Dipped Headlights Won't Turn Off !!!

[keirangrogan]

Set about TreVoR over the weekend to start using him again on a regular basis after a 2 year lay up due to lack of funds.

Notice that what has been running the battery down recently is that with all switches turned off and the ignition off the dipped beam headlights are on.

Suspected switch, relays etc, spend the whole of yesterday disassembleing and then reassembleing the car, at one point had every switch, fuse and relay removed along with about 6 metres of wire in each footwell, but when I re inserted the dipped beam fuse, on they came.

I have come up with a tempoary override, but has anyone come across this before.

I know TVR Electrics are noturious, but this beggers belief.

Any suggestions gratefully received !!!!

[simwimjim]

Take it for a service, siting around for two years it's gonna have Gremlins.

[keirangrogan]

simwimjim said: Take it for a service, siting around for two years it's gonna have Gremlins.

Sorry, I meant any sensible suggestions !!!!

If I was going to let a dealer spend 10 hours at @ £40 an hour looking at it, I'd be much better of letting an auto electrician loose on the thing, probably taking half the time and at less than half the price !!!!

I will fix it myself eventually, I was just looking for a shortcut, in case anyone else has had the same problem !!

[GreenV8S]

Hopefully you know by now which relay controls the lights, and you've ruled out sillies like the light switch got knocked last time you climbed out of the car!

So presumably when you pull the relay out, the lights go off. If it was me, my next step would be to measure the voltage across the coil terminals on the relay socket to see whether the relay itself is causing the problem. If there is no voltage across the coil and the relay is still closed, the relay or socket are faulty (relay seems most likely). On the other hand if there's a voltage across the coil, this proves the relay and power side is OK and the problem lies on the control side. Working back to the switch, you should be able to confirm that the switch is staying 'on' in the 'off' position. If so, you may be able to get it working by turning it on and off lots of times and generally swearing at it, failing that repair or replace. If the switch is OK this seems to suggest there is a wiring fault between the switch and relay which seems rather unlikely so hope that isn't the case.

Good luck!

[keirangrogan]

GreenV8S said: Hopefully you know by now which relay controls the lights, and you've ruled out sillies like the light switch got knocked last time you climbed out of the car!

Thanks Peter, but I originally suspected the switch so my first action was to remove it, as the day wore on I disconnected every swwitch & replaced the Main Beam / Dipped Beam Relay.

[andyf007]

It seems to me that the relay is receiving it's 12v actuation signal. The power to the lights goes from the battery through the fuse and then to the relay, the power controlled by the light switch simply causes the relay to open or close, if you remove the switch wires from the relay and the lights stay on then the relay is faulty. If they go out then you have 12v permanently on the light switch circuit to the actuator on the relay. I can't remember if the light switch passes the 12v to the actuator on the relay or earths it when switched on. If it earths it, then you may have an earth on the wire between the switch and the relay somewhere. If it passes it then there should be no voltage at the actuator with the light switch in the off position, if there is then the switch is faulty.

Andy

PS. even I can't understand what I've just typed