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| tracking down a short in headlight system | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 13 2014, 05:32 AM (850 Views) | |
| brush | May 13 2014, 05:32 AM Post #1 |
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hi folks, newly acquired 92 geo metro 1.0 2dr base. initial symptoms: only dim parking lights come on, neither brights nor regular; ie. no change when turning from first step (parking) to second, or pulling forward or back. i've been through the how-to headlight repair topic several times, after initially trying the "brown/black to ground" trick and resulting in lights on all the time the battery's connected. i checked the fuses -- but someone has put 30A fuses in the headlight slots! i didn't think they were the problem, since the lights turned on for parking lights, but then checked: left fuse blown, right fuse ok. left headlight fuse blows again whenever i turn the lights from off. so: a short. but where? i go look at the headlight itself, and there's some weird aftermarket relay hooked in with some janky wiring. aha! i think, since it looks like some of the open wires are touching the chassis. i clear so that there's nothing touching, and try again: still blows. now, things are a bit inconsistent. once, the brights light on the dash worked correctly (though the headlights didn't). but usually it's either on all the time, or off all the time. sometimes the lights are just off, sometimes they have the initial symptoms above; i'm not sure exactly what makes the difference, but maybe to do with solid ground resetting something? finally, there's a really weird symptom: when i press on the fuse block, just push it lightly up and down, i hear a relay click behind the dash somewhere and something thunk in the door -- autolock, maybe? does this indicate a bad fuseblock? i'll take out the weird relay, and try to take a pic of it, and try to trace things. my main questions: any idea what the aftermarket relay might be for? any idea what's going on in the door? and what's the best way to trace wires looking for short to ground -- just take the fuses out, or the fuses and all the connectors in the block? and is it a short to grnd that i'm looking for, or a short to battery pos (since everything's backwards)? if anyone's run into anything like this, advice is much appreciated. thanks! |
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| Memphis metro | May 13 2014, 09:07 AM Post #2 |
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If it is not original and someone has jacklegged it then you are likely to have anything you can imagine. It is truly amazing some of the electrical repairs you see people attempt. |
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| Memphis metro | May 13 2014, 12:22 PM Post #3 |
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Here is some more headlamp information to be aware of. http://geometroforum.com/single/?p=880326&t=4464045 |
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| brush | May 14 2014, 02:29 AM Post #4 |
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thanks for the responses, big rhino! my wiring doesn't look quite as corroded as yours did, but clearly there's still a problem somewhere in there. right, so the PO "fixed" the lights with this janky relay hookup, exposed pigtail strands and all. see below: ![]() assuming the wire coming in through that white plastic connector is switched positive (white wire), then the relay switches one of the headlight wires (red) to ground (blue) based on whether the white-to-black wire is at 12V. when the relay is plugged in, as it was originally, this turns on both headlights approximately equally. so i interpret this to mean that the wire running back towards the dash, then through the suspicious splice, and over to the other headlight is pretty solid. still, that splice seems to be a common problem, so i tried to find it based on the report for similar generation at http://geometroforum.com/topic/4869301/1/ . i think i found the white/blue splice in pics below, even though it's a bit different surroundings than the pics on the other thread. see: ![]() ![]() now, with the relay disconnected, i just get lights out -- but no shorting the fuse! my guess is that the relay coil was shorting? on the other hand, after fiddling a bit moving fuses around, the running lights (orange) went out as well. and the fuse block is still making some relay in the door and dash go click when i wiggle it. but mucking with the white/blue splice doesn't do anything. i could unpack it further, but probably tomorrow. i'm tired, and will take a break from the electrical chase. any suggestions very helpful! eg.: any ideas about the clicking relay, or where i might find a break between the splice and the fuse box. thanks! |
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| Shanesmetro | May 14 2014, 03:23 AM Post #5 |
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Still learning
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I like your timing, sir. I can only offer you one piece of advice currently and that is to be careful how far you dig.... http://geometroforum.com/topic/5416291/1/#new |
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| brush | May 15 2014, 09:53 PM Post #6 |
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yes, when the digging dam bursts, one can dig forever! but, flinching, i broke down and set up a system to painstakingly trace wires all the way through the system. so far: the white/red and white/blue trace through fine from the headlight socket to the fuses (which surprised me), and the red and red/white trace through to the combo switch port on the fuse block. (ie. continuity) how do i test the combo switch? ie. should any of the slots in that harness go to grnd when the switch is turned? or should i test with the battery on for changes in voltage? thoughts?
Edited by brush, May 15 2014, 09:55 PM.
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| brush | May 21 2014, 12:51 PM Post #7 |
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final update: finally fixed it! the jerry-rigged relay had been confusing things, plus there was a bent pin that was shorting to another in the fuse box, but in the end wiring the black-with-brown-dots wire to ground in the fuse box and cleaning all the connections solved it. thanks all! |
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