complete lights failure - advice needed

complete lights failure - advice needed

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Discussion

jesfirth

Original Poster:

1,743 posts

242 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
I was driving my 94 500 sunday night, went through a pothole and the lights just stopped working - great fun on a dark lane with no street lights. I have easy access to the fuse board and ECU (in front of the passenger seat)and all the wiring - the car is stripped as a sprint car. I have waggled every connector, cable and box I can find and nothing seems to be loose. Having checked this is the position:

rear lights do not work
front side and headlights do not work
hazards do not work
brake lights DO work
indicators DO work
front headlights do work when using the indicator stalk to flash

Is there a lighting control box that controls the lights that could have failed?

ronspeedsix

206 posts

173 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
I've looked into the Bible, but only one diagram and lack of complete wiring overview, so no clue from this side.

I could only guess what to do

- Do all the fuses related to the faulty parts have 12 volts present? If not there should be a general problem before the fusebox.
- Did you loose a central earthing point ? Not likely as there are different earthing points for the parts you mentioned and main beam flash works.
- hazard switch and light switch all have direct feed from the battery (should be thick brown wires). Main beam flash is fed through ignition switch, that's why this part works.

Worst case I would pull the dash out to see which wire feeds the light switch in the dash and follow that wire....

Sorry I can't give a real clue but hope this will be any help.

Ronald


Colin RedGriff

2,527 posts

257 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
If your fusebox is the same as a '96 500 check fuse 11 (15A) it's for the dash feed (lights, hazards and radio) which seems to match your problem circuits

I'd start with the main dash light switch and check you have power from there.

Do the instrument lights work?

The stuff you've said works are on separate circuits. The fact you can flash your headlights seems to indicate the wiring at the lights is OK

I had something similar when I first got mine which was a problem with the connectors on the column controls, but I can't remember if it was just the headlights or all the lights.

FlipFlopGriff

7,144 posts

247 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
Jes,
Could it be the earth under the whale tail by the gearstick? Either loose or popped off?
Gauges still work?
FFG

jesfirth

Original Poster:

1,743 posts

242 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
Yup gauges still work but the dash lights don't.

It's not just the front lights it's the rears as well.

My earths can be seen - I have no interior finishes at all and the earths are fine.

I will check all the fuses but can't see how a fuse would take out so much in one go.

FlipFlopGriff

7,144 posts

247 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
Fuse then I guess. You drive like a nutter and all's Ok then hit a pothole and have issues -oh the irony!
FFG

jesfirth

Original Poster:

1,743 posts

242 months

Wednesday 23rd September 2015
quotequote all
Hi paul,

you are so right. in my best 14 year old voice " its so unfair!" this is what I was doing 3 hours before they failed.

https://youtu.be/zgpFeJtgOx8

MrMCI

153 posts

157 months

Sunday 27th September 2015
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I may be wrong but could this be a switch failure. I know that they can fail where they click on but don't close the circuit. If your dash lights don't come on your headlights won't either.


Mark

jesfirth

Original Poster:

1,743 posts

242 months

Sunday 4th October 2015
quotequote all
Thanks all for the advice. Had a frantic week so only just got time to look at it. Colin was right fuse 11. Thanks. Not sure why it would blow when it went through a pothole though. I have never had electrical problems on the car before.