No indicators

PostPost by: Shiny_kit » Thu Sep 29, 2011 2:47 pm

Popped over to France for a few days, Le Mans tonight (museum tomorrow) and Normandy beaches for the weekend. +2 seems to be coping with the heat well (29 degrees today) but indicators have completely packed up. No clicks, nothing. Changed the flasher unit (why are the leads so short!) but still nothing. Have 12v at the flasher unit. Might have got the leads mixed but I don't think so. I thought the 4 corners were all earthed separately, so can't understand why all are out. Any ideas? Steering column switch ?

Thanks.

Andy.

PS One of my tail lights was intermittent last night, according to other driver in party. Seems ok today.

PPS Update re heat - engine temp is coping well, steady at just a hair past the 90 mark thanks to bigger stanpart rad, Cliveyboy stat housing and shrouded fan, but she won't restart when hot. Have to open bonnet for 10 mins if we stop, before it will start again. God help me if I stall!
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PostPost by: ardee_selby » Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:33 pm

Shiny_kit wrote:Popped over to France for a few days, Le Mans tonight (museum tomorrow) and Normandy beaches for the weekend. +2 seems to be coping with the heat well (29 degrees today) but indicators have completely packed up. No clicks, nothing. Changed the flasher unit (why are the leads so short!) but still nothing. Have 12v at the flasher unit. Might have got the leads mixed but I don't think so. I thought the 4 corners were all earthed separately, so can't understand why all are out. Any ideas? Steering column switch ?

Thanks.

Andy.

PS One of my tail lights was intermittent last night, according to other driver in party. Seems ok today.

PPS Update re heat - engine temp is coping well, steady at just a hair past the 90 mark thanks to bigger stanpart rad, Cliveyboy stat housing and shrouded fan, but she won't restart when hot. Have to open bonnet for 10 mins if we stop, before it will start again. God help me if I stall!


Quick question...I don't know about +2's, but have you got hazard warning lights? If so, does that switch work?

(Think this is a first...a post from the field!)
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PostPost by: Shiny_kit » Thu Sep 29, 2011 3:37 pm

No, sorry, I don't (cant find it if I do!) :-)
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PostPost by: memini55 » Thu Sep 29, 2011 5:26 pm

You should have a hazard switch on the dash, one of the rockers.
Hope you get it sorted.

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PostPost by: Galwaylotus » Thu Sep 29, 2011 7:20 pm

Were the indicators flashing quickly before they went AWOL or had the rate slowed down? Mine were dodgey and sometimes stopped working until I replaced the dynamo with an alternator. Now I have over 13V when running and the indicators work just fine thanks!! If you still have a dynamo, check the voltage output. :wink:
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PostPost by: Shiny_kit » Fri Sep 30, 2011 9:59 pm

Definitely don't have hazards. Mine is an early car, with toggle switches.

They were working fine previously, no warning of problems. I suspect the column switch.

Not much I can do about it until I get home.

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PostPost by: alaric » Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:30 am

Hi. Looking at the early +2 wiring diagram I can't see a hazard flasher unit, the indicator flasher is powered from a pin on the wiper motor circuit, and earthed through a pin on the heater fan switch. So if you also have a weak heater fan it may be the earth at that point - you said you have 12V and didn't mention the wiper's not working so I presume that sides ok. Looking at the indicator stalk, it switches the output of the flasher unit to either side of the car, so as you say it's unlikely to be in the lights - unless you blew all the bulbs somehow - yes I have :). So it may be worth checking the connections on the stalk switch which I presume just needs the little cowl removing to access the wires. You could bypass the switch and see if things light up - but actually in the middle of France I'd be worried about doing more damage and tempted to limp home.

Have a nice hol - I just got back from Lorient via Roscoff - gorgeous weather over there at the moment.

Sean.
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PostPost by: 69S4 » Sat Oct 01, 2011 9:14 am

As others have said there could be a number of things causing the indicator problem but a broken wire at the switch will definitely do it. I had that happen about three years ago when one of the output wires broke at the switch. Being an output wire the indicators would work one way but not the other so it was easy to track down. If nothing is working then it would have to be the input wire from the flasher unit to the switch. I do remember thinking that the soldered connections on the switch did seem very fragile.

Re the hot restart problem, you don't have Strombergs fitted do you?
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PostPost by: alaric » Sat Oct 01, 2011 12:48 pm

Hi. On the hot starting problem, it may be worth wrapping the fuel lines in something to protect them from the heat or putting some sort of heat shield in there - better to put braided fuel lines in if you don't have them though as they are probably more tolerant to heat. This sort of issue is usually caused by vapour lock and float chambers drying out due to heat in the engine bay, so maybe a little heat shield or remove the foam along the top of the radiator to let some more air through - just a thought.

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PostPost by: Shiny_kit » Sat Oct 01, 2011 4:13 pm

Hi Sean. Thanks for the assistance. Heater fan is definitely weak (not that I need it right now!) but agree much more likely to do harm than good at the mo, so will leave it until I get home. May have done something to heater switch when I replaced the radio recently. Travelling in convoy with 5 big bikes (with comms, fortunately), so having an escort is helping massively with the lack of signals. Stinking hot again today, felt really sorry for my biker mates in all their gear as I was sitting in the +2 in my shirt sleeves with the windows down... Never mind, at least they had somewhere to stash their goretex jackets and helmets when we stopped for a wander. And it takes them so long to get ready to move, too!

Re heat issue, I have dellortos and braided hoses (albeit old and probably in need of replacement now). Heat shield of some sort definitely on the "to do" list now, and possibly some air vents into the wheel arches.
Regards

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PostPost by: ardee_selby » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:18 pm

Shiny_kit wrote: Thanks for the assistance. Heater fan is definitely weak (not that I need it right now!) but agree much more likely to do harm than good at the mo, so will leave it until I get home. May have done something to heater switch when I replaced the radio recently. Regards

Andy.


Any indication of where the fault lay?

Cheers - Richard
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PostPost by: Shiny_kit » Tue Oct 25, 2011 6:41 pm

Hi Richard. Think it's the indicator stalk - couldn't get any continuity between the wires. Ordered a new one but despite it being advertised as having bullet connectors it came with a multiplug (Ebay strikes again) so waiting to hear from vendor as to whether I send it back or just cut it off. I wouldn't mind but it wasn't cheap.

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