Right guys. I really need your help.

My 01' Punto Sporting has developed a fault with the Main Beam. Its either on solid, or every now anad again goes to flickering on and off.. Even when the lights are turned off.

There doesn't seem to be any single cause for it either since it does it when all electrics are off and whether i'm stationary or moving..

Any help and advice would be greatly recieved

Right,

i;ve just checked fuses which are ok. Also, i;ve tried swapping the relay for another of the same type, and still have the problem.

any idea's?

Could be the stalk. When it happens if you tap the stalk does it stop it?

yeah i've heard the stalks can go although not experienced it myself. same thing happened on mates escort. is it a mk2? i've got spare stalks from y-reg mk2.

Mdeko said:

Could be the stalk. When it happens if you tap the stalk does it stop it?

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No. its still on even if i push the stalk back or pull it forward. The light on the dash comes on as normal, not flickering as if there is a problem with the microswitch

thombeal said:

yeah i've heard the stalks can go although not experienced it myself. same thing happened on mates escort. is it a mk2? i've got spare stalks from y-reg mk2.

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would a stalk going cause the main beam to be on all the time?

my mates mainbeam stuck on if he flashed his lights so i don't know if that would cause it to stay on the whole time. Is it on from turning ignition on or after lights are turned on (side, dipped or main)

thombeal said:

my mates mainbeam stuck on if he flashed his lights so i don't know if that would cause it to stay on the whole time. Is it on from turning ignition on or after lights are turned on (side, dipped or main)

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its coming on straight from the ignition

it might be the switch within the stalks sticking.

thombeal said:

it might be the switch within the stalks sticking.

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i did think that but wouldn't that put the main beam light on the dash also?

chandler99 said:

i did think that but wouldn't that put the main beam light on the dash also?

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hmm... yeah i suppose it would as the main beam light comes on when you flash. does the dash light come on when you switch the light on yourself, even though it's already on but i mean if you do flash or turn dipped lights on and flick it onto main does the light come on then as it should do?

if it does then maybe it is the relay. I'm guessing the dash light is linked to the stalks and has nothing to do with whether or not the lights are actually on does it? like if you took the bulbs out the dash light would still come on?

thombeal said:

hmm... yeah i suppose it would as the main beam light comes on when you flash. does the dash light come on when you switch the light on yourself, even though it's already on but i mean if you do flash or turn dipped lights on and flick it onto main does the light come on then as it should do?

if it does then maybe it is the relay. I'm guessing the dash light is linked to the stalks and has nothing to do with whether or not the lights are actually on does it? like if you took the bulbs out the dash light would still come on?

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the dash light only comes on when i pull or push the stalk (basically it operates normally)

I did wonder relay, however, i just swapped the relay with an identical one 2 below and still had the same problem.

could it be the earth then? i'm running out of ideas!

thombeal said:

could it be the earth then? i'm running out of ideas!

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I'm running out of idea's too..

Any idea where to check for the earthing straps?



Its only started today. When it started it was intermitent, but by the time i'd driven the 20miles home it was almost constant

chandler99 said:

Any idea where to check for the earthing straps?

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i'm sorry, i don't know. not without haynes manual anyway which i don't have currently.

thombeal said:

i'm sorry, i don't know. not without haynes manual anyway which i don't have currently.

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worth a shot.. cheers anyways fella

no probs! i'll see what else i can find out for you but can't promise anything.

thombeal said:

no probs! i'll see what else i can find out for you but can't promise anything.

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Thanks again

sounds like an earth fault

other systems are trying to find an earth and they end up going back to the earth on the bulbs and lighting them as they go to earth throu them

remember the lights are earthed when they are not powered so can act as an earth for other things on the same common earth when it fails if you folow the harness from the lights you will find were it comes to a bolt eventually

not sure what on the car would be consuming enough power to light the bulbs when everything is off thou

littlepip17 said:

sounds like an earth fault

other systems are trying to find an earth and they end up going back to the earth on the bulbs and lighting them as they go to earth throu them

remember the lights are earthed when they are not powered so can act as an earth for other things on the same common earth when it fails if you folow the harness from the lights you will find were it comes to a bolt eventually

not sure what on the car would be consuming enough power to light the bulbs when everything is off thou

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thanks for the advice. I'll check it out later