18 replies to this topic

[boboleary777]

Looking for someone with good electrics knowledge that can help me diagnose an issue!

 

I recently installed aftermarket LED headlights. Not sure if this caused the issue or if was an issue before it as the lights were disconnected when I got the car.

 

 

ISSUE: 

 

• When the ignition is on the parking lights stay on the right side both on the headlight and back light when the lights are switched off.
• When I switch to parking lights or full lights there is no issue and they act as expected.
• The lights all go off when ignition is turned off as expected.
• All other lights and settings are working correctly.

 

WHAT I'VE DONE SO FAR TO DIAGNOSE:

 

• Took off all the lights and made new connections to make sure there wasn't any bad connections
• Replaced the headlight switch
• Tried disconnecting the spot lights and indicators and checking to see if it still happened when these were disconnected
• Switched the headlights around to see if it was an issue with the unit, It wasn't. Issue still happens the back right light so cant be an issue with the headlight unit itself. 

 

 

 

 

I'm not sure what to do next and what is the best way to diagnose this issue, I'm guessing there is an issue with wiring but im not exactly sure how to go about diagnosing this. Any recommendations welcome! 

 

[MikeRotherham]

What year is the car and has it got dim dip fitted?

[84 City E]

Did minis ever have a parking light setting? maybe that?

[nicklouse]

Don’t know of a Mini that has parking lights.

 

you might need to use better terms. 

[boboleary777]

Sorry for the confusion, the car is a 1993 Mayfair. When I say parking lights I mean side lights.

The switch and presses once for side lights and down fully for full beams. When the switch is fully off the side lights on the right hand side on both back and front stay on

[cal844]

First thing I'd check is behind the dashboard for power at the inline fuses on the two blue/red wires. Then I'd be checking the fuse box for corrosion

[mab01uk]

Also check the rocker switch, they are not great quality and sometimes the contacts inside go faulty.

[MikeRotherham]

Sorry for the confusion, the car is a 1993 Mayfair. When I say parking lights I mean side lights.

The switch and presses once for side lights and down fully for full beams. When the switch is fully off the side lights on the right hand side on both back and front stay on

Is this with the ignition switched on and they ALL go off when the ignition is switched off?

[Ethel]

The right side side & tail lights are on a separate (inline) fuse in Min's of that era - red/white wire. You'd usually be thinking earths with such shenanigans, but that's unlikely if your LED bulbs have polarity as you'd expect.

 

Does it make a difference if the ignition is on or off? The circuit also includes the instrument illumination so it could be picking up stray current from the gauges & voltage regulator with the ignition on. With the ignition off there is a circuitous path through a stack of dash bulbs & RH indicator wiring to the hazard switch.

[boboleary777]

Yes all lights go off when the ignition is off.

I plan on tackling this over the weekend so any advice is welcome!

I know for certain it isn't and issue with the rocker switch or the led headlight unit itself but that is all I'm 100% sure of at this stage

Edited by boboleary777, 06 September 2024 - 07:53 AM.

[boboleary777]

 

Sorry for the confusion, the car is a 1993 Mayfair. When I say parking lights I mean side lights.

The switch and presses once for side lights and down fully for full beams. When the switch is fully off the side lights on the right hand side on both back and front stay on

Is this with the ignition switched on and they ALL go off when the ignition is switched off?

 

 

Yes, All of the lights go off when the ignition is fully off

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mini-mad-mark]

Side lights and headlights are usually independent of the ignition on minis?

 

Seems you have some kind of weird back feed through the light circuit

 

As mentioned 93 minis have separate circuits for left and right side/rear lights (instrument lights fed off the right hand circuit I believe?)

 

Go to this page:

https://www.theminif...agrams-redrawn/

 

 

and should be this diagram for your car:

ROVER MINI EXTERIOR LAMPS AND HORN - WIRING DIAGRAMS PAGE 8.PDF  

 

 

 

I'm going to guess that someone has inadvertently linked something off an ignition feed into the right hand circuit so when you turn the ignition on the sidelight and rear light comes on (nothing to do with the light switch or the headlights

 

Afraid you are just going to have to go through the  loom until you find the mistake

Edited by mini-mad-mark, 06 September 2024 - 11:48 PM.

[Ethel]

The back of the instrument panel sounds like the main suspect. You've got volts for the instruments, ignition & oil warning lights lining up on the same multi connector & zipping round the printed circuit in close proximity

[boboleary777]

The back of the instrument panel sounds like the main suspect. You've got volts for the instruments, ignition & oil warning lights lining up on the same multi connector & zipping round the printed circuit in close proximity

The middle dial that includes fuel gauge and temperature and oil light etc. is broken so I'm replacing the whole instrument panel (waiting for the new one to come in the post)

Do you think this could possibly fix the issue? Or is there anything I can check behind the instrument panel while I have the dashboard off?

Trying all options before I go traceing back through the whole loom as suggested above as electrics are not my strong point so not even sure how to start!

Edited by boboleary777, 08 September 2024 - 08:00 AM.

[Ethel]

What do you mean by broken? If the gauges just aren't working it could be the same fault, such as the voltage regulator, or a break in its supply tracking through the dash illum & those side lights, if not directly to them.