Lost brake light, indicators & reversing lamp.

[skiday]

HI Chaps

I was off to the MOT today so checked through the lights to find I have lost brake lights (all side lights are good), reversing lamp and indicators (no blinking of lights or dash indication or sound of unit) However I do have the horn, which normally goes together with the brake lights. I have checked all the fuses and the bulbs (with multimeter) all OK. All the above were working (as far as I knew) last time the car went out a fortnight ago. The battery is maintained and full.

Also, on what I would assume is an entirely separate issue, the ignition light is on 90% of the time, but the fan belt is new, the tensioner seems good and the belt is not slipping.

I have the wiring diagram, but that doesn't even tell you which fuse on the car is which number on the diagram.

I booked it in with the auto electrician, but they can't see it till Monday, and there's a JEC drive on Sunday (I'm organizing) Any thoughts.

Lovely weather ain't it

Andrew

[Heuer]

Start with the brake lights. Remove both spades on the brake light switch and short them together. With ignition ON the brake lights should come on. If they do you have a faulty (a very common occurrence) switch. If not you know the fault is probably related to the indicators/reversing light. Check fuse 7 and test for voltage using a test light. There should be a fuse designation plate attached to the drop down dash.


It could be a loom fault so check the connecting blocks:

[Simon P]

However I do have the horn

Yeah - even when they're not working they're still great looking cars, aren't they?

:D

[PeterCrespin]

However I do have the horn

Yeah - even when they're not working they're still great looking cars, aren't they?

:D

Cold shower, over here please nurse - fast as you can!

[skiday]

However I do have the horn

Yeah - even when they're not working they're still great looking cars, aren't they?

:D

Hahaha

(Unintentional pun)

[44DHR]

Hi Andrew, (fellow Isle of Wight person here)

If the fuses are all Ok, have you chacked the mechanical elements ?

Not sure on your Series 2 car, but on my Series 1 due to the brake light sensor being so close to the exhaust manifolds, if there is no heat shield fitted this will easily knock out the sensor. I keep spare sensors if you want one.

The reversing lamp is something we all only really check at MOT time and this too can be prone to simple issues like blown bulb or poor connections either at the bulb or inside the boot compartment. Worth a check ?

The indicator may be down to similar bulb/connection issues or possibly the Flasher unit. I have a spare unit if required.

Just saying it may be basic mechanical issue rather than electric gremlins - but that ignition light may be another matter.

Give me a call if I can help out.

Regards,

Dave

[skiday]

Hi Dave

I have checked the brake light switch (by bypassing/shorting it as suggested) OK. All bulbs are good. All fuses are good. Power on both sides of fuse 7. My switch is on the far side of the survo and therefore much less prone to heat damage.

I have booked it in to Luptons on Monday (I was going to take it to them anyway to check why the ignition light is nearly always on, and a few other niggles).

Whilst on the subject of electrics, I have long often wondered why both doors have 'door open' plunger switches. Mine don't currently do anything, and seeing as the one and only interior light is operated by a toggle switch on the dash, what are the door switch supposed to be for?

Dave (44DHR) - I'm doing the Sunday run this weekend. Come on, a good hours drive and a trip to the Alpaca Farm - I hope to see you and Julie. Look out for my email.

Cheers - Andrew

[Paul71a]

The door switches operate the "map light" which comes on when the doors are opened........

[Alty Ian]

I have started to install the new wiring to my car but am finding it difficult to get all the cable routing right. I have the wiring diagrams but apart from Dave's helpful sketch above I cannot find any other drawing showing exact cable routes, the one in the workshop manual is very basic.

Does such a thing exist? and if so can someone point me in its direction please :?

[skiday]

I wish someone would re-draw the diagram the way the car is laid out. It needs to be done. What I don't understand Ian is why you didn't record how the old wiring was when you removed it. Perhaps it was a part done project? It needs someone who is doing a 'nut-and-bolt' resto to completely draw the whole thing from scratch. It's what I would do. I have colored in the diagram (the one for my car at least) and you can see that here. It is much easier to follow than any black and white one.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/627 ... %20Jag.jpg

Enlarge to A2 will help.

Hope that helps a bit.

[Alty Ian]

Thanks Andrew

It does help a bit, I have done something similar myself but not as good as yours.

I did photograph everything but it was LHD and am now installing a RHD wiring layout and am finding it hard to identify which cable goes where. Mine is a very early S1 4.2 and discovering that the wiring differs from the 4.2 loom I have got, also some of the wire colours in the wiring charts available differ too.

For example the horns are in the bonnet on the car but the loom has them under the header tank.

When I have figured it all out I will do a detailed plan and section of all wiring for an early S1 4.2 OTS as requested.

I also want to do some upgrades, like to replace the cigar lighter with a hazard warning switch, fit a switch panel behind the ash tray front for some extra switches and data point for the 123 Distributor data outlet, charging point for phone etc etc.

Fortunately, I kept the whole existing wiring loom and instrument panel/fuse boards completely intact when I took the car apart so I have an accurate record of how it was wired as a LHD car.

This is going to be a long job

[abowie]

Brake lights will probably be the switch.

[skiday]

Thanks Andrew

I also want to do some upgrades, like to replace the cigar lighter with a hazard warning switch,

Just a thought on that. Even if you don't intend to use a sat-nav or charge your phone, you might one day or the next owner will. Don't leave your car without a 12v power source. SNG Barratt have a kit for a Hazard Warning switch with it's own little dash panel, check that out.

http://www.sngbarratt.com/ProductDetail ... 2fc2ee8cb0

As previously mentioned, my brake light switch is OK. The car is at the auto-electrician and I await their report.

Andrew

[Heuer]

Details of how to fit Hazard Warning lights, 2.1v USB socket, auxiliary lighter socket, intermittent wipers, brake light switch and relay operated headlights along with lots of other stuff is in the 'Upgrades' forum.

[skiday]

OK, to give a bit of closure on this issue. Despite the fact that I thought I had checked the fuses properly, it seems that my problem was a fuse not making contact sufficiently well. Confusion about what was working off what fuse led me to check through everything with the wiring diagram for the S1 E-type colourised by Bill Molloy (even though it shouldn't cover my s1.5) and found it much more accurately represented my car. I rearranged all the wiring around the fusses to match the plan, and colour I.D.ed all the wires. I also spent many hours colourising the wiring diagram to correspond to the wires actual colours. I think it will be of great help to any one with a S1, although I have removed the Hazard Warning circuit and other things for non UK cars. If you have a non UK car you can easily pick that bit up from the original and paste it back in on Photoshop. See it here;

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/627 ... %20ACD.bmp

I hope that it might be added to the the Knowledge Base.

[Heuer]

Added to KB! Many thanks.