Indicator not working

[AlanChristine]

Hi all! Sorry if this is in the wrong place but not quite sure where it would fit.

Today we went to take our van out of storage in readyness for a couple of days away.All was fine until we did the usual "lights" check before setting off.Everything was fine except for the indicators.The right hand does not work!The van has been in storage longer than norm due not being able to get out latter part of last year.The bulb has been changed and checked socket connections and all check out ok.We have just changed our car to an 07 mondeo(new shape) and the towbar etc have been fitted less than a week ago.Could the problem lie there or is there something else we should be looking at first?

Chris

 

[Damian]

Corrosion or a bad earth are the most likely causes in the light cluster.

 

[AlanChristine]

Does this mean a new light cluster?All the rest of it works except for indicator.

 

[MichaelE]

Check the car caravan 12n cable/connection for a closed pin

 

[mauron]

As Damian says, probably corrosion. Try cleaning the metal bulbholder with fine emery paper and check the earth wire contact. Is it the front or rear bulb that is not working or both?

If both, it may be the connection at the 7 pin socket.

Is the circuit fuse protected - it may have blown.

Regards,

Ron

 

[ShadySadie]

1st off, always spray the sockets and plugs with WD40 when the caravan has been left standing.

 

[hgv dave]

what shady says is really good advice.........i would go one step further and when laying up the van for winter,give the plugs a good spray with wd40

hgv dave

 

[Ian.perry]

Hi Alan & Christine

I had a similar problem just before Easter on our first trip of the year after winter storage except all the lights down the offside didn't work!!! The 12n socket on the car had two corroded wires so I had to replace that and also on the 12S I had 12Vgoing in and less than 10V coming out, but a qui`ck clean with WD40 soon fixed that and all's well now.

Good luck

Ian

 

[audiorob]

Presumably the fitter would have checked all the lighting on the car with a trailer board after fitting, and probably used a pre-wired socket set anyway. If you have a spare plug you could wire it up with a bulb as a test kit... More likely to be the caravan end then. As suggested check the plug (inside and outside) for corrosion, 'squashed' pins or loose wires - if it's tatty a new one to rplace only costs a couple of quid although the wiring is a bit fiddly!

Good luck!

 

[colin(bridgend)]

I would bet my money on the caravan socket - try a spray of either WD 40 or an approved electrical spray solution. If you do need a new plug disconnect one wire at a time from the old and connect to the relevant point on the new plug otherwise it could get confusing. It is an easy job and will only take a few minutes if you keep your wits about you.

 

[haydn_374343028]

if you buy a new plug/socket you will find the correct wiring on the pack,you can't really go wrong, if you are a member of caravan club the thick hand book has the info also.

Are you a bit handy?, if so a small lamp fitting or 12volt tester can be used to check voltage.

on the car side the centre pin is earth connect one end to centre pin and the other to the relevant pin on car circuit you can then check each circuit in turn when relevant light/indicator etc is on. this will eliminate the car side. best bet is caravan plug.

 

[xtrailman]

I would check the output from the cars socket first. It is possible that the newly installed flasher module has failed, or a connection to it.

If you have a friend with a trailer that you can connect to then try that.

If your lights are in a common cluster, then usually the return is connected to the metal base, which is common to all the lights in the cluster.

Therefore, if the common has a poor or corroded connection, then ALL the lights in that cluster will not work.

 

[emmerson2]

you just beat me to it Ray. I'd check out the car first. Fittere aren't infallible. (they only think they are!!)

 

[MikeMc]

Just to re-iterate what others have advised. When I connected up after the winter lay-off mine my caravan indicators did not work. I sprayed WD40 into the socket, reconnected and all was fine.

Mike Mc

 

[AlanChristine]

Many thanks all for your suggestions and advice.We went back up to storage a couple of days later and a fellow vanner kindly hooked up our van.All the lights worked! He suggested that we test the car socket with a 12v tester and guess what....no:4 pin(which I'm sure you all know) is the RH indicator!.I contacted the tow bar fitters and they duly came out to fix it.The fitter was disgusted with his colleagues workmanship as he had left the wire unconnected in the boot!He said that it was now his duty to report this and that they would have to check every car done by this fitter from the date mine was fitted.

We have since brought van out of storage and all(fingers x'd!) is working. chris

 

[Zafiral]

Electrical contact cleaner is better than WD40, when I had 7 pin, I had to use it most trips to get both of my indicators working. Since I have had 13 pin, I have had no problems.

 

[colin(bridgend)]

Alan & Christine - damn lost my bet but there cannot be right every time LOL. Glad to hear that you are now sorted and hopefully a great season of caravanning.