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Dowsabella Snailer
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 24
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 9:28 pm Post subject: Electrical fault |
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I have an intermittent electrical fault, and was wondering if anyone could shed some light on it so that we know what to look for.
When I indicate, my car stops. To be more precise, I think the electrics cut out, as the wipers stop too. It doesn't happen every time I indicate, and is most likely to happen shortly after starting. Today I forgot to turn the indicator off when she stopped, and she wouldn't start again. She was turning over, but wouldn't start until I'd turned the indicator off.
I'm currently 6 months pregnant, so ferreting round under the bonnet isn't terribly easy. If anyone has any idea what might be going on, it'll be very helpful (and save me ferreting for quite so long)
Thanks |
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brammie Dropped
Joined: 25 Jan 2011 Posts: 159 Location: holland
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Dowsabella Snailer
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 24
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Posted: Mon Oct 15, 2012 11:13 pm Post subject: |
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Well, if nothing else, Google's translation gave us a good giggle!
It could be the 'not good soil' I suppose.
She was a bit sluggish starting today, so I wonder if maybe it's the battery, and the extra pull of the indicator light is enough to tip it over the edge. |
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dyanut Dropped
Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 177 Location: North Yorkshire
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Dowsabella Snailer
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 24
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 10:06 am Post subject: |
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Thanks Ken. We'll take a look this weekend.
Unfortunately I know exactly what happens when there's an electrical fault that doesn't get sorted in time - a visit from the nice friendly firemen, followed by new roof, new wiring, new steering wheel, new mats, new paint on the front of the car...in fact, there were 2 pages of parts on my garage receipt I wasn't even driving at the time - she was parked up at a friend's house.
I have a battery switch fitted (after an attempted theft) and I always turn it off, so hopefully that will prevent any more night-time dramas. |
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dyanut Dropped
Joined: 05 Aug 2007 Posts: 177 Location: North Yorkshire
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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Dowsabella,
leaving it to the weekend might be too late, if you're continuing to use the car.
The fact that the wipers stop or slow down confirms that the indicator is shorting to earth and also that the rating of the fuse is too high, as it should have blown by now.
It should only take a few moments to check for this fault and avoid another 'meltdown'...
Ken |
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Dowsabella Snailer
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 24
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Posted: Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:54 pm Post subject: |
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Hi Ken
Thanks for the warning.
I only have one more trip to make in her before the weekend - half a mile to collect sprog no.1. The weather's quite nice though, so I may see if sprog no.2 will stay out of my lungs long enough for me to walk!!
I think I'll leave her all switched off until the weekend, when I've got a bit of help. |
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Dowsabella Snailer
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 24
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Posted: Sun Oct 21, 2012 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Battery is fine. Alternator is fine. Indicator wiring is fine. And today she's working fine.
Mystery still not solved, but at least she's probably not going to catch fire again. |
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Dowsabella Snailer
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 24
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Posted: Thu Oct 25, 2012 3:08 pm Post subject: |
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It happened again, so I thought I'd record the details in case it gives any clues.
First drive of the day. It's was grey, misty and drizzly.
Sprog 1 had a play with the steering wheel before being deposited in his car seat.
Car started fine.
Lights on, wipers on, heating on.
Indicated to pull away. Got to the end of the road. Indicated to turn left. Got to the end of the road. Indicated to turn left. Got to the roundabout, and she stopped when I indicated left.
I didn't indicate again until we got to our destination. I dropped Sprog 1 at the childminder's, got back in to my car, and she was fine for the rest of the day. |
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brammie Dropped
Joined: 25 Jan 2011 Posts: 159 Location: holland
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Dowsabella Snailer
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 24
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2012 9:59 am Post subject: |
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Alas my heating is broken, so it's set to 'hot' all year round. That's fine in winter, but not so great in summer! |
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breninfrance Dropped
Joined: 16 Jan 2012 Posts: 166
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2012 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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I think what he meant was how would the heating affect the electrics?
the heater system uses no electrikery,so cannot be the fault
electrical problems are a nightmare to trace, so it's nigh on impossible to do like this sorry _________________ if it aint broke, fix it till it is |
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brammie Dropped
Joined: 25 Jan 2011 Posts: 159 Location: holland
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Posted: Fri Oct 26, 2012 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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check all your grounds
and check all youre wiring
that's all we can say
maybe youre indicatorwire burnt on the exaust _________________ https://picasaweb.google.com/bram.martsen |
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Dowsabella Snailer
Joined: 29 May 2011 Posts: 24
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Posted: Sun Nov 04, 2012 1:16 pm Post subject: |
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breninfrance - I just wanted to give all possible info, in case someone else had had similar.
We've just had an MOT failure anyway, so she'll be in the garage next week (I'm now far too whale-like to even think about changing my brake pads). I might ask them to have a quick poke around. It wasn't as bad a failure as I'd expected - non-working lights which I knew about, brake pads, and excessive CO emissions.
It seems more common in wet/damp weather, so I suspect a dodgy wire somewhere too. It does explain why it doesn't happen when my car's been running for a while, as the heat will have dried out things under the bonnet (hopefully). |
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