Technical Indicators and wipers

[Lorna87]

Hi all

Hope everyone, hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is looking forward to the New Year.

A different query from me for a change. I noticed the other week when driving home in the rain that whenever I braked, my rear wiper came on; it also came on each time I indicated left. Now I am noticing that whenever I push down on the brake, and am indicating right, the indicating speed seems to speed up.

Any ideas on diagnosis and what I can do?

 

[dagdromer]

most likely a bad ground in or near the rear lights. i suggest taking of the lights and or the carpet in the car on the hunt for a ground and make sure that is clean.

 

[Lorna87]

most likely a bad ground in or near the rear lights. i suggest taking of the lights and or the carpet in the car on the hunt for a ground and make sure that is clean.

Could you advise me on how I do this. I am a bit of a mechanical novice.

 

[dagdromer]

The removal of the rear light cluster should be described in the owners manual that you got with the car. If that is no longer there you can also download it from this site (see downloads in the top of your screen). For the ground wire. I'm not sure where it located but it should be in the area of the lights. The dude on this video is doing a dodgy repair but that will give you some hints on where to look

 

[Lorna87]

How would I know if it is a bad earth?

 

[DaveMcT]

You know its a bad earth because this is the only way this can happen. When the earth resistance is high, power will find an alternative route - in this case via the other light filaments or the wiper motor.

 

[Lorna87]

Is this an easy fix, or could it be expensive? Could this also affect why the rear wiper comes on if I brake (this only happens if the front wipers are on and when headlights/side lights are on).

 

[dagdromer]

Finding electrical gremlins can be a nightmare in real life let alone helping digital. It is a process of eliminating stuff. When you say the rear wiper is acting up but only when the headlights are on I get the idea that it could also be the connector in the front near de BSI (i think it is the bsi, the thing where the fuses and the obd port are). the lowest connector there is famous for getting to hot and melting the plastic causing shorts.
I need to replace mine and therefor I took it out of the BSI assuming that it was all light related. Only to find out when I lock the car the rear wiper slightly moves over the window.

 

[A3jeroen]

Lorna,
When the groundcurrent for brakelight or turnsignal is drawn over the reversinglight, the car (Bodycomputer) thinks you are reversing. Normally the rearwiper comes on when reversing with the frontwipers on.
If you take out the left lightcluster (open the hatch, remove two screws and pull hard) you will probably find that the connector looks a little burnt. Clean up the connections, maybe add a dab of petroleum jelly and probably you have an uncle called Robert.

Shouldn't be too expensive at your local garage.

gr J

 

[koalar]

you already have the answer above

its the centre black wire of the rear light cluster

two threads here, one shows mine burnt. The other someone had repaired cheaply

please do not add some loose wire (metal) to the connector. You dont want to cause a short later down the line

Rear wiper- bulb issue | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

My rear windscreen would start wiping when reversing with front wipers on- put on myself. Not much thought to it. Now if I indicate left goes on(rear) or break(not always) My indicator bulb on the left is weak- apply the breaks and it is nowhere near as bright at the right-hand side. This...

www.fiatforum.com

Wiring question. | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

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[koalar]

here's repairing properly

Rear light connector | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

I posted this within a thread but worth repeating when repairing the connector it easy to remove each terminals individually take a photo of colour order First, just in case another terminal falls out lift the bar that holds them into the block, then tease out the cable you want to clean up.

www.fiatforum.com

 

[Lorna87]

So if I take this to the garage to be looked at, it should be a fairly cheap fix?

 

[Lorna87]

Okay, I've searched downloads, but can't see how to access rear wiper cluster. Please could someone tell me how to do this.

 

[dagdromer]

you need to remove the rear lights not the wiper. the problem comes from a bad connection in the lights, that is giving a signal that the car is in reverse and because you have the wipers on, the car wipes the rear window.

 

[Lorna87]

Yes, sorry I mean the rear lights. The problems I am having are:

When front wipers and headlights are on, the rear wiper comes on when I brake; it also comes on when I indicate left.
When indicating left and braking, the indicator speeds up.

 

[dagdromer]

yes as said before. because you have a bad ground when you brake and or the indicator is on the power does not flow to the ground but it searches another route. It is going through others lights in the cluster also the reverse light. Normally this light is only activated when you select reverse. there is an additional wire on the reverse light switch that goes to the computer/wiper thingy. If that wire gets power and the front wipers are on it activates the rear wiper assuming that you want to reverse and want a clear rear window. if you fix the bad ground in the light cluster the wiper problem will stop.

 

[Lorna87]

Okay, so which wire is the bad one? Is this something I could easily fix myself?

 

[koalar]

Okay, so which wire is the bad one? Is this something I could easily fix myself?

you need someone at the back of the car, set up a mirror or take a video

operate the brakes, indicator and lights and watch for any to dim

the most common is the brake lights to dim as the indicators flash.

which ever side dims take the light cluster off. The centre pin black wire will be burnt and melted

follow the link I proved earlier and pop the connector apart. Straighten an clean the pin and reassemble everything. An auto electrician would just crimp a new pin on in seconds.

smear some petroleum gel on the connector will stop it from happening again

 

[Lorna87]

you need someone at the back of the car, set up a mirror or take a video

operate the brakes, indicator and lights and watch for any to dim

the most common is the brake lights to dim as the indicators flash.

which ever side dims take the light cluster off. The centre pin black wire will be burnt and melted

follow the link I proved earlier and pop the connector apart. Straighten an clean the pin and reassemble everything. An auto electrician would just crimp a new pin on in seconds.

smear some petroleum gel on the connector will stop it from happening again

Is this a common issue?

I also noticed that when I brake, the left indicator/side light is coming on.

Should this be a quick fix job if I take it to a garage?

 

[DaveMcT]

All of your symptoms are common issues on older cars. The symptoms can be more strange on cars with body computers but the cause is the same.

The job should be quick and easy because the faulty contact AT THE LIGHT CLUSTER is easy to detect either by being burnt or corroded. Clean up the wire and jobs a good-un. Worst case would need a new connector crimping on. A few minutes work for a garage.