Lights

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 09 Jul 2005 03:32 am

Okey, i'v missing some lights on my 340GL, and also got a couple of lights working when they not supposed to do...

1. Automatic driving lights
They don't work, and have never done since i'v got the car. Position 1 and 2 works fine, but not in 0. Anyone know what could be wrong, or where to start error-searching (yes i'v got a hold of a multimeter, and know how to use it) ?

2. Brake lights
This i discoverd today, and don't know how long i'v been driving around like this. All 3 brakelights were lighting fully when the lights was on, only when the lights were turned off they worked as normally.. this must be the most wicked thing ever happend to my car, i'm totally blank how i'm supposed to fix it.

3. Dashboardlights
It always been a bit strange, as it would only light up half of the dash and then after a couple of minutes driving everything was lighting perfectly. Now nothing is lighting at all.. could this have somting to do with me removing the dashbord-light-dimmer (as i found it totally unuseful, and in stead put in a front-fog-switch) ?

Cheers

Post by **redline** » 09 Jul 2005 05:58 am

first place to check is all light related fuses and earthing points , brake lights are especially prone to bad earths but I have never heard of the third brake light being affected , another place to check for the brake light problem is the switch that operates them which may be near the brake pedal . I am not very technical with electrics but I think the dashboard dimmer switch is some sort of rheostat letting varying levels of power through therefore making dashlights dimmer /brighter so its removal could well affect the dash lights and be your problem ,I would put it back in see if some lights are restored and then change all the dashlight bulbs .
we dont have automatic driving lights in the uk , they are not fitted as standard like they are on some bigger volvos and to be honest I didnt know any 300's had them so cant help with that one, good luck

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 09 Jul 2005 03:42 pm

Cheers!

Will put the dimmer in and check tha dashboard light.
The third brakelight (up in the top of the back window) is just connected right to the left brakelight.. Will se if i find the sensor, if it's just above the brake-pedal it shouldnt be a problem.
Does the haynes-book got a shematic over light-system (automatic drivinglights) ?

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 10 Jul 2005 12:49 am

Dimmer back in - BANG - dashboard lights up like firework! sweet!

But this brake-light thing is really driving me mad...
The sensor above the brake pedal works fine, as i put the lightposition on 0, and presses the brakes, the brakelights works as a sharm. All 3 lights works... this is frustrating.. what the hell could be wrong?? As every light work, the sensor works and any other lights works fine!!??

Any idea where to error search at all?

This all came very suddenly as it been a long time ago since i'v been messing around with the rear-lights...

This happend right after i came back from the summer-roadtrip, driving about 4000km, but this shouldnt have affected the brakelights... i think?

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 10 Jul 2005 11:22 pm

Nothing?

yesterday i had a fritening experience... in the middle of the night when i was doing my taxi-business, i was driving in the city, i came to a red light, and like usuall my brakelights were lighting fully even though i did not use the brakepedal. As i were standing and waiting for the green light a freaking cop-car (they drive volvo here in norway

, v70 i think) came up behind me.. i freaked out, what if i drove with my brakelights fully on when the light turned green (the cops up here is very trigger-happy and enjoy writing out tickets for the slightest detail, and it is not cheap either (ex. it cost you about £350 if you dont blink in a roundabout and about £700 doing 80km/h in a 60km/h-zone)). Anyway the light become green, and as a reflect i turned the lights off, and rear fogs on as i hit the gas pedal and gambled that he would belive the fogs where the rear-driving-lights... it worked, he didn't pull me over.. thank god for that, as i got a enough speeding-tickes on my head

This really scared me, need to fix brakelights NOW!

any help guys?

cheers

Post by **petefarrell360** » 10 Jul 2005 11:51 pm

Well, tbh, if you say your third high level brake light is wired from the normal level lights, it sounds like an after market one. There was one very poorly wired into my 1988 GLT, which actually stopped the normal brake lights working. Soon removed that as you do and everything was fine, so that may be worth a try.

The man who can probably help you is Chris C, he is a master of electronics, and has just returned from holiday, he will post something if he can help tomorrow possibly, I've let him know about your troubles!

Pete

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 11 Jul 2005 12:18 am

Cheers!

