please don't laugh !!

[sarahjaneking]

the tzd has just failed it's mot on a bit of welding (which I will not be attempting LOL) 2 front brake hoses and lights interfering with lights????

Now I don't understand the lights bit as they all seem to work fine to me, so if anyone can explain (preferably in words of one syllable ) I would be very grateful.

Front brake hoses, I've ordered a couple and I'm hoping that they should be fairly easy to fit (I told you not to laugh ) I generally just give things a go and see what happens but as you guys are all so helpful I thought I'd ask for help and perhaps save my neighbours ears from the tirade of abuse that lets rip when things start to go wrong

Sarah x

[mds141]

Know what u mean tried sorting out the exhausts on the firestorm t'other day sockets and ratchets flying everywhere

[richardd1652]

Hi Sarah,i think what he may mean is you have a bad earth.If you collar a helper and try side lights,brake lights and then indicators all at the same time they may all "pulse" with the flash of the indicators.This is easily cured by attaching a fresh Earth connection from the lights to the car body.
Hope this helps,Richard.

[sarahjaneking]

thanks Richard I shall give it a go my 10 year old is becoming a very adept helper - problem is she wants me to teach her to drive NOW!!!

[scarecrow]

I was thinking it may have something to with poor shielding between the different cells of one or more of your rear light clusters allowing light to escape from one cell to another.

Richard's explanation is more feasible - I have the very same problem on mine which is temporarily cured by pulling off the offending cluster, and then putting it back whilst giving the electrical contacts a good old jiggle as they mate. There's also a spray which rejuvenates the conductivity across the terminals, but I keep forgetting to get some.

[citronut]

i usualy fix the bad earth prob by re/tensionning the jaws inside all the plugs on at the rear lamp units,

i belive the cause is persons sitting at junctions with there brake lamps on, as the jaws of the plug blocks are not man enough to take 42w through for any length of time, as they over heat and loose there grip on the pins in the lamp unit

regards malcolm

[scarecrow]

I should try that, thanks Malcolm. How should I go about re-tensioning the contacts?
Steve

[electrokid]

a good old jiggle as they mate

Nothing like a good jiggle as they mate

There's also a spray which rejuvenates the conductivity across the terminals, but I keep forgetting to get some.

The other day a neighbour suggested something to help with altzheimers - can't remember what it was now

Steve - does your BX have a towbar ?

Sarah - the feed to the rear lights is to the nearside lamp cluster - then there's a loom which goes from there across to the offside one - the earths should be separate - one on each side.

[citronut]

i use a very small flat blade screw driver between the body of the plug and the jaws, just flex them in towards the middle,

it works 99% of the time, if it fails revert to Richards method

regards malcolm

[scarecrow]

Brian - no, I have no tow-bar

Thanks Malcolm

[citronut]

the earth plug is the small white three pin plug going to each rear lamp unit, even though i still go through all the plugs three behind the N/S/R lamp and two behind the O/S/R

regards malcolm

[docchevron]

T'other method is get some thin nose pliers and gently twist the pins ont he light units themselves, that always works too, then give it all a good dollop of Vaseline, KY, contact spray, battery lube, whatever really.

[Way2go]

KY, really?
That's water based isn't it so apart from making it easier to slide the connectors on, not really a benefit for long term. Vaseline should be good & lasting though! (No latex rotting problems here.)

[citronut]

Doc wrote
" twist the pins"

wont this just oppen the jaws in the plug's even more,

regards malcolm

[medwaycitroen]

Hello

When there were more BX's around than there are now this use to be a problem about 1 in 3 (at a guess) got at mot time. Our fix (if there was no tow bar) was to remove most the rear lights, and clean the contacts well with emmery paper. Then before putting back, taking the small bolt out which holds the earth wire (and others) to the body of the car and going over each of washer-type attachments which the wires went to and were held by the bolt to the car and cleaning them in the same way.

if it was very bad we would do both sides on the lights, not just the one with loads of wires (i cant remember if it was o/s or n/s - the one with lots of wires). Then lots of wd40 and back together again.

This worked most of the time, some times the bulb holders were bust and needed replacing, but that was quite rare.

we all groaned if it had a tow bar!

hope this makes sense, my powers of description are not the best

thanks
remy