Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

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djk3816
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Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

Post by djk3816 »

Someone recently informed me that my REAR indicator lights are not working. I checked this and also found the hazard lights do not work either. Stop lights are ok However,everything works ok at the front. Tried to find a wiring diagram for this 1960's car without luck.Where do I start looking to resolve this, Ideas ,please ?
jagnut66
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Re: Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

Post by jagnut66 »

Hi,
1: Get hold of a workshop manual, they are invaluable. I recently rewired my car and it helped me no end.
Imagine stereo instructions that actually make sense.
2: If you don't have one get hold of an electric screwdriver (for cars - it has an earth lead coming out of the back end of it).
Attach the clip to the bodywork and test it on a known working circuit, you say your brake lights still work, so get a friend (or wife) to press the pedal. The light inside it will glow when touched to the live wire, this proves the earth point you are using is good.
Then switch on your rear lights and indicators, if when touched on their respective live wires it lights up you have power and it must be an earth fault in the circuit.
Basic I know when compared to meter multiranges but for faults like these it works for me.
Also rear lights and indicators can be earthed locally, so a simple fix if it's that.
If there is no power to them you will have to start tracing it back through the loom, which is where it gets interesting.
Though it could simply be a loose or dirty connection somewhere along the length, that needs cleaning / remaking.
Best wishes,
Mike.
Last edited by jagnut66 on Thu Oct 10, 2019 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
1954 Series 2: 4 door: "Sally" -- Back on the ground with (slave) wheels and waiting to be resprayed......
1970 Triumph Herald 1200: "Hetty" -- Driven back from Llangollen in Wales (twice.....)
simmitc
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Re: Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

Post by simmitc »

The hazard lights are not a standard item and have been fitted at a later date. The kit probably connects to the same wires used by the standard indicators. It sounds as if either (a) the wires to the rear of the car have become disconnected or (b) the hazard switch has developed a fault.

You are looking for green/red wires for the left hand indicatoprs and green/white for the right hand. There should be bullet connectors on the boot floor on the right hand side and the left hand side; and also in the dash area behdind the driver side glovebox. Check at each point for 12volt (when operating) and for loose connections.
djk3816
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Re: Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

Post by djk3816 »

After a garage could not resolve I took the light fitting apart and found a soldered wire had come adrift from its "o" clip. New fuse fitted and now all working. Thanks
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geoberni
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Re: Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

Post by geoberni »

Thanks for updating us. It's nice to know what the problem was.

I am a little confused though by your comment about the fuse.
The Minor is not exactly well endowed with original fit fuses, (only 2 or 3 depending on year) so I assume this was an additional one that somebody had fitted. Otherwise there would've been loads of things not working.

Which light fitting was it, as it was only both rear that were not working, so I don't see how a break at 1 fitting would cause the other side to not work.?

Terrible that a garage couldn't sort such a simple problem though. :roll:
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djk3816
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Re: Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

Post by djk3816 »

Mine is a 1960 model and has the door indicators bypassed to the rear/front lamp cluster. The wire that came adrift in the offside rear lamp shorted the lower of two fuses which took out wipers, fuel gauge etc having got the other components working after 2 blown fuses I was just left with the rear offside indicator not working. With the car stationary the wire did not vibrate/ move and it was just the lamp not working. This decided me on dismantling the lamp assembly. Fault found/fixed.
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Re: Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

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geoberni wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 10:42 am Terrible that a garage couldn't sort such a simple problem though. :roll:
They didn’t know what to plug their computer into.
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geoberni
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Re: Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

Post by geoberni »

PoolGuy wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 2:18 pm
geoberni wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 10:42 am Terrible that a garage couldn't sort such a simple problem though. :roll:
They didn’t know what to plug their computer into.
So true. When I broke down twice on the A1, both times the RAC guys told me it was the electronic points. When it stopped being an intermittent snag, I eventually traced it to a break in the coil internal joins.
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geoberni
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Re: Rear indicators and hazzard lights not working

Post by geoberni »

djk3816 wrote: Mon Oct 14, 2019 2:12 pm Mine is a 1960 model and has the door indicators bypassed to the rear/front lamp cluster. The wire that came adrift in the offside rear lamp shorted the lower of two fuses which took out wipers, fuel gauge etc having got the other components working after 2 blown fuses I was just left with the rear offside indicator not working. With the car stationary the wire did not vibrate/ move and it was just the lamp not working. This decided me on dismantling the lamp assembly. Fault found/fixed.
Ah Ha, now that explains it. From your initial post, I didn't realise that you were also experiencing other failures such as wipers, fuel gauge etc, you simply said
Someone recently informed me that my REAR indicator lights are not working. I checked this and also found the hazard lights do not work either.
Glad you got it sorted.
My car is a '55 and although I have now got the trafficators working again (they were fitted but not connected) the car was rewired at some time in the reasonably recent past to have the '61-63 wiring with the flashing brake light, but then altered to a separate indicator instead. Now that really takes some working out when there's a problem... :)
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