The 3'rd brakelight i tok from the scrap from a random car, it's an universal brakelight and fit's alle cars.
Anyways, just had a look, and i actually got somewhere this time. As my right brakelight had some problems before, i unplugged some wires from it, and everything worked fine (exept the right brakelight off course). Then i took the lightbol (blah, dont know the word) out of the light-socket and put it in, then the left and top brakelight worked fine. So now i has 2 working brakelights insted of 3 who's not working. Improvment.

This should tell me that there is some wireing trouble by the right brakelight, dunno exactly what or where but this should by human to work out!

Any more tips about my right brakelight, and automatic drivinglights is apprichiated

Post by **Chris_C** » 11 Jul 2005 11:16 pm

This sounds very much like an earthing fault or a short on your right side. You say the third is a universal, which side did you wire it too when you fitted it? I'm having a guess you wired it in on the left side as it works when the right is unplugged.

Try taking a soldering iron, and solder a short length of wire from the earthing terminal of the bulb holder (the longer straight copper bit) and crimp a ring terminal onto the end of this wire, the bolt the ring into the main clusters fixing bolt. I've done this on nearly all my bulbs now (will post a pic when I can, to make it clearer)

First though, lets suss out which side this third brake is wired, as the fact its working when the rights unplugged could explain a lot!

Good luck, keep us posted

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 11 Jul 2005 11:26 pm

nice mate! apprichiate the help

the third brakelight is connected to the left brakelight yes.
but wouldt an earth-fault effect all the lights at the right side?

thanks again, pics would help a lot to!

Post by **KeithB** » 12 Jul 2005 09:32 am

This could be way off the mark but...
Something similar happened to me, when I took the combined brake/tail light bulb out a filament had blown and created a short circuit with the other filament, new bulb and all was sorted.

Post by **Chris_C** » 13 Jul 2005 12:22 am

Keiths got a point there, check that too.

The earth can occur on just one bulb holder, as the rear clusters use a metal bar (the one you can see) to transfer the earth connection accros to all holders. Its where the holder and this bar meet that causes loads of problems. I will try and get some piccies for you, have been well busy today!

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 13 Jul 2005 11:43 pm

freaking genius!

got myself a new bulb today, and everything works as a sharm! good to know you guys are out there to help me

got a couple of other errors corrected also today, like the reverse-light-sensor, numblerplate-lights, parcel shelf, etc) so now the car should be ready for this years EU-control (yes, here we have to go to an "europe-control" every second year to make sure the car is secure for the road).

If i ever goes to the UK, and dears to drive on the left side of the road, i will buy a round of pints to you guys!

thanks

Post by **petefarrell360** » 13 Jul 2005 11:46 pm

Glad it's sorted mate. Often it can be the simplist thing that causes something that appears more complex. That's what V3M is all about, helping one another out, good work guys.
Pete

Website · Post by **antiekeradio** » 14 Jul 2005 10:03 am

great you fixed it.

very strange, such a short inside the bulb. you would expect the short to burn away too..

didnt the normal lights come on as well as you pressed the brake with lightswitch in 0 ??

ow, about the daytime running lights; there should be a GREEN wire from the fusebox to your lighting switch. It's supposed to carry a steady +12V with ignition ON.

you can switch off daylight running (if you think it's annoying, uneconomical or whatever) by putting the light switch in the halfway position between 0 and 1

(but I think its forbidden in Sweden? to drive without lights)

you're lucky with your 2-year technical check. in most other EU countries
we have to have our cars checked, EVERY year. (UK=MOT NL=APK DU=TÜV)

Greetings Wouter

Post by **Kakemnstr** » 14 Jul 2005 03:49 pm

antiekeradio wrote:ow, about the daytime running lights; there should be a GREEN wire from the fusebox to your lighting switch. It's supposed to carry a steady +12V with ignition ON.

you can switch off daylight running (if you think it's annoying, uneconomical or whatever) by putting the light switch in the halfway position between 0 and 1

(but I think its forbidden in Sweden? to drive without lights)

Allright! all i needed to know about the automatic-lights! will get my multimeter and search tonight after the game (we got leicester city wisiting our cold city). Think you can drive without lights in sweden in daytime, but i'm not sure. Anyway, in NORWAY

we have to use lights while driving..

Green wire.. perfect mate! cheers