Maverik Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 As the title says I've got an intermittent rear left indicator... Its a 1986 LR90 with a standard loom of that era. A new problem. seem to have got an intermittent problem with horn too but I don't think they are linked... So what I've done so far. I've taken the relay out and bypassed it, giving me a constant voltage that I can measure, from what I can see all 3 lights give me 11.5-12v, except the rear left which is about 11-11.5v, I've check all the earths around the back end left and right and they've all got decent continuity. Its not the bulb or the holder as checks out ok. Question, how much voltage drop does there have to be before a bulb wont light? So what I'm thinking right now. If I'm not getting 12v at the bulb then I've got a "leak" /short as its only quite small, is it wise in thinking its a broken wire?... Just doing a few check this evening and I had all the lights on, just one thing to note that looked out of place was that the rear left brake light was dimmer than the right not by much, you could possible put that down to an older bulb. Has anyone got any idea's, could it be at the switch end where the problem is? Cheers Mav Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 earths might have a good continuity but are they clean & tight ? dim lights are oftem poor earths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 earths might have a good continuity but are they clean & tight ? dim lights are oftem poor earths. Yeah, I just cleaned them up this evening, they where a bit of a state, but made no difference to the indicator, just can't get the rear left indicator to light up at all, not even hint of coming on, but there is a voltage getting to the plug, it just can't be enough to light the bulb... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 what state is the 12v feed wire/connections, might just be a dirty or old bullet connector. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted May 2, 2011 Author Share Posted May 2, 2011 what state is the 12v feed wire/connections, might just be a dirty or old bullet connector. I cut it out when I got her back on the road last november so its now a soldered connection. the loom in that corner had been cut about a bit from memory, the previous owner had tapped into all sorts of wires to take power for other things.... hmmm which has got me thinking, I wonder if I missed something back then, I'll strip back the insulation tape and have a look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frax Posted May 2, 2011 Share Posted May 2, 2011 I would try the bulb holder, the brass plate that the bulb sits on get corroded and go green, try to get some emery in there and give them a polish also rub the solder drop on the bulb end . Even with 11v the bulb should light. Frax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted May 3, 2011 Author Share Posted May 3, 2011 I would try the bulb holder, the brass plate that the bulb sits on get corroded and go green, try to get some emery in there and give them a polish also rub the solder drop on the bulb end . Even with 11v the bulb should light. Frax Hmmm well that what I figured too, so I put a new bulb and new holder in it, still didn;t work. plugged the same bulb and holder into the right hand side and it worked fine... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reb78 Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 I'm with Frax. They often dont work until i've scraped the corrosion off and wiggled the bulb in and out a load of times to free up the connections in the holder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frax Posted May 3, 2011 Share Posted May 3, 2011 Hi Maverik Coat the inside of the bulb holder with Vaseline and the connector, its great for keeping water out and terminals clean. If ye get 9v you should even get a glow. Frax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted May 4, 2011 Author Share Posted May 4, 2011 After speaking with a chap at work, who's a seasoned LR owner, he said he's a thos fault a number of times over and its always come down to a "scotch block scar" - wires are touching enough to get a reading from my voltmeter but not enought of a connection to make the bulb light... with the ammount of cutting about I found initially down in that quadrant area, it wouldn't suprise me if this was the problem, going to remove all the black insulation tape and have a good look at it. - it brushes on what Ralph was getting at... just becasue there is continuity doesn't mean there's enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gromit Posted May 4, 2011 Share Posted May 4, 2011 just becasue there is continuity doesn't mean there's enough. Though I never use one, this is one argument for using a test light over a multimeter, as you can check for sections that are failing or introducing a high resistance under load. At least you're narrowed down the location Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 Have a 86 CSW too. What other modifications have you made recently in the vicinity of the rear left indicator. I put a new reversing light in the other week, but did not check the rest of the wiring that links the its earth - i.e. indicators. Have had to put in a new indicator replay in behind fuse box today as was getting no response from any indicator at all, now I get the fast click - bulb out sound, and indeed both rear indicators are out. So assume as its pretty simple wiring its gotta be a bad earth somewhere. Also recently changed the starter motor, and removed some obscure wiring/relay to it via the battery box continuing out to the back rear crossmeber, so the earth could have been linked to this by some numpty with less electrical circuit knowledge than 'basic' in the past. (Probably the sort of thing I would do. lol) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverik Posted May 5, 2011 Author Share Posted May 5, 2011 Right... i stripped the black insulation tape back as far as i could on the quater light part of the loom, I found 3 repairs to the earth wire within 100mm stretch of wire... and thats where I found the fault, I whipped the whole spur out and just put in a new plug and wire going back to the bullet connectors. While doing that i found a similar problem on the reversing light too (suprised it was actually still working!), so did that while I was down there. I now carry a stock of new bulb housings, and have got quite competent at removing the pins on NAS spec connectors to remove the broken rusty pin from the buggers... whos bright idea was it to use one steel pin?!!! At least its now working! wooo who. Thanks again chaps for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 glad you found the poor connections & are now lit up like blackpool illuminations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.