Turn signals and brake lights stopped working

[Pieter]

Strange problem over here. The turn signals and brake lights stopped working.

Turn signals work when I turn them on all at once, but that's not really useful in traffic.
The only thing I can think of they have in common is that they both get switched off when you take out the key. Lights and windshield wipers are working fine, but I don't know if they are switched in the same way. Any ideas?

[dajwid]

Check the relays, earth on relays (that was my problem), check the small side indicators as these can cause this problem too. Make sure each one is connected and has a good earth.

[stuey]

+1 .. sounds like an eathing problem-give em a clean- mine where flaky as hell before I rubbed all the rust off them.

[Pieter]

That was my first thought too, but it doens't explain why I can turn the turn indicators on all at once..

At first I didn't realize the brake lights also stopped working so I put in another relay for the turn indicators, but that didn't work

[Hazey-n-Marc]

Do your brake lights start working when all of the indicators are on? Sounds like a short / earth problem. The indicator relays aren't great.

[Pieter]

Seems like there are two isolated problems. I got the turning signals working again, but I have 0V on the cable for the brake lights. The 3rd brake light I put in is working fine, but I put in a seperate wire that goes all to the front for this light.



I get 12V on this one when I brake, but not on the brake lights.

[Pieter]

I got them fixed, I'll post some more info later.

[dajwid]

Pleased they are working, what was the cause???

[Pieter]

The turn signals... I still don't know. I removed the relays and put it in again and they were working again. The brake lights were a stupid combination: the bulb on the left was broken while there was also a bad conact there which caused the right one to get 0V. And all of this happened on one ride

I'm happy it's all working again. The Fiat is my only car and I do need it

[Amateb8]

That is what I find concerning (for lack of the right word) about our cars. Whenever there is an electrical malfunction, more often than not, it is due to a break in the system caused by something trivial (again for lack of the right word) such as a loose or busted bulb, a loose connection and bad contact or something. All the aforementioned play havoc on the electrical system. I have never seen anything like it. That said, they were all simple fixes - which is great in a way.

I had a problem with my signals in the past which was due to the bulb simply unwinding itself loose. Another occassion, my left headlight started to work intermittently, to find that the contact in the socket was dirty. The examples go on. But there you have it - part and parcel of life owning these classic beauties.

[Hazey-n-Marc]

If we put the fuse cover on ours, the indicators stop working. With it off, they work, every now and then (twice in a year) they stop working and I have to wiggle the relay.