Indicator issues and strange noise when accelerating

Indicator issues and strange noise when accelerating

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IamWedgend

Original Poster:

163 posts

70 months

Sunday 29th March 2020
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Hello all - you might remember me from my fuel issue ridden 1983 280i auto.
Good news is the fuel issues seem largely fixed with a new pretty much everything, some warm up rewiring and a new coil.

However - I've been taking it for a series of short confidence restoring runs (before the lockdown) and have found two issues.

1. The indicators have been constantly playing up. First one would stop, I would unplug and replug the wires under the steering wheel to fix it, then the other would go (rinse and repeat). The hazard light was also playing up (sometimes just doing one or the other or neither indicator - but cleaning the switch connections sorted that.
Now they have both gone completely dead, and no end of fiddling seems to have worked. Anyone know what the problem might be?

2. Accelerating sharply from stationary in first gear when the engine was cold (out of a corner up a hill) would produce a grindy/squealy noise from somewhere in the engine bay. It would persist until I stopped accelerating. It sounded a bit like my PAS belt did when it used to slip, but a bit more mechanical and nasty. Seemed to stop after it warmed up, but it could be that I was driving more smoothly.

Any thoughts from you wizards, now we are all cooped up?

Rockettvr

1,875 posts

157 months

Sunday 29th March 2020
quotequote all
Hi
On the indicators front I’d be looking at fuses and relays
The squealing grinding noise is possibly water pump bearing starting to go ??? Although slipping belts as you mention are usually the issue

colin mee

1,205 posts

134 months

Sunday 29th March 2020
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I agree with Ron. Water pump mine did the same and I had a fine spray coming from it .

KelvinatorNZ

708 posts

84 months

Monday 30th March 2020
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Agreed, check the flasher relay. Im not sure if the 82 is the same, but my 80 uses the same relay for both hazard and indicators. Mine is sticky so sometimes doesn't work if they haven't been used in a while. Interestingly, you might also find your interior lights dont work, as they are powered through that relay too. Its all a bit typically TVR.

IamWedgend

Original Poster:

163 posts

70 months

Monday 30th March 2020
quotequote all
Hey all thanks for the help!

Re the noise - pump bearing sounds plausible. Is there any way for me to test it before I replace the pump? (Not that they are outrageously expensive)

Re the indicators. I had a little go with the relays. They are interconnected, but the hazards and the interior lights are still working, which is confusing. I'm going in for round two later this week.

adam quantrill

11,604 posts

256 months

Monday 30th March 2020
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Water pump bearing can be prolonged with a capful of brake fluid in yer water.

IamWedgend

Original Poster:

163 posts

70 months

Tuesday 31st March 2020
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Checking out the fuses and relays against the maps in the wedge forum, there seems to be an extra row of both fuses and relays that I do not have. Am I being incredibly dense about this?

KKson

3,457 posts

139 months

Wednesday 1st April 2020
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No two Wedges are the same so not a surprise. Have you found the main flasher relay which is usually stuffed up behind the dashboard above the drivers feet. Worth checking the connections on that.

wedgewood

126 posts

202 months

Wednesday 1st April 2020
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Regarding the indicators I would revisit the hazard switch. I know you have already cleaned it but they are notorious and do exhibit some very strange symptoms. If you just operate the switch a couple of dozen times you may find that normal business resumes. Good luck with it.

IamWedgend

Original Poster:

163 posts

70 months

Wednesday 1st April 2020
quotequote all
Good idea, i'll have a look at both the hazard switch and the flasher this PM. I mean I was told TVR electrics are dodgy, but my car has something else wrong with it pretty much every time I drive.
Just found out my electric wingmirrors will turn themselves on and try and adjust, draining the battery - so i've got to disconnect those bad boys now.

Re the water pump - I assume this will be an adequate replacement?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FORD-CAPRI-Mk3-2-8-Wate...

IamWedgend

Original Poster:

163 posts

70 months

Wednesday 1st April 2020
quotequote all
OK, I think I've chased it down to a particular fuse. Same one as the electric windows that have been playing up. I don't have any other 25 amp fuses to replace and see if that fixes the issue. Anyone know where I could get another one of these?

KKson

3,457 posts

139 months

Wednesday 1st April 2020
quotequote all
Standard fuse on most cars. I bought a full box of different ratings (50 I think) for less than a tenner off Amazon. Most petrol stations should have some in, while you're doing your essential shop.....

IamWedgend

Original Poster:

163 posts

70 months

Friday 3rd April 2020
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Exposed my own basic ignorance there! Fuses ordered, hopefully that is the issue.

Any idea why I might be having such a high level of electrical issues atm?

Best,
J

jensencars

66 posts

87 months

Friday 3rd April 2020
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Sorry if I miss read your post but guess your saying you don’t have any fuses, are there not any other 25a fuses in the fuse box you could swap to test this circuit, you may even try a 20a, obviously if the 25a blows straight away you have a short somewhere

IamWedgend

Original Poster:

163 posts

70 months

Tuesday 7th April 2020
quotequote all
Fuses replaced, issue not fixed alas.

Think my hazards switch might be fked. Having real trouble sourcing one. Anyone know where I could track one down?

Best,
J

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

123 months

Tuesday 7th April 2020
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IamWedgend said:
Fuses replaced, issue not fixed alas.

Think my hazards switch might be fked. Having real trouble sourcing one. Anyone know where I could track one down?

Best,
J
What a coincidence

Thought to myself this morning that it may be of some help to put together a circuit for hazards utilising a failed hazard switch that has a good plastic body and rocker

Read something 1,2 or 3 years ago that these switches were getting more difficult to find

IamWedgend

Original Poster:

163 posts

70 months

Wednesday 8th April 2020
quotequote all
Penelope Stopit said:
Thought to myself this morning that it may be of some help to put together a circuit for hazards utilising a failed hazard switch that has a good plastic body and rocker
Interesting! If you do get around to building one, please do let me know and i'll see if I can repeat your feat.


Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

123 months

Wednesday 8th April 2020
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In the past, considered the possibilities of fitting a small momentary on push button inside the switch, the switch will take a very small amount of pressure to operate it, if the plastic of the switch body and rocker are good the modification will last for many operations

The inside of the switch body would need to be almost completely filled with epoxy or similar, a hole would need to be melted through the terminal end (drilling may work but may break the body) of the switch body and a thin tube pushed through it to a length that is equal to the depth of the area to be filled

Once the epoxy has hardened, would be left with a solid flat surface at the front of the switch body with a hole through which the push button cables can be routed from font to out of the rear

The push button can then be bonded to the flat epoxied surface with a mastic sealant and if ever failing in the future can be easily removed and replaced

The end result of the modification would be a push button fitted behind the front rocker of the switch and it would be in or as good as in contact with the rocker and its two cables would be exiting the rear of the switch

A gentle touch of the hazard switch rocker would make the switches contacts

Relays would be used to complete the required switching

If you don't understand any of the above, ask

Button below

https://www.sparkfun.com/products/9190







Edited by Penelope Stopit on Wednesday 8th April 12:50

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

123 months

Wednesday 8th April 2020
quotequote all
Forgot to mention that I thought about the above modification during thinking of other circuits that may be of help to someone and will help me pass some time away while stuck at home

Big coincidence all the same

Penelope Stopit

11,209 posts

123 months

Wednesday 8th April 2020
quotequote all
Are you sure its the hazard switch at fault?

The hazard switch when in the on position breaks the column switch indicator circuit