electrical help.
Turbo Mini Forums

My mot has just ran out, trouble is my electrics are well f#cked, I have no normal beam, no sidelights ( this is because I have no bulb holders) but full beam works fine, my back lights come on through my fog light switch, which sometimes comes on by its self with the headlight switch, I have no fog light either. I'm pretty sure the last owner bodged it in this way?

Anybody know a good auto electrician in the south yorkshire area?

Cheers

Edited by bennyy on 11th Jul, 2011.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

have you checked that its all connected right at the fuse box?

Done now needs redoing lol

No I Have not checked, I really am not very electrically minded, will give it a go.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Check the obvious mate, fuses, bulbs etc etc. Get a multi meter and start at the bulb end of things and check you have power going to it.

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Tried another headlight and no difference, all fuses in fuse box are spot on, got a multi meter on the light end and I'm getting no power when normal beam is on?

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Right, check the switch at the dash, pop it out and pull of the plug, then stick your multi meter in them to some power. One of them should show 12v with the ign on.

Mike

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Will try that next, I have tried a new switch though with no difference.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Just a process of elimination, if you have power at the switch but non at the lamp then theres obviously a break in it somewhere.

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

You make it sound so easy, electrics just aren't my thing, I know minispares sell the complete wiring from switch to lamp, maybe this would be the way to go?

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Dont jump to conclusions just yet, it could be something very simple. Electrics arent that hard tbh mate.

1/4 Mile 14.3secs 96Mph Terminal 10psi of boost.


Fibreglass Parts? - http://www.tdkracing.co.uk/
Split Rims? - http://www.force-racing.co.uk/

Check the wiring on the back lights. There is an earth on the passenger side to one of the bolts. Check the wires are connected up right. If the fog switch is doing the side lights, it may just be hooked up wrong at the back of the light.

Also check the joints for the rear half of the loom, they are on the front bulkhead behind the dash back. they could be crossed over or damaged.

Do the normal beam and full beam use the same bulb/wiring? Is there some sort of relay that drops the voltage for the normal beam?

The tail lights I think are just wired up to the fog switch, I am not too bothered about that, just cannot seem to grasp the headlight problem.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

should be seperate wires as it's different filaments in the bulb. no relays on most minis pre injection.

Check all the joints on the lip of the front panel. They fail and get dirty causing dodgy problems like this.

I think mine was an spi before the turbo lump, I will go through all the connections under the slam panel and clean them all up see if it makes any difference.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Rear fog light switch bringing on tail lights- this is the connection on the bulkhead to the rear loom, someone must have plugged it in wrong at some point. It's easy to find - by the wipermotor I think it's 5 wires that have little bullet plugs. Just check all the colours match up.

Headlights, it's going to be either your head light switch is deado, the high beam switch or tye connectors are the front panel. Check the headlight switch first. Then the connectors at the front panel - they might look good but aren't always. It's worth pulling them apart and checking for corrosion as they get wet.

Its not the switch as I have tried a new one, along with a new headlight both are fine, only thing it can be is the connections/wires inbetween, ill have a gander see if theresd anything a miss.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Check the stalk/high beam switch, I've had one fail before.

Good luck!!!

How would that stop the normal beam working?

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

I had exactly this problem once before, and this;

Yep know exactly what you mean I noticed them, ill have a butchers, cheers.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

Definately not the stalk, cleaned up the pins made sure they were touching etc, all cock on there, can tick that off the list :) going to try cleaning all the bullet connectors under the slam panel, see what happens

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

1293 Turbo mini

I would say yes as he has full beam

Jimmy, car is 1992, ill get have a look with a voltmeter when I get time, also need to go through and double check all my fuses as I found a load under the steering column, and check the bullet connectors under the slam panel.

Audi s4 b5 - 470bhp & 486ft lbs

On 30th Apr, 2012 Brett said:
yeah stick the bit in and give it a wobble

my method when i dont have a clue whats going off...

disconnect the battery, pull all the connectors off on the lights place a 9 v feed (pp3 works well) on to the light circuit (pull the switch out direct feed to the lights)

now that should make each circuit distinguishable go poke around with a voltmeter find out where that 9v are going too
repeat for each circuit ( ie dip, main, fog) make a note what is feeding what and the cause should fall into place

last time i did this i found out why everything back fed through everything else... melty loomy lol

and regards the fuses go buy a pack and change them one by one, ive had fuses that pass a continuity test and the full 12v but would not pass a current when loaded up

Yes i moved to the darkside

Instagram @jdm_brett