Cibie driveing lights not working.

[gas mart 1]

Evening all....I have no power getting to the Cibie driving lights on our 350i, I have checked the bulbs and connections at the lights...the amber warning light on the switch comes on ...when switched on... all other lights work fine. .Any suggestions welcome. Do the Cibie's have a separate relay to the main beam?

Cheers
martin.

[mrzigazaga]

Hi Martin.

They should flash on their own without any lights on with the high beam stalk being pulled back...They also come on with lights on high beam and fog light switch on and also with full beam stalk forward...


Ziga

[KKson]

I'd check fuses and then relays. I've two Wedges, both with driving lamps and neither of nthem flash, unless the main headlamps are on, so every Wedge seems to be wired differently.

if there's power on the switch then check if there's power at the lamps but no earth.

[gas mart 1]

Thanks for the replies. I am getting the amber light on the switch, when the main beam is on (pods up} and when the column stalk is pulled back.. to flash (pods down). But no power at the lights...I have checked the fuse... does the fact that the switch light is on mean the switch is ok ?

[adam quantrill]

Yes the switch light is the (MoT-able) indicator that the lights should be on.

Most often the problem is the connections just near the lights that provide power and ground - it's in a vulnerable place and the connectors corrode. Unclip them, clean up with emery or a fine file, stuff grease or vaseline in there to keep the watter out, and replug.

[mrzigazaga]

gas mart 1 said:

Thanks for the replies. I am getting the amber light on the switch, when the main beam is on (pods up} and when the column stalk is pulled back.. to flash (pods down). But no power at the lights...I have checked the fuse... does the fact that the switch light is on mean the switch is ok ?

IIRC...mine will only come on with the fog light switch when all lights are on and stalk is pushed forward ...They dont flash with the stalk forward or puled back when the fog light is on....if I turn the fog light off then they will flash with stalk forward or back...The switch sounds like its working....

[gas mart 1]

Ah...ok...I did have a look at the connectors at the lights....pulled them apart and re-connected, I will have a closer look tomorrow and clean them up.

[gas mart 1]

I had another look at the lights today ..I thoroughly cleaned the connectors at the lights, they were dirty but this has made no difference.. I bypassed the switch and checked for a current at the fuse....nothing at all. .Still not working.

[Penelope Stopit]

It looks like you're struggling, hopefully I can be of help
Read through the following while frequently looking at the below diagram so that you will then understand how the driving lights circuit works
I am as certain as can be that the diagram is correct for your car apart from it not showing the driving light switch, the driving light switch will be wired to the driving light relay unless someone has been playing and wired it incorrectly. OK here I go......

There is a driving lights relay that should have the following coloured wires going to it.....I include each wires destination

Yellow/Red - Terminal 87 of relay to Driving Lamps (looped from one lamp to the other as shown in diagram)

Yellow/Red - Terminal 30 of relay to fuse 15 (at other side of fuse it changes colour to brown and continues to a joint of several browns and then continues to Battery Positive

White - Terminal 86 of relay to ignition on contact of ignition switch (cable run is from relay to fuse 6 and onwards to a splice joint in loom or joint at fusebox before continuing on to ignition switch)

Blue/White - Terminal 85 of relay to Dip,Main and Flash Column switch (also connects to the Main Beam relay along its run via a splice or being looped)

OK moving on...................If you look closely at the column switch wiring you will notice that rather than using the conventional switched positive method for switching the headlight relays....TVR have wired the column switch to switch negative to the headlight relays

Bearing in mind the above switching and looking at the below diagram you will notice that when the Ignition Switch is in the on position and the Column Switch is in the Main Beam on position............the Driving Lights relay is energised and switches power to the Driving Lights

• ****The only likely difference in your cars circuit being that the Driving Lights Switch will break the relays circuit and very likely does so by connecting in series with the Blue/White - Terminal 85 or White - Terminal 86.......although of course someone could have wired the switch to break the supply from the relay to the lights

OK moving on a little further.......If you look at the diagram you will also notice that the Main Beam relay is energised by the exact same wires that energise the Driving Lights relay, which means that when you switch Main Beams on you should hear or feel the Main Beam relay click in and also the Driving Lights relay

• ******NB I have above shown the conventional termination of the relay......TVR could easily have wired 30 and 87 the other way around and perhaps 85 and 86 the other way around.........IT DOES HAPPEN********

Find the Driving Lights relay and check the circuit through using my above information and the below diagram, you may find that an incorrect relay has been fitted

[gas mart 1]

Many thanks for the above diagram etc....The drive lights have been working in the past , I removed the lights and spoiler last year to have it painted they were working ok when re-assembled so I presume the wiring and relays are as they should be. I will try to locate the relays later... there is a definite click coming from the passenger foot well when the lights are switched on.

[Penelope Stopit]

gas mart 1 said:

Many thanks for the above diagram etc....The drive lights have been working in the past , I removed the lights and spoiler last year to have it painted they were working ok when re-assembled so I presume the wiring and relays are as they should be. I will try to locate the relays later... there is a definite click coming from the passenger foot well when the lights are switched on.

This is good news in that the lights were working
Good luck in finding the fault
Once you find the relay and know it's clicking in you could first check for a positive in at terminal 30 and a positive out from terminal 87 and if those positives are there you will have proven that the fault lies between the positive out and the lights

I apologise if I'm teaching grandmother to suck eggs

[350zwelgje]

Had about the same issue, but flash was still working and no light in the switch.
It was the relay (close to the ignition barrel, but this is a LHD wedge...).
Driving lights and light in the switch are ok since then.

Had a few more instances with relays on the wedge and some other classics, seems they start to fail out of the blue after 25-30 years due to moisture and not a lot of use probably.

Rob

[gas mart 1]

I eventually got around to looking at the Relays today . I managed to identify those that were energised by switching the lights from dip / main and flash one relay buzzed rather than gave the definite click...luckily my car came with many spare relays...swapped a like for like and all works well again. Now I must sort the light pod..

cheers
martin

[Penelope Stopit]

Nice fix

[mrzigazaga]

Happy days..