Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing Indicator circuit earthing out

I have a short on my left indicator. When indicating left the instrument module fuse blows
The short is on the wires to the indicators somewhere, as I have disconnected the indicator units and the fuse still blows.
The power is okay coming off the stalk and flasher unit.
The right hand indicator works okay and the under dash fuses are all okay.
I have also checked the grommets where the harness goes through metal.
Has anyone else had the problem?
The car is a 2007 +4 4seater but the harness and routing is similar to the 2 seater.

You may have to locate the multi plugs closest to the lamp units and start from there. But first take the bulbs out and try that. The dash comes off with three screws (plus the lower cover) if you have to, and make sure that the wires are not being trapped between the column and dash. It's a tight fit there.

Thanks Dave.
I have disconnected the multiplugs at the light unit and replaced a holder that looked suspect. The usual bayonet end pulling through the fibre washer.
The fuse still blows.
I have done a visual check of the wires going to the units and cannot see anything obvious.
I will do more checks at the dash end.
Titus

The central wire pulling through the fibre washer is sadly a regular problem. The fibre the disc is made of seems to be as water resistant as old cardboard. I obtained some black plastic sheet (actually it was a filter housing from an aquarium but anything about 2mm would be fine, its very easy to work, drill a small hole and work (I carefully used a fine grindstone)it into a circle to match the fibre.. the Rolls Royce job would be to strip and pull the wiring through, but I needed a quick repair one weekend so I slit the new washer with a junior hacksaw and slipped it over the wire, the end terminal has a flat just behind the contact to make this easier. The repair has lasted almost 18 months now, I have 2 spare lamps in stock and so modified them the same way. Its water ingress of course that causes the problem!

Titus
My apologies if you have, but I didn't see it, are the bulbs ok?
Since a bulb is a short circuit in a vacuum, my mind leaps to a bulb being a rather better short circuit as the most likely cause.

Decent electrical meter is pretty well a must have tool in my book although it doesn't have to be as good as mine, an Avo 8. Note, although instruments with a digital readout look good, for fixing a car, the old fashioned analogue dial type is far better.

Are you showing your age Martyn?....;-)

I too prefer the old Analogue for diagnostics, many a time I have seen the needle flicker and yet its harder to see that on a digital readout. Just wish I still had my old AVO in the leather case.......;-)

Might be able to help you there Colin...

You temptress.....I remember when Crypton bought out their brand new analyser, we had a couple donated to BL's Training school in Coventry where I worked, the first course I ran everyone was gathered around the old and dusty Sun Tuner, all its gauges were analogue and so easy to see......Crypton added an O Scope soon after ;-).

Digital has its uses, and so does analogue. The problem is the deep seated belief that because you get an answer to four figures or more, it must be both accurate and a good thing. It's rare to find a digital meter that even justifies the third digit!

Plus, an Avo often still lives when it's used to measure the resistance of the AC mains... Does your digital meter?

Hardest problem I had on training courses was trying to teach mechanics how to read scrolling values, where even a Fluke digital meter struggled to illustrate the range it was simple to see on a good old needle flick. Something nice about handling a leather case and Bakelite felt more like going into battle with Joseph Lucas....feel the force Luke.....ignore the Dark Side