & Brown = Flasher Unit to Selector.
Light Green = connection to Telltale lamp.

Now lost all power so I gave in.

You've probably blown the fuse....
I know how it feels,

[JADSS]

Sorry geoberni I had read indicators as Ignition, dyslexia hit again, also I had read Bill_qaz as (Red fuse) not as stated fed fuse.
Schoolboy error "Read the question twice - answer once"
It was the darker green live wire as I also checked the from the fuse back, I did say I think, I had that many combinations going through my head I'd lost track. and I didn't have my notes to refer to as I'd left in the car all tucked away.
The green & white are as you describe coming from behind the dash which had been crimped together, front and rear RH then connected to the single G & W to the stork.
On losing all power: It gets better because the first thing I did was to check both fuses also swapped with new just in case, still no power? At that point I gave up before the hammer came out.
I will start again with a different mindset back to basics.

Thank You.

[geoberni]

Good, we're on the same page again.

As the symptoms keep evolving, I think some wiring checks and clean ups are required.

I'm assuming you have the latter fuse box, with spade terminals rather than bare wires under screws.

Get some fine grit sand/emery paper (or even a decent kitchen scouring pad ) and clean all the contact metal surfaces, at the fuses and the connectors.

Carefully examine the spade connectors on the cables for any sign of damage/breakage or general unsatisfactory connection. Give each one a gentle wiggle and pull, to check they are secure.

Incidentally, is your wiring original or has it been replaced at some past rebuild?
The fact that you said the G&W have been crimped together makes me think the latter, as they should be joined by the inline Lucas connectors.