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Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 8:00 pm
by PulpitNeil
Hi there,
I've been having alot of trouble with my battery charging lately and noticed that my number plate lights aren't working. The bulbs are good, and have been tested elsewhere, but the base plates are badly cracked and tarnished. For the timebeing, I've disconnected the feed to the number plate lights.
The Hayne's manual says to look for shorts in the lighting system when having charging problems. Could this be one?
Thanks in advance.
-Neil
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 9:09 pm
by bmcecosse
That's a real cracker from Haynes! One of their best !!
No - number plate lights are NOT the reason for your problem!
So -get them working or the Cops will have you!
For charging - is the fan belt in good order and tight ? Is it a dynamo or an alternator?
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:53 pm
by mike.perry
If dynamo, check the brushes and general wear inside and electrical connections
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 12:53 pm
by PulpitNeil
Running dynamo, yep.
I recently swapped the fan belt, and it's nice and tight (half an inch wiggle). I did however find loose connections at the dynamo!

Silly me. Tightened them up and now it seems to be charging fine. I'm going to change the lucar connectors to prevent further slippage.
Now to sort out those number plate lights. Does anywhere stock just the base plates? ESM seem to be out, and the complete units seem a bit steep.
Failing that, is it possible to wire in these type of light units?
http://cgi.ebay.ie/Plastic-Black-Number ... 4cf25b81b0
Thanks for the help.
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 1:18 pm
by d_harris
No reason at all that you wouldn't be able to wire that in...
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 5:03 pm
by bmcecosse
Of course - but you will need to run earth cable to each light since they are non-metallic.
These look similar - and cheaper!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/RING-NUMBER-PLATE ... 43a254efd7
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 6:25 pm
by d_harris
The numberplate lights on my old trav (supplied by one of the MM centres, cant rememebr which) required a seperate earth. so did the remains of the (I presume orginal) ones that where there when I got the car.
Also, that one you link to BMC is only one - being a trav a set of 2 is required...
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:14 pm
by charlie_morris_minor
Dan_Harris wrote:The numberplate lights on my old trav (supplied by one of the MM centres, cant rememebr which) required a seperate earth. so did the remains of the (I presume orginal) ones that where there when I got the car.
Also, that one you link to BMC is only one - being a trav a set of 2 is required...
and now finished would have been a good buy though..
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 8:54 pm
by bmcecosse
Well obviously it needs two! And I'm sure they will have more - just contact the seller.
Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 10:08 pm
by PSL184
Not completely necessary to have two....

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Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 1:32 pm
by d_harris
Maybe, but thats not a normal trav is it??

Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Thu Oct 21, 2010 2:35 pm
by bmcecosse
Tch tch - non -standard.......

Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 12:06 pm
by d_harris
Its a Van really, isn#t it PSL??

Re: Help! Number plate lights to blame?
Posted: Fri Oct 22, 2010 6:39 pm
by PSL184
Dan_Harris wrote:Its a Van really, isn#t it PSL??

Yep - A van in disguise
Waddya mean "not normal" !!!!
