Hello all
Advice and assistance relating to headlight/headlamp pod motor operation desperately needed!
I have made forum searches but even assuming what I see on a search and what anyone else might see on a search is the same, the results are enlightening me very much….
This is for a late 1500cc car. I set out the background first before getting to the questions so please do bear with me. Diodes are addressed later.
All was working well regarding pod operation, then the following evening, when setting off down the road, I noticed that my brake lights and the heater fan were not working; after dealing successfully with that (“just” a blown fuse, although the underlying cause is yet to be established – the fan failure function is there to enable one person alone to test the brake light – clever!), I tested other electrics for operation and that is when I discovered the headlamp pods refused to go down. I repeat, they worked quickly and well the night before the brake light matter was discovered.
I switched the engine off and then tried to start it again just in case I had left the slider switch or main beam stalk in the wrong position: this time there was no electrical power at all on the ignition switch. After wiggling the key a little after checking main battery terminals, that power problem rectified itself, and has not returned, but I still have no operation of the pods.
The fuses check out ok and the relays E2 (parking lamps and headlamp raising control), E3 (headlamp motor r/h) and E5 (headlamp motor r/h) also test ok on a dedicated relay tester. I have cleaned the earths under the dash and in the two areas behind the pods.
Upon removing the slider light switch, I saw that the green wire terminal and block had some heat damage (I know that the switch was not deigned to carry the current that it does, there not being a relay on dipped beam). I disassembled the switch fully and saw that the copper track (connected to green wire’s terminal) within the switch had come loose due to melted plastic. I managed to re-set the track, clean and reconnect everything but still the pods will not move. I have 12v permanent on the white wire and 12v on the black and the brown wires when operating the ignition key
I have all lights too, however my memory is playing tricks: I thought that prior to this problem, when moving the slider to the first right hand position, only the side/marker lights and rear lights worked and that I had to move the slider to the second right hand position to have headlights on dipped, and then use the column stalk to get main beam.
Now, however when moving the slider to the first right hand position, I get the side/marker lights and rear lights (as usual) AND slightly dim headlamps. Then moving to the second position I get brighter dipped headlamps, with the main beam as usual using the stalk.
What should the first slider position give me? Side/marker/parking lights only, or also some light from the headlamp?
Even when on the first slider position, I can feel a little heat on the terminals: how much is usual I do not know and I intend to fit the PANDA switch modification (more below). Before I do fit that modification though, I want to get the pods’ operation sorted out so I am not chasing two sets of problems. Because of other practicalities where I have left the car I do not want to disassemble motors etc unless I really have to. I’d like to start simple and work up from there.
To that end, please can anyone comment on:
1 to see if the pods want to work, what wire do I apply 12v to: the blue/white or the blue red?
1a can I inject 12v at the ppod motors to see if they operate? If so, where?
2 where are the pod motor earths: directly behind in the hatch areas behind the pods on the “castles” or do they earth directly through the motor bodies?
3 if I manually retract the pods to see if they raise electrically, which (let’s suppose) then fail to raise; do they later need returning manually to the up position so that when proper service is resumed they are in the correct indexed position? Or doesn’t it matter, they will re-index themselves?
4 I know that everyone immediately says “diodes” when pod operation is queried but removing the motors and testing the diodes is not practical where I have left the car and I cannot put it totally out of commission when the motors will be out (for the inevitable couple of weeks between rain and other things) to do the tests. So, can the potential diode malfunction be diagnosed with certainty when still on the car eg by eliminating other causes first? If so, what to do? Given the pods worked very well one day and not at all the next, I am loath to condemn the diodes immediately.
Thanks in advance!
RDS
Advice and assistance relating to headlight/headlamp pod motor operation desperately needed!
I have made forum searches but even assuming what I see on a search and what anyone else might see on a search is the same, the results are enlightening me very much….
This is for a late 1500cc car. I set out the background first before getting to the questions so please do bear with me. Diodes are addressed later.
All was working well regarding pod operation, then the following evening, when setting off down the road, I noticed that my brake lights and the heater fan were not working; after dealing successfully with that (“just” a blown fuse, although the underlying cause is yet to be established – the fan failure function is there to enable one person alone to test the brake light – clever!), I tested other electrics for operation and that is when I discovered the headlamp pods refused to go down. I repeat, they worked quickly and well the night before the brake light matter was discovered.
I switched the engine off and then tried to start it again just in case I had left the slider switch or main beam stalk in the wrong position: this time there was no electrical power at all on the ignition switch. After wiggling the key a little after checking main battery terminals, that power problem rectified itself, and has not returned, but I still have no operation of the pods.
The fuses check out ok and the relays E2 (parking lamps and headlamp raising control), E3 (headlamp motor r/h) and E5 (headlamp motor r/h) also test ok on a dedicated relay tester. I have cleaned the earths under the dash and in the two areas behind the pods.
Upon removing the slider light switch, I saw that the green wire terminal and block had some heat damage (I know that the switch was not deigned to carry the current that it does, there not being a relay on dipped beam). I disassembled the switch fully and saw that the copper track (connected to green wire’s terminal) within the switch had come loose due to melted plastic. I managed to re-set the track, clean and reconnect everything but still the pods will not move. I have 12v permanent on the white wire and 12v on the black and the brown wires when operating the ignition key
I have all lights too, however my memory is playing tricks: I thought that prior to this problem, when moving the slider to the first right hand position, only the side/marker lights and rear lights worked and that I had to move the slider to the second right hand position to have headlights on dipped, and then use the column stalk to get main beam.
Now, however when moving the slider to the first right hand position, I get the side/marker lights and rear lights (as usual) AND slightly dim headlamps. Then moving to the second position I get brighter dipped headlamps, with the main beam as usual using the stalk.
What should the first slider position give me? Side/marker/parking lights only, or also some light from the headlamp?
Even when on the first slider position, I can feel a little heat on the terminals: how much is usual I do not know and I intend to fit the PANDA switch modification (more below). Before I do fit that modification though, I want to get the pods’ operation sorted out so I am not chasing two sets of problems. Because of other practicalities where I have left the car I do not want to disassemble motors etc unless I really have to. I’d like to start simple and work up from there.
To that end, please can anyone comment on:
1 to see if the pods want to work, what wire do I apply 12v to: the blue/white or the blue red?
1a can I inject 12v at the ppod motors to see if they operate? If so, where?
2 where are the pod motor earths: directly behind in the hatch areas behind the pods on the “castles” or do they earth directly through the motor bodies?
3 if I manually retract the pods to see if they raise electrically, which (let’s suppose) then fail to raise; do they later need returning manually to the up position so that when proper service is resumed they are in the correct indexed position? Or doesn’t it matter, they will re-index themselves?
4 I know that everyone immediately says “diodes” when pod operation is queried but removing the motors and testing the diodes is not practical where I have left the car and I cannot put it totally out of commission when the motors will be out (for the inevitable couple of weeks between rain and other things) to do the tests. So, can the potential diode malfunction be diagnosed with certainty when still on the car eg by eliminating other causes first? If so, what to do? Given the pods worked very well one day and not at all the next, I am loath to condemn the diodes immediately.
Thanks in advance!
RDS