Indicator Wiring Question (SWB 94 100 D)

[pyromancer]

Hi!

I've an M reg SWB 100 Diesel 2.5. I suspect someone's tried to nick it at some point as most of the locks are a bit knackered and most of the wiring connected to the steering column (which is mostly minus its cowling) is held together with terminal blocks.

Last night the indicators abruptly died - no warning, just stopped working. At first I assumed a connecton had come loose, but having a good look at the wiring including removing and replacing the connector onto the indicator / main beam switch shows nothing obvious. The switch still works fine for main beam, but both indicators and hazards are completely dead.

I've tested a few things with a multumeter (I know electrics, have fiddled with various cars wiring before), but not yet figured out what the actual fault is. Is there any easy way to identify is a flasher unit has died - I took it apart but no obvious burnt out components, pushing the rocker manually did seem to switch from open circuit to closed circuit between + and L.

I'd like to test the circuits at the switch connector by jumpering from a live feed (I've identified an ignition switched one) to the lines to the lamps to prove that those are sound, but don't want to accidentally connect +12v to a Gnd connection and blow something up. Are there usually any direct-to- ground connections to this switch, or is it safe to feed 12v down each wire in turn till I find which cause the indicators to light up?

Anyone know where I can get a wiring diagram (even just for the indicator circuit) on-line? I seem to remember from a Capri I had about 10 years ago (which also had indicator issues) that the sequence is +12v - flasher - switch - lamps - gnd, can anyone confirm?

Thanks for reading!

[madvanman]

on a '94 transit the wire colours are black with green stripe for left indicator black with white stripe for right
if you remove the flash unit and put wire link between where pin 49 and pin 49a plug in, if its your flash unit at fault you will get indicators but without flashing.

[pyromancer]

Thanks! Will try the link and look for the black/green and black/white wires. Will let you know if it works.

Cheers!

[pyromancer]

Actually, it's N reg not M, I never was any good at remembering number plates!

The wires to the indicators are blue/colour, and putting a jumper from the switched 12v to each one made the relevant indicators and dash lamps light up. Jumpering from 49 to 49a didn't work however, so presumably the fault is between 49a and the switch.

Does anyone know which connector on the switch block is the feed from the flasher? The indicators themselves are on terminals with another in between them (can't remember the exact positions but it's something like No2 left, No4 right) - would the one between (No3 if I've remembered it right) be the common feed, and if so is this what 49a from the flasher is supposed to be connected to?

[madvanman]

95 on models the complete colour code changed.
49a to switch should be blue with black on an N reg

[madvanman]

the hazzard part of the switch is quite a common fault so you may find you will need a new switch assembly

[pyromancer]

Thanks again!

Just to confirm I've got the arrangements right, what should happen is power flows from the battery to the flasher, then from the flasher's 49a to the indicator switch. Does this route via any relays anywhere to provide the "only work when ignition on" function?

Once it's reached the switch, the switch itself then routes it to the actual indicator lamp circuit when it's selected.

So in other words if I run a wire from 49a on the flasher to an indicator lamp circuit directly, those indicators should start to flash? If that doesn't work then going direct from 49 to the lamp circuit should provide non-flashing lights?

Final query: how to get the top cowling off the column? Bottom is already missing, but top won't come off. There's a recessed hole in the top where you'd expect a screw to be but none of my drivers will bite on anything and feeling it with a finger it seems more like the bottom end of a bolt (i.e. not the end with the hex head on) sticking up. If all else fails I can take a stanley / cutters to it, but would rather not.

Cheers!

[madvanman]

power flows from battery/ignition through the hazzard switch (to swtch permenant feed for hazzards) then to the flash unit, then back to the hazzard and indicator switches

49a to indicator directly will make them flash (only if pin 49 has a live feed, which is what it doesnt get when the hazzard switch is faulty)

top cowling is held on by a torx screw , you might need to use a pin to clean the centre of it as they do collect dirt and stop the driver from getting any grip

[pyromancer]

Fixed it! After much furtling about and testing with jumpers, the actual fault turned out to be that the sockets on the connector block for the indicator switch had become slack and lost contact with the blades of the plug.

Thanks for all your help, much appreciated. This seems like a great forum, I'll post some pics of my van once I've had a few runs into the country and been to some scenic locations. It's only a somewhat beat up old blue N reg but it's a lot more fun than a car, as well as rather more useful!

Cheers!