direction indicator problem

[RichardS]

I am not getting any current to my front indicators, when checking at the "live" wire at the front wing indicator end. The bulbs are ok, fuses ok. There was a green wire that had come adrift at the ignition switch end but reconnecting this hasnt helped. There is no light coming on for the direction indicator on the dash.

Headlights and sidelights are working fine and I am puzzled because the wiring diagram seems to suggest the indicators are fed from this circuit. The earthing seems ok.

Can anyone point me in the right direction - I'm not sure where to put my voltmeter next! The wiring around the steering column all looks in place. I have unscrewed the steering column from the dash so can easily check for voltages on the ignition switch.

Thanks

Richard

[garyeanderson]

Do you have 12 volts feeding the flasher unit? The Green wire.

[RichardS]

I haven't checked the green wire at the ignition switch - should this be "live" all the time or when the key is "switched on".

Richard

[garyeanderson]

So what about the power at the flasher, it is fed from the green wire coming off fuse box, maybe. That is unless you have one of the DB10 relay boxes.

[RotoFlexible]

I haven't checked the green wire at the ignition switch - should this be "live" all the time or when the key is "switched on".

Richard,

I don't think you will find a green wire at the ignition switch although I have no experience with the later models. I think there will be a white wire from the ignition switch (if this were disconnected, a lot of things wouldn't work) feeding the fuse box. White means "switched, unfused." Green wires come out of the fuse box (green means "switched, fused") to feed the various circuits. One of them ends up (possibly via various intermediate connectors) at the flasher.

Again, this is from an S2, not an S4, but the general idea and the color codes should be the same.

[RichardS]

I had presumed that the green wire dangling down behind the dash had pulled off the ignition switch but perhaps it has come adrift from somewhere else behind the dash! My car elecrical knowledge is very rusty - its about 20 years since I last fiddled!

When you flick the indicator stalk presumably that should connect 12v to the flasher unit which then intermittently sends 12v to the indicator lamp circuit. I think the workshop manual says that the flasher unit is behind the dash although I couldnt easily feel it - can one get at it without removing the dash?

Richard

[garyeanderson]

Hi Richard

Maybe a location would be a good idea, (or is that what planet). There may be someone close to you that would be willing to help. Just putting wire on where they may or may not belong is not a good idea. Please don' let the smoke out...

Gary

[RichardS]

Hi Gary

On my S4 wiring diagram there is a green wire that is shown connecting to the ignition switch and there was an empty terminal - I did check before connecting it !! There was no smoke! I am at work so have not got the wiring diagram in front of me.

My car is not garaged at home - I will probably have another look tomorrow and put up another post with some more info on the exact colours of the wiring that goes to the indicators. I think that the indicator wiring at the indicator light end may have been altered in the past although as far as I am aware the dashboard and ignition switch wiring is original.

Richard

[garyeanderson]

My diagram show the green (terminal 4)going to the radio (if so equiped).
3) is white/red - starter solinoid
2) is white - this goes to the fuse box through the fuse to the green you want
1) brown brown/blue - power feed from the voltage regulator

You know were the power doesn't go (indicators), you have to find the last place on the circuit where you have it. If all directionals do not work that tells you you ave to go back under the dash to check flasher. but first do verify that there is power coming off the fuse box on the green...

Gary

[ianf]

If they were working - the boring answer is probably an earth.

Cheers,

Ian

[RichardS]

Indicators now working - when I got my head under the dash I realised that there was an empty terminal on the flasher unit - checking the wiring diagram discovered that the dangling green wire was the one that had come adrift from the flasher unit! Interestingly the flasher unit only had 2 terminals [rather than the 3 in the S4 wiring diagram] and no feed for the indicator lamp behind the speedo.

So all electrics now working - next job is to tidy up the relays, perhaps a 4 fuse fusebox and alternator to replace the dynamo.

Thanks as usual for all the suggestions.

Richard