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Wiring problems :(

Hi all

I've recently acquired an '81 Austin Mini, and I'm having some trouble sorting out the wiring. I've fixed a few things, but I still have two problems:

1) The sidelights won't turn off. The headlights come on with the switch in the lower position, I can get full beam and flash them, but with the switch at the top (which I assume is off), the sidelights are still on. They still stay on if I pull the switch out, so I'm guessing there must be a short to earth somewhere. Any likely places to start looking? or any suggestions how I should go about tracing it?

2) The indicators works fine if I'm signalling left, but if I'm signalling right, the right hand indicators just stay on. I've looked at the wiring diagram and I can't figure out how this is possible!

Many thanks,

Matt

Reply to
niceocelot
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Hi Matt, what type of fuse box, how many fuses, Fitzy

Reply to
Fitzy

Hi Fitzy

When I got it, it had a fuse box with 4 glass fuses in, but this was pretty corroded so I replaced it with a blade fuse box. This fixed a couple of other problems, but the sidelights were still on! Apart from that, there's a couple of in-line fuses behind the air filter.

Matt

Fitzy wrote:

Reply to
niceocelot

Have a look at your earth wiring - some things may be running through others to an earth point making them work.

Reply to
Rob

Could be a faulty head-light switch?

Taffy

Reply to
Taffy

I thought that at first, but I tried unplugging the switch, and they stay on. Does that mean the switch is at fault, or a problem elsewhere?

Matt

Taffy wrote:

Reply to
Matt

Sounds like you may have inadvertently connected the sidelight live to a permanent live wire when you put the new fuse box in.

As for the indicators, you may have a bulb gone or a broken wire somewhere. Have a rummage in the boot and check the indicator live there, something may have been rolling around and broken a wire or under the bonnet one might have corroded through . In my experience, it's usually the nearside indicators that have this problem, usually down to the n/s/f indicator wire getting sucked into the alternator fan and that chewing it up !

HTH Jim

Reply to
Jim

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