Door light buzzer / main beam light issue? Bit weird ...

Morning all.

Wife got out car the other day and the 'lights left on' warning buzzed rather than beeped out. Once we'd established it wasn't her making an involuntary bodily buzz, I tried the drivers side door .... normal 'lights on' extended bleep.

Took little notice but later day, the buzz started when doors closed and occasionally when indicator used.

Then later day noticed that when lights were on side, the buzz started. When to main beam and buzz disappears. But the main beam blue dash light comes on.

All lights working fine but blue main beam on normal lights and buzz on side lights only???

Seems buzz 'might' be connected to left hand stalk?

Any ideas what to look for? It's a 95' 1.0L Base Model, zero frills, zero mods.

Thanks in advance as always.
 
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Morning all.

Wife got out car the other day and the 'lights left on' warning buzzed rather than beeped out. Once we'd established it wasn't her making an involuntary bodily buzz, I tried the drivers side door .... normal 'lights on' extended bleep.

Took little notice but later day, the buzz started when doors closed and occasionally when indicator used.

Then later day noticed that when lights were on side, the buzz started. When to main beam and buzz disappears. But the main beam blue dash light comes on.

All lights working fine but blue main beam on normal lights and buzz on side lights only???

Seems buzz 'might' be connected to left hand stalk?

Any ideas what to look for? It's a 95' 1.0L Base Model, zero frills, zero mods.

Thanks in advance as always.

Right, after a few days watching the issue I can see that turning the stalk to side lights, that the passenger one does not come on.

Then if turn it again, the drivers side light stays in side light and passenger side goes to dip beam BUT the main beam blue indication comes on.

Weird light behaviour .... again ideas were to start fault finding / replacement?

Cheers
 
Possible dim/dip issue but hopefully just age related high resistance corroded or loose earth connections or feed connections for headlight/dip/sidelights back feeding through dash buzzer/ main beam blue lamp.

May I suggest initially focusing on relevant accessible earth connections E1, E3, E4, E5. Locations with referance to Haynes Manual pages (12.15 earths locations) & circuits 12.16 & & 12.18 & 12.19. Check for floating earth voltages in each case with varying loads applied.

Twist or stick Happy hunting?
 
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Possible dim/dip issue but hopefully just age related high resistance corroded or loose earth connections or feed connections for headlight/dip/sidelights back feeding through dash buzzer/ main beam blue lamp.

May I suggest initially focusing on relevant accessible earth connections E1, E3, E4, E5. Locations with referance to Haynes Manual pages (12.15 earths locations) & circuits 12.16 & & 12.18 & 12.19.

Twist or stick Happy hunting?
Thanks for the steer plmval, ... my electrical skills are a little poorer than they should be. My Dad being very skilled in this area, I tended to be pretty lazy knowing he'd sort. Wish I'd listened more now :) .... but a good steer, will certainly work through the earth connections and many thanks for the Haynes references .... hopefully as warm and dry a day tomorrow as was today .... cheers
 
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Use a multimeter DVM tester to check for floating earth voltages in each case with varying loads applied.

I do have a DVM which is usually limited to checking house wiring .... 0 or 240v checks etc. So to check the earth continuity, what would I set the DVM to? Would I use a lower Volt measure or other setting? Is a good point .... all very well saying I will check tomorrow but then realising I don't have a particularly clear understanding of 'how to do' :)
 
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Try U tube tutorials to begin self-teaching yourself any subject.

Reference; https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b&q=Video;+How+to+use+a+multimeter.

Is a really good little tutorial plmval, have just watched. So essentially continuity testing is the same as finding a good earth? Should have looked this up .... have to say my stock answer to any of our tribe is "have you tried to look it up" .... I should have done the same. Excellent little look up that. Many thanks for sending. One to bookmark for us occasional sparks.
 

Low Rider

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9 times out of 10 this is the H4 bulb connector on the headlight that has corroded.

Sometimes however the associated fuse in the fuse box in front of the battery is also goosed, (fuse blade and connectors badly corroded) which is a slightly more fiddly repair than replacing an H4 bulb connector.

For the headlight you'll need to check and likely replace the H4 connector and the bulb. For the fuse box, you'll have to replace both the connector spades and the fuse itself, to stop any poor connections / LV arcing from damaging any new replacements and the problem repeating itself in time.
 
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9 times out of 10 this is the H4 bulb connector on the headlight that has corroded.

Sometimes however the associated fuse in the fuse box in front of the battery is also goosed, (fuse blade and connectors badly corroded) which is a slightly more fiddly repair than replacing an H4 bulb connector.

Going to take a look at this low rider ... have to say I don't recall ever changing a front bulb in this one and we had it many many years now. Definitely worth a look. Fuses I think are solid but that's me assuming a bit ... not actually checked yet.

Great advice, appreciated. Hope to be taking a look later today and will feedback what I find. Cheers
 
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Non-invasive inspection/ testing with a DVM avoids disturbing aged ( 1995 ) but fully functional electrical circuits & thus avoid risk of creating faults, via disturbance, where none previously existed.

Previous recent thread on H4 connectors may help.

References: https://www.micra.org.uk/threads/headlight-plug-stuck.70810/



https://www.micra.org.uk/search/160551/?q=H4+Connectors&o=relevance


Stick or twist? Happy hunting.

Got it now! .... stick definitely stick :) ..... yes is odd that I don't recall ever doing anything to the front lights ... rears oh yes had a few issues there, and recently, ironically also earth based I think, now resolved.

Yes going to test through the circuit for continuity for sure ... is good to learn the fault finding technique and have indeed looked at a couple of other you tube vids as you suggested ,..... this one may also be useful for others at the lower skill level that I'm at electrically....



But also good to have an understanding of the headlight weak spots .... the masochist in me wants to pull them apart (in the shake down sense) and work through them anyway.
 
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Well turns out to be a bit of both! The side light (passenger side) had loosened and was in effect forming a bad earth. That for reasons I'm not 100% on meant the dip and main beam performed a bit odd. Tightened the side light fitting up and refitted the main bulb and looks like all's well.

Thanks both for the steer .... as always a solution from the combined skills of micra.org. Great news, cheers
 
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Just a follow up .... the buzzing noise I mentioned has also gone. Is that an actual feature (light failure?) or just a coincidence?
 
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