INDICATOR STALK HELP!!!!

[fram]

It's a long story, but here goes....

I was driving around last week, and after flashing a couple of people to pull out in front of me and being completely ignored, I came to the conclusion there was a problem with my head lights, pulled over and checked them and no, no lights what so ever, also no horn.

The following day my indicators stopped working.

We have taken everything apart today, all the solder joints are good and the power seems to be getting where it should on the plugs to the stalk. After a bit of fiddling the indicators work, but after using the hazzards we have to press the hazzard button a few times to get the indicators to work again. We went to the local scrappy and borrowed a stalk from a Metro, but the problem was still there, indicators worked, no lights or horn. It seems a bit unlikely that the replacement stalk should have the same problem. :?

We are now totally stumped. No ideas what to try next. If the power is getting to the plugs ok there can't be anything wrong with the wiring, the fuses haven't blown, obviously, or there would be no power getting to the plugs. Everything seems to point to the stalk itself being at fault, but why, after trying a different one did we still have the same problem?

Some days I think it would be more fun to bang my head against a brick wall than to own a Land Rover.......Maybe not!!!! :lol:

[simondarby]

I haven't got a 200tdi, but I had a similar experience on my 300tdi.  I had indicators that wouldn't work without jiggling the stalk and then the flasher unit would click randomly of its own accord.  Ended up changing the stalk for a new one which solved all of the problems.  Mind you it cost £50...

Took some swallowing than one!

Si

[hobbit]

What about the indicator relay and/or the hazard relay?

[fram]

We've had problems in the past with the indicators playing up after using the hazzards, but it always sorts itself out if you wiggle the hazzard button around. This is possibly because the stalk was on the way out.

I think we may have to find someone who has a stalk that is working and try it on our waggon just to see if we do need a new one. I can manage without indicators if they play up, but really need to get those headlights working!!

[fram]

We've had another look at the problem today with the multi-meter and the problem seems to be that there is no power getting to the fuse box for the headlights, hazzards or horn.
We've been told that the problem could lie with the soldered joins on the fusable link wires (the ones that sit at the top of the inner wing). Has anyone else found this to be a problem? apparently water can get in and corrade the soldered joints.

[landroverkeith]

Everyonce in a while i suffer with this too m8 indicators dont flash but with a little jiggle to the stick :) all is well

[imspanners]

It doesn't just corrode the soldered joints, it corrodes the whole fusible link wire. (Which is just a piece of wire designed to burn/break at a set amperage).

There are 3 or 4 fusible link wires in the loom at that point.
If you untape the wiring from the battery you'll see where the wires are soldered onto the main battery loom. As each wire leaves the joint it's behind a braided cover. Just tug on each wire from it's joint at the main loom and it's joint to each fusebox feed:
(See crude attachment)

[fram]

Cheers for that mate,
I presume then that the fuseable links need to be replaced with inline fuses, and that a fuse with slightly higher ampage than the one in the fuse box would be a good idea, after all it's easier to change the fuse box fuse should it blow than to dig around under the bonnet trying to find the right fuse.

[imspanners]

Yep, just replace them with a in-line fuse. I've used the maxi style fuses as they can be attached to large blade connectors, making them easy to replace. Alternatively use a mega fuse, and ring connectors and bolt them together.

You need to check what circuits are associated to that fusible link and add them up, to get the fuse rating.
 

Maxi fuse

Mega Fuse

[fram]

Cheers Imspanners, you hit the problem spot on.

We stripped back the wires and found the ones that had come adrift, what looked like two live feeds that went into one wire on the loom, so we've soldered it back, will replace all fusable links with inline fuses in the future, just wanted to get everything working for now.

So we now have headlights, indicators and horn, even the central locking is working again.

You'd have thought with a major power feed like that comming apart that all the things that stopped working would has stopped at the same time instead of over what was about two weeks. Good old Land Rover wiring, can always be relied apon to confuse you!!

Thanks again for the help.

[imspanners]

Your welcome, glad to be of service.  :)

[old joe]

impsanners thanks again and thanks to fram aswell

problem solved just need to figure outthe mega amp fuse things

dazza