I own mattys old zed whcih is a nice car with 99 spec rear lights .. a while ago I lost the use of sidelights (and all associated systems ie rear lights and dash lighting) but the headlights worked fine. Of course it was dark and I was in a contra flow with the feds a few cars behind so couldnt limp home.

 

Phoned Mr rac and he came out and after farting about for 20 mins found an aftermarket relay fitted into the sidelight system that had stuck in (what he said was on but clearly he meant OFF) position. He disconnected the power to the relay it clicked and then reconnected it and it worked. He swapped the relay and of I was on my way.

 

Its Happend again, (at least same symptoms), but I dont understand why the relay is there. Its not a standard relay as far as I can tell (its by the drivers footwell near the door arch and just loose with the wires supporting it and insulating tape on some of the wires..) . Im unsure why it had been fitted, it clearly has a feed to the ICE as it causes the lights to dim on the stereo, but is it necessary for the 99 spec rear lights?

 

Any suggestions on how I can prevent this happening again? I was thinking if nothing else fitting an in-line reset switch to the power for the relay but its a bit of a bodge..

anyone?

Could be a crude alarm relay for flashing the side lights when arming and unarming the system???? or more likely a work around for a faulty/ corroded fuse box this would be even more likely if the car is UK spec, the rear of the fuse box in the drivers footwell is a small maze of busbar links and these can corrode and then certain circuits fail maybe this relay was fitted to get over the problem without replacing the fuse box

(bit of a pain job?) possibly the relay is not rated to run the load its is and is failing?

 

Remove the relay from its base and then check with a volt meter the light circuit fuse which is in the footwell top row third from the left should be a red fuse, if there is no power then it is most likely the later explanation.

 

 

Hope that helps

 

Jeff TT

thanks I will have a look... maybe pull the relay and get a more beefy one... am i right in saying that relays are better mounted in an upright position and not just bodged into a space as well? maybe something i can sort... any ideas for the sort of rating i should be looking at (not the alarm as that only flashes the indicators and was cat1 installed...)

more help needed im afraid..

 

as described above it appears that the relay is plumped in to replace a correded section of something. The relay is actually a ford relay but is rated 12v 40amp so should be fine for sidelights....

 

Its triggering with the swtich of my sidelight switch (ie clicking on and off) and it has its own 15am inline fuse which i have taken out n replaced (even though it wasnt blown) but still not sidelights!!

 

Ive checked all the connections I can see but that section of my car is a mess with insulating tape and inline fuses in it...(not lights connected just messy really).

 

Anyone got any ideas .. it seems the rac man might have just been lucky to get the lights back buy disconnecting the relay and my assumtions were wrong..

 

cheers

only way round that is to check all the suspect bits and bobs by the sound of it. if you find a dodgy connection its probably something to do with it. having said that, a nissan shouldnt have a ford relay in it and these cars dont like to be bodged so it may be less time consuming just to get it done properly once than mess about with it for an age.

not much use i know but im no good at electrics.

si

thats what i was thinking but was after a "quick fix" so i can drive the car at night for the next few days then just spend the time tidying up all the eltrics (and removing the damn insulating tape)

ok, quick fix would be take out the inline fuse and run a new feed to the sidelights on a seperate switch. this is a bit of a "get you home" thing but it'll see you through while its not right.

hth

si

sounds like what im after but im having a thick moment, remove either side of the fuse (wire?) and then feed into them from what? another section of the relay (which im presuming has a trigger and then power and an output..? )

 

im not having a clever day today :headvswal

think the numbers on the bottom of the realy are like 30 (ish) 85 and 86 and then another (not very helpful but assuming someone knows these and i can connect one fo these to the other side of the fuse and get sidelights..)

HTH on my zed which is an import if i just put front fogs on all my rear side lights work you may look like a boy racer but at least you can drive it home till you can sort it properly :headvswal

Here is relay layout and pin numbers etc.

 

 

 

 

 

Jeff TT

thanks jeff, so from this assuming the fuse is going to the lights which connector off the relay do i need to use to have the side lights permanantly on? (when i come for serivce Il probably get you to give this electrical thing the once over as well!)

 

Thanks andy

Right, below is an idea of how the circuit was MOST LIKELY connected, be aware though that you must check with a test meter because it may be slightly different the earth connection to pin 86 and the switched +12v can be reversed as they will energise the coil of the relay either way.

 

Also pin no 30 and 87 may be the other way around because this is just the switched circuit and will work either way around

 

The other concideration is where the non switched +12v has been taken from, is it fused? is it from a circuit which can support the current draw etc.

 

Sorry to sound a bit vague but at least you have something to go on.

 

Jeff TT

 

thats great thanks, i will have a look and try and work out what is going on in the mess of wires there