Flickering lights - electrics???????

[ti_pin_man]

Ok, hopefully one of the experts out there will tell me what to do. My griff recently had a new battery as the old one committed suicide in the rain a month ago. A dealer did the change (warrenty) based on the fact that the AA where sick of seeing me! Since having the new battery I have had more problems, this usually manifests itself as a brief (miliseconds) flicker from on - to off - back to on of the headlights. The radio cuts out as do the dash lights. The engine keeps running and then everything is tickity-boo until next time.

So what have i tried? well I pulled the ECU and fuses to make sure everything is plugged in tight - as suggested by the dealer. What should I try next (please bear in mind my mechanical skill level is zero).

Ta.
Joe

[lber]

well something similar happened to me, and it turned out to be the cut off switch key coming loose.

Have you opened the glove box recently and knocked it perhaps?

(big red key above btw)

[shpub]

There is no big red cut off switch as standard.

Could be a bad earth or a duff connector. Common one is those around the steering column. All covered in the bible. It will be a pain unless you have a continuity chceker/voltmeter.

[Ballistic Banana]

lber said:

well something similar happened to me, and it turned out to be the cut off switch key coming loose. Have you opened the glove box recently and knocked it perhaps? (big red key above btw)

Sounds like they swaped it for the Inertia reset switch prehaps??

I had a similiar problem when I first got the Griffith 2yrs ago.Fuel Guage playing up aswell as flickering indicator and lights.
It was an earthing point that had come loose but making a intermitent contact.
This was the one under the rad, can be seen if looking from the front of the car through to the Rad.
Its bottom left and holds teh body to the chassis here aswell.
Its sometimes a little hard to get a socket too.
Theres a few other earthing points aswell.
Worth a look??

BB

>> Edited by Ballistic Banana on Tuesday 2nd December 23:23

[shpub]

The Inertia switch only cuts power to the fuel pump and doesn't affect anything else. This sounds like an addition after the car was built.

[griffter]

I'd have thought the first thing to try, seeing as this started happening as soon as the battery was changed, is to check the battery terminal connections are on tight. It's amazing how many simple jobs are capable of being done badly.
Remove the terminal connectors (earth first), clean everything, smear with vaseline or copper grease (whatever takes your preference!) and refit (+ve first), carefully and tight - without overtightening and breaking the terminal clamps.

[ti_pin_man]

OK thanks everybody. Turned out to be a dodgy earth connection!!!

p.s. Steve do you remember my car? I'm told you helped convert it to 5.2 litre???

[lber]

No, the switch on mine cuts the power, totaly, I guess it must be an after market add on then.

[mongoose]

lber said:

No, the switch on mine cuts the power, totaly, I guess it must be an after market add on then.

the switch is std iber,it was fitted to many griffs(not sure about build dates)not as an option or request.mines the same as yours it cuts the power totally as its intended to.build date of my griff is late 96 btw.

[Ballistic Banana]

ti_pin_man said:

OK thanks everybody. Turned out to be a dodgy earth connection!!! p.s. Steve do you remember my car? I'm told you helped convert it to 5.2 litre???

which earth connection was it out of interest??

[shpub]

It will be the one under the rad that you can't get to. Main earth for front lights, fans and indicators... probably but they are plenty of others to choose from as well.

[ti_pin_man]

Yep thats the one they mentioned!